Page 7 - April 2013

7 Threats to Your Home and What You Can Do About Them by HomeAdvisor What you don’t know could cost of your home. Granted, this might not that you make it a point to clean out swimming pool. So, what part of your you be something you’re overly concerned your dryer’s lint trap. The problem home is responsible for the greatest about, but it is something appraisers, is that you’re neglecting to properly amount of water waste? If you said While you probably have your and potential buyers, will keep in clean out your dryer’s exhaust vent - toilet, you pass. In fact, if your toilet home’s maintenance schedule down mind - especially if you’re the only that tube that snakes from your dryer is constantly running you could be pat, we’ve identifed seven potential house in your neighborhood without to the outside of your house. Over blowing through 200 or more gallons problem areas that could be costing new windows. Why is this important? time, lint build-up can restrict airfow of water per day. That’s 73,000 you your cash and your health. Because improved looks usually and increase the temperatures in the gallons of water! Do the math and correlate to improved home values. dryer, leading to increased fre danger. you’ll quickly see how much that adds Mold, pests, old windows, leaky to your water bill. Thankfully, fxing toilets, carbon monoxide - all silent, Second, new windows improve the 5. Unknown Termite Problem: On your leaky pipes is as easy as hiring a and often hidden, dangers capable of comfort of your home. Old, single- the list of “things that cause billions of plumber. causing signifcant damage to your pane windows are drafty, poorly dollars of damage each year,” you’d home. But just because they’re out of insulated, vulnerable to condensation, be hard pressed to include termites. 7. Carbon Monoxide: Carbon sight, doesn’t mean they should be out and often borderline inoperable. If However, these irksome little pests monoxide, or CO, is often called the of your mind. you are tired dealing with any one cause billions of dollars of damage silent killer as its odorless, colorless of the above, new windows are the before unsuspecting homeowners gas can cause sudden illness and 1. Environmental Threats: When solution. even know what hit them. The good death. It’s a gas that nearly every you bought your home you had it news is there are steps you can take homeowner is aware of, yet far too inspected. The question is: How Finally, new windows improve your to protect your home from them. The many either ignore the risks it poses, thorough of an inspection did it home’s energy effciency. The obvious bad news is you probably won’t know or are unaware of their home’s receive? Depending on whether this payback here is decreased utility you have a problem until the termites vulnerabilities. Fortunately there are a was your frst house, the advice you bills. How much will depend on how are already well established. If you few things you can do to protect your received from friends, family, or your effcient the windows are. However, live in an area that is prone to termites home and family. Easiest of which is realtor, or whether or not you did your this alone is not reason enough to or suspect that your home has termite installing carbon monoxide detectors research, you may have not received replace all of your windows. Even if damage, consult a pest specialist to and ensuring the proper function of the home inspection you thought you they reduce your utility bill $500 per see what you should do to best protect your gas, oil, or charcoal burning did. year, you’re still looking at a payback your home. appliances. Want to make sure you’re period of nearly 10 years. So, why protected? Talk to a fre protection Many homeowners are under replace your windows? Because you 6. Leaky Plumbing: Did you know and prevention specialist. the false impression that a home want to improve the look, comfort, that, on average, leaks account for inspector inspects every element of and effciency of your home. If that’s 10,000 gallons of wasted water Read more on their website: the home. In fact, unless you add it not reason enough, what is? each year? That’s enough to fll a www.homeadvisor.com to the inspection, i.e. pay for it, they typically do not check for asbestos, 3. An Ineffcient Water Heater: Staff Profle: Enterprise Payroll Specialist radon gas, lead paint, toxic mold and/ How old is your water heater? If My name is Rhonda frst half marathon or pests. Left un-mitigated, these it’s older than 10-years-old, not Dixon and I am in February at Walt contaminants can do serious damage heating effciently, or needs constant the new payroll Disney World, and to your house and your health. repairs, it could be time to replace specialist at Chehalis we are training for it. Thankfully, unlike new windows, Tribal Enterprise. I another in September If you suspect that your home is at a new water heater isn’t nearly as have been working at Disneyland. risk, we recommend meeting with a expensive. According to our Cost in accounting for the specialist. In addition to inspecting Guide, the average replacement cost past 20 plus years, In my spare time, your home for contaminants, they’ll comes in at just under $1,000. When identify the best course of action to you compare that against the average but have specialized I enjoy crafting. I remove the offending contaminant repair cost of $516 you can quickly in payroll and ADP Rhonda Dixon love to make mini from your home. see why, in most cases, it’s better to over the past 10 Chehalis Tribal Enterprise scrapbooks out of replace than repair. years. It is something Payroll Specialist anything that I can 2. Ineffcient Windows: Home that I really enjoy. fnd. I have made experts advise that you replace your 4. Improper Dryer Exhaust books out of coffee sleeves, empty windows every 25 years. And while Venting: According to the National I am a mother of four children – two paper towel and toilet paper rolls, you likely already know why you Fire Protection Association, girls; Rachel 28 and Abby 14 and envelopes, and lunch sacks. I also should replace them, you also know approximately 14,000 fres are two boys; Josh 23 and Seth 21, and love to take pictures, especially sepia how expensive it can be. However, the caused each year by improper dryer one dog-Molly. Abby is the only and black and whites. I used to do benefts of replacing your windows ventilation and maintenance. Many one left at home and we do just about the “old fashion” pictures when the could be reason enough to make you of those fres can be traced back to everything together. We are obsessed kids were little. Now it just family reconsider. lint accumulation. You might be with all things Disney, or at least pictures and of course anything First, new windows improve the look wondering how that’s possible given I am. We recently completed our Disney.  chehalistribe.org  greatwolfodge.com  luckyeagle.com  eagleslandinghotel.net Page 7