Home repair
**Home Repair and Maintenance**:
– Repairs involve simple replacement of worn components like light bulbs and batteries.
– Restoring items to a useful condition includes sharpening tools or utensils.
– Identifying the problem accurately and obtaining necessary materials are key in repairs.
– Some repairs like patching holes in walls or cleaning stains can be done easily.
– Regular maintenance tasks include testing alarm systems and replacing filters.
– Neglecting maintenance can lead to higher repair costs in the future.
**Emergency Repairs**:
– Emergency repairs like overflowing toilets may need immediate attention to prevent further damage.
– Urgent repairs like broken water pipes may require professional help to prevent further damage.
– Common emergency repairs include fixing leaks, broken windows, and clogged toilets.
– Temporary fixes like patching a leaky roof or unclogging a toilet can be done before professional help arrives.
– Confidence in handling emergency repairs can prevent further damage to the home.
**Environmental Hazards in Homes**:
– Radon gas in basement or water supply.
– Friable asbestos materials causing lung cancer.
– Peeling or disturbed lead paint risks.
– In-ground heating oil tanks contaminating groundwater.
– Mold affecting those with asthma or allergies.
**Impact on Health and Safety**:
– Radon exposure linked to lung cancer.
– Lead paint harmful to children and pregnant women.
– Asbestos materials pose serious health risks.
– Mold can exacerbate asthma and allergies.
– Contaminated groundwater affects communities.
**Legal and Financial Implications**:
– Conditions must be repaired before sale.
– Buyers or lenders demand remediation.
– Failure to address hazards can halt sale.
– Remediation costs can be significant.
– Laws regulate disclosure and remediation.
This article needs additional citations for verification. (January 2017) |
Home repair involves the diagnosis and resolution of problems in a home, and is related to home maintenance to avoid such problems. Many types of repairs are "do it yourself" (DIY) projects, while others may be so complicated, time-consuming or risky as to require the assistance of a qualified handyperson, property manager, contractor/builder, or other professionals.
Home repair is not the same as renovation, although many improvements can result from repairs or maintenance. Often the costs of larger repairs will justify the alternative of investment in full-scale improvements. It may make just as much sense to upgrade a home system (with an improved one) as to repair it or incur ever-more-frequent and expensive maintenance for an inefficient, obsolete or dying system.