Dangerous Problems That Could be Lurking in Your Home

You might like to think that your home is a place that’s safe and secure. But it’s not something that you should assume. There are many hidden problems and dangers that could be present in your home. It’s important that you know about all of these risks. You can then do what you can to mitigate these risks and make your home a little bit safer. Everyone wants their family to be as safe as they possibly can be, especially in the home, so this is something that’s very important.

 

There’s no need to worry yourself about everything that can possibly go wrong. Instead, take rational steps to make sure that you aren’t affected by the potential lurking in your home. Here’s everything you need to know about some of the most common problems and how they can be fought.

 

Carbon Monoxide

 

Carbon monoxide is a very dangerous gas. It’s lethal if people are exposed to it in high doses. But what makes it even more dangerous is the fact that it is invisible, and it doesn’t smell. It can completely hide from your senses and still cause you big problems in terms of your health. You should have a detector fitted in your home. This is like a smoke alarm, but it detects carbon monoxide instead. Old boilers and heating systems can often give off this gas, so it’s not an uncommon thing, unfortunately. It’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to carbon monoxide.

Subsidence

 

When your home suffers from subsidence, it means that your home is sloping to one side. It’s not a good thing, and it can endanger the very existence of your home. The movement can cause problems to form and develop in the home’s structure. This is why many people start to notice cracks in the walls and things like that. If you do notice a problem like this, it’s best to seek expert attention as quickly as you can. It’s a gradual process, so you won’t actually experience the physical moving of the house. It’s something that will occur over many years until signs start to appear.

 

Roof Leaks

 

Your roof can suffer many problems, but not all of them are slow and difficult to detect. But when your roof has a minor leak, you won’t always notice it. If you don’t go up into the attic often, then you probably won’t spot any problems. But even a slow and steady drip in the attic can cause problems to the wood in the structure. Damp can also start to set in when walls and wood structures are exposed to water on a consistent basis. It’s a good idea to inspect the underside of the roof by going into the attic and seeing if everything as it should be. Any leaks that you do notice, even if they look small, should be dealt with rapidly.

 

Bad Wiring

 

Bad wiring causes fires. It’s one of the most common causes of fires in the home that there is. To start with, you should make sure that you have functioning smoke detectors in the home to ensure that you can detect a problem if one arises. But you should also make sure that the wiring in the home is as strong and as safe as it possibly can be. You can pick up on any problems with your home’s wiring by looking out for the warning signs. If you experience lots of blown fuses or lights that begin to flicker, then it could mean your wiring is faulty. It’s then a good idea to hire an electrician who can look more closely.

Radon

 

Radon is a natural gas, and it can seep into the home. It comes from rocks and the soil that lies underneath your home. It’s a slow process, and it doesn’t pose an immediate danger to your health, or anyone else’s in your home. Instead, it’s a gas that can cause problems like lung cancer if people are exposed to it for long periods of time. It’s not difficult to find out whether your home has a problem or not though. You can buy a radon monitor easily enough. Then you just use it to find out if there is any radon in the home. These are quite cheap to buy, and if you find a problem, a gas filtering system can be installed in the home. Read these radon facts to find out more.

 

Pests

 

There might be pests in your home even if you don’t realise it. Some of them are very good at hiding themselves from sight, so you have to know how to look for the signs. For example, termites are often hidden deep in the structure of your home. And they can feed off that structure. This is very dangerous if too much of the wood is fed on. It can make the whole structure of the home weaker than it should be, and that’s not good. If you notice piles of sand or dust on the floor, this might be a sign of termites. If you think that you do have a problem, contact a pest inspector who can check out the home and size up the problem. Then they will probably fumigate the home to get rid of them.

Mold and Fungus
In any room that tends to harbour any moisture, there is a chance that mold and fungus will start to form. This is something that is more important than you might initially realise. Mold is not just undesirable because of how it looks. It’s also bad for your health. There are spores that can be released by mold and fungus, and these spores can be very damaging to your health if breathed in. It can also cause particular problems for people who have allergies or asthma. It can make breathing more difficult. It’s easy to stop it from becoming a problem though. All you need to do is make sure that the home is properly ventilated. This will stop the mold gathering and growing.