Even though they may appear to live forever, houses have a fixed lifespan. What was once new and fresh eventually becomes old and faded. When the pipes start dripping, the floor begins creaking, and the roof starts leaking, it’s time to consider renovation. Whether you want to add to your property value or reclaim your house and give it a modern look, there is no goal a good renovation cannot accomplish.
However, before you start hiring professional help and turn the place upside down, you should take a moment to figure out a game plan. A mishandled renovation project can easily cost you more than you intended. Therefore, to stay on budget and have a beautiful house, here’s what you need to do:
1. Move furniture into storage
Before you start renovating your house, you need to move furniture out of the way. Doing so will allow you to move freely and prevent any valuable items from being damaged. If you plan on repainting your walls, you wouldn’t want the paint fumes to get soaked up by the furniture.
Therefore, storage units can help you look after your belongings properly. So search Google for a suite place to rent and stash your stuff. For example, if you’re renovating one of downtown Houston’s old properties, consider looking for ‘storage Montrose‘ to find an adequate unit for your furniture. Repeat the same process for any state/city you live in, and you should be fine.
Browsing the website will help you get an idea about the services – ensure that you peruse reviews and ratings and assure yourself of the safety of whichever unit you choose. You should also head down to the site to gain first-hand knowledge about the storage pricing and sizes to determine the kind of unit you need. A professional service will never hesitate to help you, so ask your questions without qualms. When you feel happy with your storage unit, pack and move your furniture till the renovation ends.
2. Create a budget
A budget will ensure you don’t go overboard with expenses. Ideally, your budget should be 20% of the total property value. With your house devoid of furniture, bring out the measuring tape and get an idea about the dimensions of your home. Once you know these figures, it’s time to go online or head into town to learn the per square foot cost of every item you intend to replace. Try visiting different home renovation websites to get an average rate, or consult a contractor to get an accurate idea of how much the entire process will cost you.
You may take your organizational skills a step further and use a spreadsheet to categorize your house and add a price tag to each area. But your work doesn’t end there. The most crucial aspect of your budget is financing the project. How do you plan on paying? Will you apply for a loan, pay for the project in cash or dip into your savings? With answers to all these questions in hand, you may begin the renovation process.
3. Repairing old walls
The old walls of your house may have cracks from years of exposure to humidity and the house settling. Plaster cracks are often in the shape of spiderwebs, while drywall cracks are straight lines. A simple repair job will be enough to restore your walls. When you have a crack in the drywall, it usually occurs on the seam where two drywall sheets meet. So, you will need to widen the crack using a scraper and fill it with an adhesive drywall compound. After that, lightly sandpaper the repaired wall to smoothen it out.
However, you must be careful when it comes to drywall. If your house was built between 1940 and 1980, the wall might have asbestos fibers that can become airborne because of scrapping. This is somehow similar to other areas of cultural melting pots in the country such as Washington DC. In case you might be wondering what is the oldest building in Washington DC, you may search for it online and look for other tips you can get about renovation.
Asbestos is toxic to inhale and may cause mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer. Therefore, you should hire a professional to do your drywall repair.
Plaster cracks, on the other hand, are entirely safe. You will need to clean and fill them with the same drywall compound. Apply two more applications to smoothen the wall. If you have a loose plaster, use industrial glue between the plaster and the lath to secure it.
4. Fix the slate roof
Slate roofs are highly durable and can last more than a century. Therefore, most older houses were constructed with slate roofs. While these may last long, they are not impenetrable. Slate is a natural material and will encourage moss growth in the presence of humidity and moisture. The moss vines will intrude and trap water, causing the slate to rot. Extreme weather conditions such as rain and snow also loosen it up, causing slate plates to be displaced. Therefore, when you see your slate roof, you will need to either fix the slate or completely renovate your roof.
Start by identifying the slate on your roof, which will give you a critical insight into its longevity. Some of the hardest types of slate include purple, non-fading green, and grayish-black slate, which can last up to 200 years. Since slate roof repair is expensive, only maintain those that last up to this time, which will add significantly to your property’s value. Inspect your roof and if you see missing, broken, or sliding slates, call a professional repairer. If you want to try roof repair, you must first learn the process. Don’t try a DIY project on your expensive roof without having all the facts at your disposal.
5. Inspect the windows
Older windows are more prone to damage. Glass wears down over time and cannot withstand extreme temperature changes, heavy rain, intense heat, snow, or hail. Windows may have stress cracks or pressure cracks. Stress crack damage starts small and gradually gets bigger the longer you leave it unattended. At the same time, pressure cracks occur in double-pane windows and cause the glass to shatter completely.
When you work on restoring your windows, you will need to identify the location and type of glass used. This will tell you what weather elements the window was exposed to. The ones to the front of the house will need weatherstripping to prevent seasonal damage.
In contrast, windows at the back of your house may have a rotting window frame, often with the glass intact. You may install a new glass sheet yourself or get help. The window frame will need new wood and new molding to keep it in place.
Conclusion
Renovating your house is an essential step in ensuring good maintenance. However, sometimes the needs of the house may be too extensive, and you need to prioritize between them. Create a reasonable budget for yourself and compile a list of the repair work you need to do. You may need to clear out your space before the renovation process starts. Common examples of repair include walls, roofs, and windows. Other areas of your house may be affected, but you may need to prolong the renovation if it falls out of your budget. If you renovate your home to the best of your ability, you should have no trouble with the upkeep.