Your home is one of the most important places in your life. It is where you spend your time with family, where you relax and unwind, and sallow the stress of everyday life to melt away. The last thing anyone wants is a home that adds more stress to you. Unfortunately, if you have any big problem like a structural problem, that is exactly what can happen. Not only will it cause you a massive headache, but it will make the place almost impossible to sell at a reasonable price. So, it is in your best interests to be on top of any issues that may affect your home. Some of which may be a lot more subtle than you may think. So, let’s have a look at a few:
Sluggish Drainage
If one of your plugs is a little on the slow side, that generally does not indicate a huge structural issue. However, if all your drains are slow at the same time, that does. This is probably a sign of a pretty serious issue, such as an obstruction or a clog somewhere in your main sewer line. The last thing you want is sewage water backing up back into the house, either. So you need to get a plumber around to look at this problem as soon as you can.
Gurgling Toilet
A gurgling toilet is not a good sign at all. In fact, it may be trying to tell you something, and you need to listen. There could be negative air pressure which is building up somewhere down your drain pipe. An airlock may have been created, which is usually a sign that there is a clog somewhere down the pipe. A plumber is probably your best bet at getting this resolved. I
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Mud Tubes
If you can see some pipe-shaped objects made of mud that are lining your foundations, then you may have a termite infestation. Termites are subterranean insects that love to feed on the wood of your home. The tubes you can see are transport runs that the termites make to get them from place to place while remaining in a dark and moist place. If you see any of these tunnels, take a look inside, perhaps in your crawl space, to see if the problem is there too. If you see any evidence of termites, then you need an exterminator.
White Residue
If you start noticing a heavy white residue on your chimney brickwork, this is typically caused by moisture extracting mineral salts through the brick and to their surface. This is known as efflorescence. This can be caused by a crack in the liner of your flue pipe. This can be dangerous as it allows toxic fumes from your furnace to enter the home and potentially poison anyone in the house. The white reside on the brickwork will cause you no harm. Another reason that this white residue is appearing is due to an internal leak in your plumbing system. The best thing you can do is contact a plumber.
Image by Steve Buissinne