Some tips on owning and operating
your older home
by Roger Faris
Our pre-owned 1980 car came with an owners manual and a fairly complete record of its service history. We know how much pressure the tires require, what type of gasoline to put in the tank and when the carburetor was rebuilt. When we moved in to our 87 year old home, we never found an operating manual. There was no description of repairs, home improvements, or any historical records. The problem may be that houses are not equipped with a glove compartment.
We have gathered information about the house parts, systems and appliances which require maintenance. These materials have become our Homeowners Manual. You may want to create one for your own home.
A good starting place is the written report from your home buyers inspection. If you don't have an inspection report, consider borrowing or buying a book on home inspection. The real estate section at the University Bookstore has six titles on this subject. Some of these books include a very useful checklist. In addition, classes on home inspection are offered at the Phinney Neighborhood Center.
After some research, you should be able to undertake a careful evaluation of your old home. Your inspection may take much longer than one done by a professional, but it may also be more thorough. Carefully assess the condition of all house parts and systems, and begin to make estimates of the remaining life expectancy of each element. You should pay particular attention to problems or unsafe conditions, and start to calculate the costs of remedies.
Our old home had a long list of deficiencies. The sill plate, which was rotted due to wood-soil contact, got our immediate attention. A new heating system was also needed that first winter. Reviewing all of our projects over ten years shows that a long list of problems are now solved. The old water pipes have been replaced, along with the antique wiring, a worn out roof, and several fixtures and appliances. The foundation has been improved, and the sloping floor corrected. Our record of additional home improvements is satisfying. These have included a new kitchen, rec. room, three new bedrooms, and another bath. We also rebuilt and restored the front porch, painted the house, repaired the garage, added decks, and so on.
During this long process of home maintenance and improvement we saved all useful information. Our files include plans, permits, and paint chips. We have appliance manuals, warranties, and before and after photos. We also have pictures taken during the projects. These show the exact location of wires and pipes before they were covered with wallboard. A complete Manual is taking shape.
Professional assistance may be required to get accurate information about some of the systems in your home. For example, a furnace expert can evaluate the age and condition of your heating system, while performing safety system checkups and other maintenance. The Washington Energy Extension Service is an unbiased resource for help in studying the costs and benefits of replacing an old furnace.
Some other decisions are easier. If you have old steel water supply pipes in your home, replacement with modern copper lines will be needed in the near future. Low pressure and rusty water will provide a daily reminder to plan for that improvement.
Electrical upgrading is another common priority. Unsafe conditions, such as overloaded or ungrounded circuits, will demand some action. The old knob and tube wires are easy to identify by their white ceramic insulators. They can supply light electrical loads such as lamps, clocks, and radios, but cannot safely serve high wattage appliances such as space heaters. The fuse or circuit breaker protection for this wiring must limit the current to 15 amps. This old style wiring is also unsuitable for supplying power to appliances which require a ground wire. These appliances include refrigerators, washing machines, and computers. An inexpensive circuit tester is all that is needed to identify ungrounded circuits, reversed polarity, or other common electrical problems. Locating more subtle signs of danger, such as worn or brittle insulation, may require the services of an experienced electrician.
Exterior maintenance is an inescapable part of home ownership. Our climate is hard on exposed house parts. Important elements of the porch must brave the worst weather. Wood trim, window sills, and fascia boards may rot if they are not protected by a good coat of paint. Some of these house parts are very difficult to replace. They are securely fastened to, or support other parts of the structure. Basic house painting can also become a much bigger project if it is delayed to the point of general paint failure. The job may involve stripping off all layers of the old paint, or even replacing the siding.
Creating a maintenance schedule helps to keep the tasks from seeming overwhelming. Long range planning will allow repairs and improvements to be done in a logical order. Roof replacement, for example, is best done before exterior painting. Foundation improvements should be completed before the start of a remodel or addition. Installation of earthquake resisting fasteners and shearwall strengthening are usually among the first steps in converting basement space to living space.
Our old house provided many lessons in the costs of delayed maintenance. A small leak in the roof gradually caused impressive decay in the framing. An inadequate downspout drainage system allowed one corner of the house to slowly sink nearly three inches into the resulting mud.
With guidance from our Homeowners Manual, we're avoiding unnecessary trouble and reducing the chance of a disaster. It reminds us to keep on top of our chores. Our most importance maintenance task, by the way, is also the easiest: We replace our smoke detector batteries each August 18th.
During the process of creating your own Manual, priorities for repairs and improvements will become more obvious. My recipe for homeowner happiness is to do research, plan ahead, and always finish one project before starting the next .
With each completed task, you'll gain confidence. Keep good track of your progress. It is possible for the whole challenging enterprise to be a pleasure.
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