Each year, our houses degrade more and more. Direct sunlight, wind, hail, snow, and rain continually pummel a house’s exterior while adults, children, pets and all their possessions wear out the interiors. An effective way of avoiding being overwhelmed is by staying on top of needed repairs throughout the year. Beginning the New Year off by establishing what needs to be done, you can check off the needed repairs as the year passes by. Taking inventory of the condition of your house also prepares you for situations that may pop up as the year progresses.

Identifying water damage – How To

One of the most efficient ways of identifying leaks and damages on your home’s ceilings and walls is by checking to see if there’s water emerging from the walls or ceilings. Often, you’ll notice water staining your ceiling, walls, or even the underside of your roof.

Sometimes during daily lives we don’t notice these things as we are so used to living inside our walls that we don’t take especial notice of them – so take some time to walk around each of the rooms in your home. Scan each wall in every room and look for signs of water damage such as drip marks coming down the wall, wet spots on the ceilings, or even bubbled paint on the walls or ceilings.

Another indicator of water causing damage is insulation within your attic being wet. This could be a sign of your roof leaking.

Handling repairs

Do you intend to patch your ceiling or walls? It’s definitely the obvious thing to do after identifying damage. When it comes to repairing walls, you must be extremely careful not to cut through hidden supply cables or pipes, which might be buried. Using a stud detector, pipe, and cable is a huge help.

Patching small and large holes, whether on the walls or ceilings, can often be done by using plasterboard offcuts. It’s important to know that plasterboard thickness varies hugely. Usually, it ranges from 9.5mm-12.5mm. Whenever you’re patching a hole, always try your best to get the appropriate thickness. When in doubt, use a thinner option. This is because if the plasterboard is thinner, you can always build up the plaster levels to the areas that surround.

Fixing missing or flaky plaster on the ceiling or wall can also be done fairly easily. For the shallow holes, use a one-coat plaster. For the deeper holes, use build up layers. For semi-porous surfaces, you can always use an undercoat plaster. A bonding coat is effective on the non-porous surfaces to offer a good base in the deep holes. You may finish it with a finishing or skimming plaster.

In all cases, repairs are best done by a professional. If you are hoping to do a repair yourself, be sure to first consult a profession. And of course – there is no use in repairing your damaged wall or ceiling without first identifying the initial cause of the water damage so be sure to get help with this as well. Find out what caused the damage to begin with and have a qualified professional asset with this repair to ensure your home improvement efforts aren’t made in vain.

Home Energy

Speaking of professionals, don’t forget that a home energy assessor can do a great job of identifying safety concerns and inefficiencies in your ceilings and walls using modern testing techniques and equipment.

After their comprehensive audit, you’ll get a detailed and customized account of your house’s energy efficiency. The report will indicate where your home is losing the most energy on both ceilings and walls. It also recommends the kind of interior repairs you need to initiate in order to maximize your return on investment. And future home renovations to get to benefit from the current home renovation rebates available to you.

Unquestionably, January can be a long and miserable month. The holidays are over, the days are dark and cold is definitely setting in. You might feel your home is missing the festive sparkle, which makes January the ideal time to raise your spirits by revamping your home for the upcoming year. Financially, at this time of the year, carrying out home repairs might seem like the last thing you want to do. However, initiating home improvements is not only important; it also helps you smash the January blues.

Initiating home improvements doesn’t need to be a challenging experience. This is the perfect time to identify problem areas, begin planning, searching for inspiration (Pinterest, anyone?), and seeking out the appropriate professionals.

Did you miss last weeks interior home improvement feature on flooring? Find it here.

What about our December series on quick tips? Find them here

• electricity
• roofing
• plumbing
• exterior of your home