Dallas Home Inspections, Interior Home Maintenance

Maintaning Your Home Series

If you found any cracks in your exterior walls, it is a good idea to look at the same areas from the interior. Cracks in interior walls adjacent to any observed at the exterior may be signs of foundation movement or settlement. When this happens, we recommend hiring a foundation or structural specialist to evaluate the causes.

If foundation repairs are performed, it is a good idea to wait several months before repairing any interior damage like drywall cracks and misaligned doors. After foundation repairs, there may be some final movement or settlement as the structure adjusts to the changes.

As Professional Home Inspectors, we often find homes that have had foundation repairs but the symptoms that lead the homeowner to the foundation repairs, the cracks in wall for example, have not been repaired. Repairing cracks in walls, broken floor tiles, and door alignment are the final steps towards a complete repair.

Most home interiors will need minor repairs even without foundation problems. As a home ages, doors will need adjusted, window guides will need lubrication, ceiling and wall nail pops need repair and general repainting are all part of general interior maintenance.

For reasons of safety, there should not be any openings in the garage walls or ceilings to the interior living space or attic. This include dryer vents. Dryer vents should be vented to the exterior. Damaged or unfinished garage drywall should be repaired to prevent vehicle storage area vapors from penetrating the living area.

Attic access ladders or access ports are often installed in the garage ceiling. It is recommended by current building standards that the attic access should be fire rated and well sealed. Many house fires begin in the garage. You may find it helpful to read "Preventing Garage House Fires". 

All interior room entry doors should have door stops installed. Door stops prevent damage to the wall coverings adjacent to the doors.

Interior doors should have door handles and hardware that easily operate the doors. 

Exterior or "egress" doors should not require a key to unlock the door in order to exit the home in the event of an emergency.

Please visit our website to read the complete blog about Maintaining Your Home's Interior.