Here is a good article with some common sense tips for basic protection of your home:
(Or why you need a fire extinguisher and a water-heater check.)
By Jan Thomas
Special to The Post
Article Last Updated: 12/22/2007 11:24:14 AM MST
(The Denver Post)With just two days until Christmas and nine days until the new year, the last thing most homeowners need is a lengthy list of things to check in their homes.
But perhaps it's necessary. According to some experts, December is the perfect time to give your home a thorough once-over and check for leaks, fire hazards, security gaps and other problems that could make 2008 a rough year if they materialize.
"December is probably your last, best chance to check for problems before real winter hits," said Frank Lesh, 2007 American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) president. "We have to think about homes as being machines. They're made up of components that break and wear out."
Some suggestions are routine: Clean the gutters, drain outside water lines, recaulk and weather-strip windows and doors.
Yet others are more unusual: Test the electrical-circuit shut-off switch. Bleed hot-water radiator valves.
Those who can't bear to add one more item to their to-do lists can hire out the work. Although most inspectors conduct inspections the old-fashioned way, some now use infrared cameras to identify problems that may not be visible to the naked eye.
"It's expensive — hundreds and hundreds of dollars — depending on how qualified the person is," Lesh said. "It can be overkill, but sometimes it's great."
Inspection reveals problems
Stephanie Williams was expecting a positive result when she opened her 112-year-old, trilevel City Park West Victorian to appraisers from the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies. Chubb includes infrared home scans in the appraisal services offered to its customers. Chubb does not insure Williams' house.
Appraisers Jeff Van Pelt and Emery Legg gave Williams high marks for maintenance, but she scored lower on easy-to-fix issues such as an uncovered swamp cooler that was a conduit for winter air, insulation gaps in the nursery and a hard-to-pin-down leak in the upstairs bath.
The biggest problems, however, were the home's lack of fire extinguishers and a disabled smoke detector. According to the appraisers, most claims are fire-related. Fire prevention is taken seriously.
"We don't usually grade, but if I had to grade this home right now, I'd give it a C-minus," Van Pelt said.
A $100 investment and a few hours of elbow grease would raise the score to a B+ or higher, he said.
That's good news for Williams. Her home includes several 19th-century earmarks, including original oak floors, leaded glass windows, pocket doors separating the living and dining rooms, and built-in oak furniture, including a dining-room hutch and oversized medicine cabinet.
She plans to make the recommended enhancements before offering the home for rent early next year.
Don't be a skinflint with hoses
Like ASHI, Chubb includes home-inspection tips on its website. Mark Schussel, a spokesman for Chubb, suggests focusing on three risk areas: fire, water and security.
"The leading cause of water damage in homes is hoses. There are hoses that connect from the toilet tank to your water supply, hoses under your sink," Schussel said. "They deteriorate, and they can wreak significant damage, particularly when people aren't home. We've had claims in the hundreds of thousands of dollars related to a simple $5 hose."
His recommendation: Replace plastic or rubber hoses with the metal variety.
"Don't be foolish and not spend a few dollars that will keep you from significant losses each year," he said.
Common-sense strategies such as adequate lighting and a central alarm system are important to keep burglars away.
As minor as these details may seem, they may be what stands between your home and a long claims process with your insurer. More importantly, they help reduce the likelihood of losing expensive or irreplaceable items.
ASHI recommends using a certified inspector.
Since preparedness doesn't guarantee disasters won't strike, adequate homeowners insurance is a must. A 2007 Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies Division of Insurance report shows homeowner (HO-3) annual premiums for "masonry homes" in Denver ranging from $800-$3,079. Premiums for "frame homes" ranged from $830-$3,302.
Chubb wasn't included in the report, but Schussel doesn't think insurance should be the primary reason people risk-assess their homes.
"All this stuff is really beyond insurance," Schussel said. "You don't want to go through the hassle of replacing stuff, and there's an emotional attachment to some possessions."
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What to check
Here's a list of some of the things the American Society of Home Inspectors looks for when checking out a home. Homeowners can check these things on their own as part of routine seasonal or annual maintenance.
Foundation and masonry: Check for dampness and leakage after wet weather; keep under-floor crawl-space vents open as weather and climate permit.
Roofs and gutters: Check for damaged, loose or missing shingles, blisters; clean gutters, leaders, strainers, window wells and drains.
Exterior walls: Check siding, shingles and trim for damage, looseness, wrapping and decay.
Doors and windows: Check caulking for decay around doors, windows, corner boards and joints; check weather-stripping.
Electrical: Trip circuit breakers every six months and Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI) monthly; check condition of lamp cords, extension cords and plugs.
Plumbing: Check for leaks at sinks and house traps and sewer cleanouts.
For ASHI's full maintenance checklist, contact a local ASHI inspector through www.ashi.org or 800-743-2744.
Source: American Society of Home Inspectors.
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