You had the best intentions… but they amounted to the worst results. It’s a home repair gone terribly wrong.
Don’t let this happen to you! From the Very Cool Guys (some Philadelphia contractors you should add to your phone’s contacts), here are five common home improvement mistakes and how to avoid them!
Painting Your Exterior Too Many Times
It seems like a great idea: Give your home’s exterior a new coat of paint every few years! What harm could you do?
Actually, slathering on layer after layer isn’t such a good idea. Oil-based paint gets brittle as the years go by, and too many layers can actually stop it from flexing with changes in temperature and humidity. The result is peeling and cracked paint.
Instead, you should start with power washing, followed by scraping and sanding needy areas, and finish with a layer of 100% acrylic-resin exterior paint.
Planting Trees Too Close to Pavement
This is another great intention gone wrong! You meant to green up your home’s exterior, but instead you got a buckling, cracking driveway.
As trees grow, their expanding roots can push up through pavement and cause unsightly damage. Instead of planting and saying a prayer, do your research on the type of tree you’re planting and how large it will grow. There should be at least twenty feet between large trees and any pavement.
Overdoing It With the Sealing
It’s great to seal the cracks in your home with foam and caulk, but there does come a point where it’s a home improvement mistake.
The right amount of sealing keeps the home from losing heat or A/C and keeps pests out, but there needs to be some breathing room. As a rule of thumb, if some part of the architecture has built-in ventilation (such as the holes along the bottom of a storm window), don’t seal it.
Double-Shingling Your Roof
Adding a layer of shingles without removing the first layer might seem less expensive – but it’s not in the long run.
This is a home improvement mistake because those asphalt shingles weigh a lot and can actually compromise the integrity of your home’s rafters. Plus, the two layers can trap more heat than one layer would, or keep you from spotting potential leaks or faulty flashing in the original layer. The result: A shortened lifespan for your roof and the need for a replacement sooner.
Piling On the Attic Insulation
We’ve talked about the importance of attic insulation before, but you can go too far and make a home improvement mistake.
Too much attic insulation can block soffit vents and lead to moisture buildup and a possible mold problem. It can also result in ice dams when the weather gets cold – which we all know can cause roof leaks. When it comes to insulation, you might want to consult a pro to reach that perfect middle ground!
