| "Yikes!" | | | | water problems elsewhere in the house. |
| "Uh-oh..." | | | | As the ground around a home settles naturally, it can |
| The homeowner and I were watching our contractor | | | | slope in toward the house and begin directing water at |
| remove deck boards that concealed an area of a | | | | the foundation wall. Modern waterproofing systems |
| foundation wall that we thought might have settled. | | | | can delay the subsequent damage for a while, but |
| The homeowner had noticed a problem when the | | | | older homes don't have sophisticated waterproofing |
| front door began to stick, and an unmistakable settling | | | | systems - if they have any at all. Many very old |
| of the floor under the door had soon followed. The | | | | homes have porous stone foundations that have no |
| contractor and I assumed that water had caused the | | | | ability to repel ground water. Check the grade at the |
| foundation to settle, leading to a drop of the floor | | | | perimeter of the house - settling near the foundation |
| system - a relatively common problem in older homes | | | | may indicate water in the basement. |
| that is sometimes easily stabilized and repaired. | | | | Plug It In |
| At this house, however, the problem looked much | | | | When your grandparents' family gathered around the |
| worse. A large section of the band board - a strip of | | | | Philco radio in the 1930's listening to the Jack Benny |
| lumber that surrounds the floor system - was | | | | Show they weren't putting much of a load on the |
| completely rotted. We'd expected some damage to | | | | house's electrical system - the radio and a lamp or |
| the band since we were sure that water (the cause | | | | two may have been the only electrical appliances in |
| of the rotting) was the culprit in the foundation settling. | | | | the house. |
| But here the foundation looked intact. It was the band | | | | But now there's a TV in every bedroom; two or three |
| itself that had collapsed, causing the floor system to | | | | computers; dozens of light fixtures; and a whole |
| drop several inches. Worse yet, the damage extended | | | | kitchen full of modern electrical conveniences. The |
| well into the floor joists. | | | | appliances have grown - has the electrical system |
| Ugh. Which one of us was going to give the | | | | kept pace? |
| homeowner the bad news - her minor settling problem | | | | Each fixture or appliance "draws" power from outside |
| in the house she'd recently purchased was rapidly | | | | in the form of amps; the more fixtures, the more |
| becoming a very expensive major repair? | | | | amperage required. If the fixtures need more amps |
| Not Aging Gracefully | | | | than the electrical system is rated for, the system can |
| Problems in older homes are often well hidden. More | | | | overheat, spark, or fail entirely - all potential fire |
| often than not, serious damage doesn't show any | | | | hazards. Any home over 40 years old is a likely |
| symptoms until the damage is significant and | | | | candidate for having an outdated electrical system. |
| expensive. There are clues, but even trained eyes | | | | Check the electrical panel for the amperage rating - |
| sometimes have difficulty telling normal wear and tear | | | | modern homes require at least 100 amps and many |
| from the signs of serious underlying problems. | | | | require much more. Older homes may have |
| Most old-home problems, however, have predictable | | | | "fuseboxes" rated for 60 amps or less. Check any |
| causes and if you know where to look you can find | | | | visible wiring to see if it's made of aluminum, which is |
| hints that might lead you to discover concealed | | | | also considered a fire hazard and was discontinued |
| damage. Find the problems early enough and you | | | | decades ago. |
| might be able to fix them relatively easily, or keep | | | | Look around the house - are there lots of extension |
| yourself from buying into unexpected expensive | | | | cords and plug adapters? Are there "burn marks" |
| repairs. | | | | around some switches and outlets? Are there rooms |
| H-2-Oh No! | | | | without any outlets at all? Replacing an electrical |
| Water is the number one cause of damage in all | | | | system to remove safety risks or to bring the system |
| homes, especially older ones. Look for missing or | | | | up to current codes can be a very expensive project. |
| damaged roof shingles, rotted or loose trim boards, | | | | Home Sweet (Old) Home |
| and disconnected or plugged-up gutters and | | | | If you own an old house, keep up with the |
| downspouts. Problems with gutters and downspouts | | | | maintenance to prevent costly repairs. If you're thinking |
| are the biggest cause of water damage - they must | | | | about buying one, check carefully for the signs of |
| be cleaned and checked regularly. If you're looking to | | | | hidden damage and unsafe conditions first - a little |
| buy an older home, check the condition of the gutters | | | | detective work might keep you from saying "Yikes!" |
| and downspouts - they're big clue to finding hidden | | | | one day. |