Five Updates Your Home Needs Every 10 Years
Nothing lasts forever, and that includes many of the basic components in your home. While things age at different rates, when a homeowner is approaching the tenth anniversary of living in their home that is usually a good time to take stock of some basics that may very well be nearing the end of their useful life and ready for some updates.
What should you be looking for? Here are some pointers to get you started.
Carpeting
When well-taken care of – vacuumed every few days, professionally cleaned once every 12-18 months – the average mid-grade carpet has a useful life of about a decade.
Signs that an update should not really wait include all the following:
rips
tears
excessive snagging
colour fading
stains and odors not removed by professional cleaning
Chances are that after a decade st least some of the above will apply to your carpeting and in order to keep your flooring fresh and functional an upgrade at this point really wouldn’t hurt.
Hot Water Heater
The average hot water heater tends not to give much warning before it fails, they usually just simply pack up and die one day. It’s for this reason that it is important that you know how old your current model is. If its manufacture date is not clearly displayed on the tank try looking for a serial number that can then be checked online. and as ten years is about standard for the life expectancy of a hot water heater then as it approaches that milestone you should be looking for its successor.
Ceiling Fans
If run often the average ceiling fan can make it to around ten years old as well. One telltale sign that a fan of any age is beginning to fail is if the light bulbs begin to burn out faster, as this is an indication that the unit is drawing more power than it should in an effort to keep going.
Windows
Re-glazing old windows is faster and more cost-effective than actually replacing them. Generally speaking, re-glazing should be undertaken about every 10 years or so.
But do get into the habit of checking your windows every year before the cold weather arrives to make sure you don’t have any leaks or cracks that will lead to energy inefficiency – and some big, cold drafts – throughout the winter to come.
Garbage Disposal
You’ll usually know you need a new garbage disposal when it simply doesn’t work as well as it used to. This is because the blades dull over time and the unit then struggles to do its job. You may also notice increased odors due to the fact that old food is being left behind.
The average garbage disposal should last about 10-12 years with regular use, so if yours is around that age, consider replacing it.
All of this is speaking generally. Higher end products – or those that are not subjected to so much wear and tear, may last a little longer. If you opted for higher end carpeting for example, it may very well still be going strong after 10 years with many more good years left ahead. It’s just a good idea to use the 10th anniversary milestone as a checkpoint – as well as an excuse to crack a bottle of bubbly or two.