Answers to commonly asked questions for the care of your Florida Home In Florida roofs with a 20 to 25 year life expectancy last 15 years due to the intensity of the sun. Start to plan for a new roof at about 11 or 12 years. On most tile roofs the tiles purpose is to keep the sun off the roll roofing under the tiles which is the real water barrier. Change your main water shutoff valve after ten years. The valve may stick and break either in either the open or closed position when you go to use it in an emergency. Some municipalities frown on the homeowner using the street shut off valve. If you have a metal tub in your washer don't leave wet clothes in the washer for extended periods of time. Rust begins around the holes in the tub and leaves rust spots on your clothes. Have your service mast cap and boot inspected periodically. If they are not sealed or are rusted out water can intrude into your meter box. Fire Hazard. On condos with the air conditioners on the roof be sure your sub panel box is not rusted out. Water can run from this box directly to your panel box. Rust on wiring connections causes hot spots where electrical flow is restricted. Fire hazard. If you can scratch the paint on your inside door trim and it comes off easily, latex paint has been painted over oil paint. The fix is to repaint over the latex with oil. The oil paint will seal the latex. Two single windows are often put together for bay windows. Frequently the builder will drill holes in the bottom of the window frame and install screws for strength. The bottom of the window frame is meant to be sealed for runoff. The screws provide a way for water to enter the wall below the windows. Cutting holes in garage ceilings to provide ventilation is a breach of fire code. If a fire were to start in the garage the ventilation can draw the flames into the attic. Stove vents should be vented to the exterior rather than into the attic. This is frequently a cause of house fires. During a grease fire the vent sucks the flames into the attic spreading the fire. In florida wood fences and siding around house should be raised above ground level to avoid wood deterioration and insect damage. On older houses with large trees the roots often intrude into the drain lines and clog water flow through the drain. Roots should be cut away from foundation. |
