It may be hard to believe that spring is already here. After all, the winter we just endured feels like it was one for the record books with the snow, ice, and brutally cold temperatures a large portion of the country experienced. If you’re like many people, right now you’re thinking about all the cookouts you’re going to host on your deck or in your yard this spring and summer. Or maybe you’re focused on all the baseball games you’ll watch as you root for your favorite team. Or maybe you’re just ready to enjoy some fresh air and sunshine.

We’re sure you have many wonderful ideas for how you should spend your time now that the weather is finally getting better. But how many of those ideas include taking care of necessary repairs around your home? If you’re like the average homeowner, you don’t even want to think about that growing to-do list now that the temperatures outside are so welcoming. Unfortunately, however, there are some problems that will only get worse the longer they are ignored. And then you’ll be using the funds you intended to go for baseball tickets, cookouts, and vacation on the necessary repairs instead.

These are the repairs that need to be taken care of sooner rather than later — before they get any worse.

Structural problems

Your foundation supports the weight of your entire home. When you have an issue with a settling or shifting foundation, it could cause a variety of issues, including bowed basement walls, cracked interior or exterior walls, floor cracks, slanting chimneys, cabinets separating from the wall, or you may even notice gaps forming between your exterior walls and your window or door frames.

Sounds scary, right? That’s because it’s frightening for any homeowner to have to deal with. And when you’ve got foundation issues, the longer you wait to address the cause of the problem, the worse the problem is going to get, and the more expensive it will likely be to fix. If you’ve noticed foundation problems at your home, contact a local professional for help before the structural integrity of your entire home is jeopardized.

Mold growth

Mold is a nasty fungus that needs three things to thrive and survive — moisture, humidity, and organic material to feed on. Where are these three things generally found in a home? The bathroom, kitchen, basement, or crawl space.

This fungus doesn’t just look unsightly when it’s growing on your walls, floors, or other surfaces, but its growth could also lead to health problems for you and your loved ones, including respiratory issues, headaches, allergic reactions, fatigue, or skin rashes. The health problems could be even worse in individuals with compromised immune systems, or for anyone who suffers from asthma attacks.

We’re sure you’ve seen mold removal products sold at your local grocery or hardware store. However, these products only mask the issue and don’t treat the root cause of the problem. This is why you will need to work with a mold remediation expert to get the problem taken care of once and for all.

Old roofing

Depending on how well your roof has been taken care of, it could last for 25-50 years. Its lifespan can also, of course, vary depending on where you live, the quality and durability of the materials used, as well as how professionally the installation was performed.

If the time has come to replace your roof and you’re trying to put it off for another year or more, the existing problems aren’t going to get better. Those areas with missing shingles will let moisture in every time there’s a heavy downpour this spring. And next winter when the snow and ice return, and when it starts to melt, it will saturate those areas of missing or damaged shingles and seep right through your roofing panels. This could cause damage to the attic or upper floor of your home, and it may also contribute to dangerous mold growth. Contact a roofing professional in your area for more information about whether roofing replacement is right for you, or if you just need some missing/damaged shingles repaired or replaced.

Leaky pipes

Have you noticed a drip from a pipe under your kitchen or bathroom sink? Even though this leak may seem small now, it’s going to get worse the longer you wait to get it repaired. Also, if you see this leak, there may be another one in an area you can’t see — like in your kitchen or bathroom walls.

When neglected for too long, this moisture could cause damage to your walls, floors, insulation, and may also lead to mold growth and be quite inviting to unwanted pests, such as termites, when they pick up on the fact that you’ve got water-saturated, rotting wood in your home.

For assistance with the treatment of this problem, contact a plumber in your area. They will be able to diagnose the cause of the leak and take care of it before it gets any worse.  

Want more helpful homeowner tips?

Visit us often as we regularly update our blog library with helpful homeowner tips and tricks. Do you have questions about our home protection programs or want to enroll? Give us a call at any time, or you can chat with a customer service representative by clicking the “Click to Chat” tab on the right side of the page during standard business hours.