Tips for curing an ailing house
- Laura Moore: Housebroken
- March 1, 2021
- 621
Just like their occupants, houses can and do get sick. They can suffer from a long list of ailments, which can run the gamut from a leaky roof to a shifting foundation. Though both of those ailments are rated as serious, both are fixable.
One winter many years ago, our dad discovered our basement floor was wet and getting wetter. We had no idea where the water was coming from, but it kept coming until the whole basement resembled a pond.
Dad called our plumber. The plumber discovered the water leak was coming through a crack in the foundation. Bad news. It took a day or two to find and repair the crack and stop the leak, and by then we could almost go for a swim in the basement. Draining that pond took quite a while, and cleaning up the mess it left took several weeks. Dad was not a happy homeowner, and our house was so embarrassed, but us kids thought having a “pool” in our basement was a wonderful thing. We wanted to have a diving board installed, but not surprisingly, Dad nixed that idea.
Older houses do tend to have more health problems than new construction (as do older humans). Many well-built houses not only age gracefully, but also can often become more valuable as they get older. Houses can be updated and refurbished as they age, although humans aren’t as lucky. We tend to get weaker and more prone to ailments as we add on the years.
A house that is not updated and refurbished will get old fast. We know of a 200-year-old place that is still habitable and looks great. Her owners have cared for her with love and plenty of money. Aging is an expensive blessing for both houses or humans.
So if you want your house to get even better as she ages, don’t skimp on her upkeep. Take good care of her, and she will reward you and perhaps many more generations.