Rachel Yinger's
90-year-old house
needs so many
repairs that she
sometimes thinks
about a drastic
solution.
"We've actually just
talked about
moving," said Yinger,
26, who lives with
her husband, Mike
Barnett, on the West
Side. "We do one
thing in the house
and another
something goes bad."
The
couple has already
spent more than
$5,000 on repairs
that include a new
roof and floors.
More problems await
-- a wet and moldy
basement, missing
insulation, drafty
windows -- but, like
so many other
Americans, Yinger
and Barnett are
tight on money and
time right now.
So
which repairs should
they do right away?
And which can wait?
Experts stress that
safety hazards and
the threat of water
damage should trump
cosmetic concerns.
"Water is the
biggest enemy," said
Dinah Wills, owner
of Affordable
Handyman in
Hilliard. "It's just
amazing how much
damage water can
do."
While homeowners
might be tempted to
delay seemingly
small repairs,
dripping faucets and
flickering lights
can become something
worse than
annoyances.
...
We
asked other experts
to describe why
making certain
repairs might be a
priority. Because
every repair is
different, check
with a handyman
about the problems
in your home; many
offer free
estimates.
asaunders@dispatch.com
...
Floors
Worn-out
floor
Priority
level:
high
Why:
A
heavily
walked-upon
spot
on a
wood
floor
is
subject
to
accelerated
wear
and
moisture
damage.
"It's
going
to
rapidly
deteriorate,"
said
Gary
Morkassel,
owner
of
the
flooring
company
Morkassel
Services.
"If
you
just
let
it
go,
eventually
the
boards
will
rot
and
you'll
start
getting
holes."
Scratched
floor
Priority
level:
low
Why:
"Holes
in
the
floor
or
missing
boards
should
be
fixed
first
--
those
are
a
tripping
hazard,"
Morkassel
said.
"A
scratched-up
floor
is
something
you
can
put
off."
Squeaky
floor
Priority
level:
low
Why:
A
damaged
board
or
two
is
likely
to
blame
for
a
noisy
floor.
But
the
squeaky
spot
probably
isn't
dangerous
--
just
annoying.
"There's
just
a
little
friction
there,"
Morkassel
said.
"It
doesn't
mean
it's
going
to
collapse
anytime
soon."
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