To procrastinate is human. We all do it, and that goes double for busy homeowners. After all, you just have too much on your plate—work, kids, family, and more—not to prioritize some things and push off others, we should avoid procrastinating our home projects.
Every homeowner, at some point or another, has seen a home project and decided it can wait until next weekend, or the weekend after, we need to avoid procrastinating. That works for things like painting the fence or replacing the porch light. It does not work for critical home repairs. In this article, we’ll review several urgent repairs that you need to deal with right away—along with the potential consequences of not doing so.
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Plumbing leaks and clogs
When it comes to plumbing problems, you should have zero hesitation: just call a plumber in New York the minute you notice a leak, water damage, or other issues. In your home, water can be destructive: it ruins floors and drywall, can do significant damage to the structure, and can encourage the growth of mold and mildew in hard-to-reach places. There’s no plumbing leak that can “wait” until next weekend. You need to bring in a professional plumber as soon as possible to help you find the leak’s origin point and repair the pipe, preventing further damage and avoid procrastinating.
The same thing goes for clogs. If you have a clogged sink, check to make sure all the other drains in your home are working properly. Simultaneous clogging is a key indicator that there’s a blockage in the sewer line. This is a serious problem that could signal impending disaster. Turn off the water supply to your home and call an emergency plumber. If more water is sent down the drain, it’ll run into the clog and have nowhere to go. Eventually, all that trapped water starts to flood back up the drains, leading to a disastrously disgusting sewer backup.
Cooling and heating issues
Try picturing this coming winter without a working heater. Or, next summer without a functioning air conditioner. Not liking what you’re seeing? It’s what you risk when you procrastinate on making recommended HVAC repairs. Cooling and heating breakdowns don’t happen at convenient times: they tend to occur when the system is being used—and is needed—the most.
So, what are the warning signs of an impending breakdown? If you’ve had a technician out to inspect or maintain your system in the past year, they may have left you with some items that needed to be addressed in the near future. Ideally, their concerns should be dealt with as soon as possible—you’d be surprised how often the intuition of an HVAC technician ends up being right. Other issues might be things you notice, such as an air conditioner that’s running more loudly than usual, or a furnace that’s short-cycling and constantly turning itself on-and-off.
Remember: as the one in the home, you’re the early warning system for an HVAC breakdown. If you’re noticing anything out of the ordinary, it might be worth it to call in a local HVAC professional for a closer look. You might just avoid a breakdown on the coldest night of the year.
Signs of roofing trouble
It’s easy to forget about your roof. It’s out-of-sight, out-of-mind, and most homeowners aren’t regularly getting up on the ladder to take a look at their tiles or shingles. However, if you do notice problems, your roof should rocket to the top of your to-do list. What appears to be a minor problem today—a few missing shingles, some misplaced flashing, or a clogged downspout—could turn into a major disaster tomorrow. Or, more specifically, the next time it rains.
Your roof’s tiles and shingles form its shield against the elements. When this shield is compromised, it’s only a matter of time before you have a roof leak: the underlayment can only stand up to sun, moisture, and ice for so long. A roof leak takes all of your problems and compounds them. Now, you not only have to fix or replace your roof, but you also have to deal with any water damage in your home and call in a mold remediation specialist. The cost of this cleanup can be staggering.
You may not be able to prevent every roof problem or roof leak, but you can avoid many issues by taking quick action at the first sign of trouble. See a patch of the roof where the shingles have been torn off? Get a roofer out for repairs as soon as possible. Are your gutters not draining properly, leading to pooling water? Deal with it now, before winter ice arrives. Putting in the effort to care for your roof now can save you a lot of headache down the road.
Save time and money by acting quickly
Your life is busy but you need to avoid procrastinating. It’s all-too-easy for your home’s maintenance and upkeep to get put on the back-burner at times. After all, that lawn can get mowed next weekend, and no one’s going to care or be affected. But, when you’re faced with a potentially critical issue like those described above, you need to drop everything you’re doing and take immediate action. You’ll not only prevent major damage to your home, but you’ll also save significant money on repairs.
For a full breakdown of these home repairs and what makes them such critical projects, be sure to check out this infographic. It explains other warning signs of roof, HVAC, and plumbing problems, and when you need to act.
