The acquisition of property is a worthwhile investment that many Americans engage in. This is illustrated by the statistics, which show that about 63% of Americans invest in real estate. However, like all investment forms, you must take strategic measures to ensure you make handsome returns. For your property, in addition to implementing upgrades and renovations to increase its value, an important aspect to focus on is its structural integrity. This means ensuring that key structural features of your home, such as its walls, roofing, and foundation, are in optimal condition. A compromised structure can cause damages to your property, its inhabitants, and other property within it. Therefore, it is taking the necessary steps to protect and maintain your property’s structural integrity. Here are some tips you should consider in this regard.
Weatherproof property
Needless to say, the weather conditions of your property’s location play a role in its structural integrity. A building in an area with extremely hot weather can cause your building’s structure to dry out prematurely or cause damage quickly. In some cases, areas prone to heavy snow and storms during the colder months can cause cracks, sagging, and collapsing roofs due to their weight. This, in effect, compromises your property’s integrity. Weatherproofing your property is a great way of fixing and avoiding such issues. Fortunately, you can protect your property by implementing the right weatherproofing strategies. For example, if you live in an area prone to heavy rains, you may want to inspect and clean your roof regularly. This involves removing dirt and debris from your gutters. This prevents the likelihood of a clogged gutter during a storm, which can cause structural issues to your property if left unchecked. Implementing the right weatherproofing strategies preserves exterior surfaces, prevents foundational issues, and enhances energy efficiency within your property. Most importantly, implementing effective weatherproofing measures increases your property value.
Implement effective waterproofing measures
Leakage here or there may seem harmless. However, the accumulation of moisture over a period can cause great risk to your property’s structural integrity. This is because overexposure to moisture can progressively deteriorate structural materials, causing a compromise in their integrity. Additionally, the accumulation of moisture leads to the growth and spread of mold and mildew, and poor indoor air quality. To avoid such issues, you should consider waterproofing your property. Waterproofing your property eliminates the risk of water seepage into your property’s structure to cause damage. There are several ways to waterproof your home effectively. For instance, you can ensure to seal gaps and cracks you may find around your walls, doors, and windows. It would help if you considered repainting, as paint provides a waterproof seal. Also, decluttering and cleaning areas prone to clogging is another effective way of waterproofing your property.
Inspect and fix all cracks
Cracks are a tell-tale sign that your property’s structure is compromised. Although cracks may not always be the case, you should still be alert when you see the form of cracks in your walls or ceilings. Small cracks may not be a problem as they may be merely cosmetic. However, larger cracks with identifiable areas of sagging are a cause for concern. Therefore, as a property owner, looking for cracks around your doorways, walls, ceilings, and even floors is advisable. The best way to deal with the cracks you find is to fix them immediately, as this would prevent further damage. Fortunately, you can take this on as a DIY project, purchasing the items and tools you need from your local hardware store. However, this would largely depend on the size of the cracks and where they are located. For more complex areas and larger cracks, be sure to hire experienced and reputable professionals to ensure the problem is effectively resolved.
Construct and maintain the drains
Another factor to consider when protecting the structural integrity of your property is maintaining or digging drains. Many property owners tend to miss out on the importance of maintaining or digging drains. However, drains are integral in protecting your property’s structural integrity. A well-built drain and proper drainage system prevent water from accumulating, which leads to structural damage. Digging a drain must be done during the construction phase of your property. There are different types of drainage options, and your choice would depend on what you deem a better option for your property. The options include French, trench drains, and subsurface and slope drainage systems. No matter the drainage option you select, it is vital to ensure that it is constructed adequately to ensure its functionality. Although you may have professionals doing the job, it is also advisable to keep yourself up-to-date. For example, if you have hired professionals to construct a trench drain for your property, you should read about the steps to form a concrete channel drain to ensure the right processes are followed.
Merely digging and constructing a drain is insufficient to protect your property’s structural integrity. Maintenance is also important to ensure that the drain is efficient throughout the lifetime of your property. Therefore, be sure to conduct regular inspections, noting if your property’s drains are clogged or if the systems have been damaged and providing the needed solutions on time.
Upgrade old and damaged floor joists
Floor joists are horizontal wooden beams that support and enclose the flooring above a foundation. This means that floor joists help evenly distribute your property’s weight onto the foundation. However, floor joists easily deteriorate with time, which can cause structural failure and expensive repair costs. Some of the factors that may cause damage to your property’s floor joists include excessive moisture, improperly spaced support columns, and shifting foundation soils. Fortunately, you can access the floor joists of your property through the basement or crawl space. This means you can easily identify problems and resolve them before they worsen. When carrying out inspections, watch out for the common signs of damaged floor joists, such as moist and rotting wood, sagging floors, and unlevel doors and window frames. When upgrading old and damaged joists, hiring reputable contractors to reduce further problems and expensive mistakes is important.
Repair concrete floors
Concrete flooring also plays a role in the structural integrity of your property. And like other components, your concrete floors are subject to wear and tear, which may have left them needing repairs. Several signs indicate your concrete flooring is due for repairs. These include peeling, cracks, potholes, and unevenness, to name a few. Not only do these factors cause your floors to look shabby and unappealing, but they can cause safety and structural issues. In such cases, replacing the flooring by simply resurfacing the affected areas with new layers of cement is helpful. However, consulting professionals is a better option as they can adequately evaluate the problem and suggest various solutions tailored to your property’s specific problems.
Maintaining and protecting your property’s structural integrity ensures you make the most out of this investment. Although the list above may help you in this regard, it is important to remember that it is not exhaustive.
Therefore, in addition to the list above, you should research the factors affecting your property’s structural integrity and how to resolve them. Additionally, conduct regular maintenance checks to identify various problems and ensure they are resolved properly. Speaking of resolved, it is also important to ensure that these fixes are made immediately, as the longer a problem exists, the worse its effects on your structural integrity.
