Home health requires a variety of elements to truly flourish. Health doesn’t just encompass a single element of your home. When you’re trying to make sure your home is as healthy as possible, you need to look at a variety of elements in your home. A checklist can help you keep things in order so you know what to look out for when you’re looking through your home. This home health checklist will give you more information on what to look for when you’re considering home health.
Foundation
The foundation of your home is potentially the most important part of the home. If you’ve ever heard someone refer to the “foundation” of something in a metaphorical sense, it probably meant the most basic elements of an organization or a practice. Ensuring that you have a strong foundation will give a better structure to the rest of your home. These are some of the symptoms that may indicate foundation issues in your home.
- Nail Pops
- Wall Gaps
- Floor Gaps
- Uneven Floors
- Drywall Cracks
- Sticking Doors and Windows
- Bowed Walls, Especially in the Basement
- Chimney Cracking
- Sinking Foundation
- Vertical, Horizontal, or Stair-Step Cracks
- Cracked Bricks
- Cracked Block Foundation
- Cracks in Concrete
Most homes won’t see all of these foundation issues; if you’re seeing every single one of them, chances are you’re in the end stages of serious foundation failure. However, it’s common for foundation concerns to start with one or two of these problems, then progress further and further. Take these concerns seriously as soon as you notice them.
Basement
The basement tends to be part of the foundation, but it’s also a general structure separate from the foundation itself. While the previous symptoms were specifically symptoms of foundation problems, these are all symptoms that you might experience if you have specific problems in your home’s basement.
- Poor Drainage
- Musty Smell
- Leaking Water Heater
- Leaking Windows
- Leaking in Basement Cove
- Sump Pump Issues
- Swelling or Warped Doors
- Water Stains
- Efflorescence
- Wet Walls
- Wet Floors
- Wet Carpet
- Wet Drywall
- Condensation on Windows or Doors
The basement tends to collect water for a number of reasons. It’s the lowest area of the home, which means water from leaks and floods often come down through the home and into the basement. Additionally, water outside your basement in the soil can try to force its way inside. That’s what causes many of these symptoms of basement problems
Crawl Space
Even in homes without a basement, crawl spaces are extremely common. Most homes have crawl spaces to allow access to home plumbing and wiring more easily. You might not think much about your crawl space, but it’s incredibly important that you maintain its health. These are all signs that there’s a problem in your crawl space.
- Standing Water
- Floor Joist Problems
- Wood Rot
- Condensation
- Wet Insulation
- Foundation Cracks
- Open Crawl Space Vents
- High General Indoor Humidity
- Sagging Floors
- Mold
- Unpleasant Odors
- Poor Air Quality
- Rodent or Bug Issues
- High Electric Bills
The air in your crawl space circulates throughout your entire home, and your crawl space holds a lot of important home elements. These are both very important to keep as healthy as possible. Any time you notice these problems, you may want to call in an expert to check it out and ensure there are no deeper concerns.
Conclusion
There are many metrics that you can use to measure the health of your home. However, one thing you want to be careful about is ensuring that certain base facets of your home are stable. This is a very basic home health checklist, full of things that are best for homeowners to look out for. If you see any of these concerns, the next step should be to call in an expert who can help you learn more.
