Brick Home Maintenance

Brick is considered one of the most durable materials you can use to construct your dream home. In fact, it has been a traditional building material found in most historic homes all over the world. A lot of homeowners love to use such material because aside from its durability, it’s beautiful and can help increase the resale value of properties.

But, like other building materials, regular and proper maintenance of bricks is necessary especially if you have plans to sell your home. If well maintained, brick homes can actually last a century or more. Below are some tips to remember on how you can preserve and maintain your brick homes.

Inspect your bricks periodically. Checking regularly your brick home allows you to determine any problems especially during the first stage. During inspection, keep in mind that most of the damage you may possibly find is not in the brick itself but in its mortar, either it’s crumbling or there’s a presence of moss or mildew. To remove such growth, you can use a mixture of bleach and water, and scrub it using a stiff brush.

Clean your brick exteriors regularly. Brick exteriors require only very little cleaning with the use only of a garden hose to spray the brick walls and a brush to scrub the area. If water and brush aren’t enough to get the job done, you can also use a commercial cleaning agent but be sure you read the directions to avoid damaging your bricks.

Check for growth of vines or other plants. Although plant growths look pretty on your home’s exteriors, they’re actually causing damage to your bricks. These plants adhere to the brick, which eventually causes erosion. When removing vines, always cut the one nearest the soil then allow them to die rather than pulling them off.

Assess for any signs of efflorescence. Efflorescence is a gradual growth of salt crystals from the brick that migrate to the surface whenever water enters it. You easily see this in the form of chalky deposits on the brick’s surface. This can be cleaned using a stiff brush and a chemical cleaning agent.

Ensure that your weep holes are clean. Weep holes were originally built to allow moisture from the brick walls to drain to the outside. Make sure you check and clean them regularly as clogging can cause water damage.

Repair immediately once you find any damages. When you find that either the bricks or mortar are damaged, crumbling or missing, be sure to repair the area right away before it causes further damage. If you know how to repair the brick and/or mortar damage, you may do so with the use of the right equipment and supplies. If not, you can ask the help of professionals to get the job done properly for you.

Pros and Cons of Purchasing Home Warranties

Are you in the process of buying a home? Has someone told you about buying a home warranty? If your answer to both questions is yes, you’re probably wondering whether this is necessary or not. To help you out with your dilemma, we have prepared below the benefits and drawbacks of buying a home warranty to help you decide if it’s worth it.

PROS

Provides you with peace of mind. The home structure and the items within it will need care and maintenance because eventually, it will falter. But if you purchase a home warranty, you don’t need to worry much on the expenses of repairing or replacing them as they’re covered by the warranty.

Huge savings on common repairs. One good thing about home warranties is that they help you save big on home items or systems that most commonly fail like kitchen ranges, plumbing system, and electrical systems.

You can get the warranty from the seller. If you purchase a home, you can get this warranty as part of your contract with the seller, which he/she usually pays for one year and afterwards, you can decide whether to continue or not depending on your needs.

Easy fix for any difficult repairs. You cannot always repair your home appliances and systems all by yourself. Sometimes, you’ll need the help of professionals get the job done. With a home warranty plan, the company can provide you with the right professionals to handle the particular problems you’re facing.

CONS

Paying for premium charges. As part of any coverage, you’ll need to pay a certain amount of coverage, which usually costs $500 to $600 a year, an amount that can be quite expensive for some homeowners.

Service providers choose repair over replacement. Even though your appliance is faltering every now and then, your service providers will choose to repair it than replace it as this will cost them more.

Waiting for the availability of the service provider. If something gets broken, you aren’t advised to call any professional since the home warranty company will not be reimbursing the service. The companies have their own service providers; therefore, every time you face a problem with your appliances or systems, you’ll need to wait for the availability of their service providers to solve the issue. Waiting time usually takes several days after your have informed them.

Limited coverage. A warranty plan does not cover everything within your household. Therefore, before buying a home warranty plan, be sure to read the documents carefully so you know what is covered and not.