If you own a home, chances are that it has some features you don't give a second’s thought to. You take those features for granted. As a result, you may underappreciate them as well. No worries. You are no different than the rest of us. There are certain features in our homes that do what they do without us paying any attention to them.
The only caveat is that ignoring such features can lead to problems caused by a lack of maintenance. That being the case, below is a list of five of the most underappreciated home features among American homeowners.At least give them the care and maintenance they need to continue functioning for a long time.
We install gutters for a living. So of course, the first item on our list is the combined category of drainage and gutter systems. The two work together to channel rainwater away from your house in a way that doesn't promote soil erosion.
Let's face it, most of us take our gutters for granted until there is a problem. If the gutters never overflow or begin to pull away from the house, we tend to forget they are there. But we shouldn't. Routine maintenance, like regular cleaning, is key to extending gutter life.
Do you give your driveway and sidewalk any consideration?Here in northern California, our driveways and walkways don't tend to take much of a beating. We are more likely to take them for granted than someone living in upstate New York, where winter weather can be brutal.
Nonetheless, driveways and walkways are constantly exposed to weather, time, and the elements. Routine maintenance keeps them in tip-top shape.
Next up are the sewage systems in our homes. Not to be gross or anything, but it is hard to take sewage systems for granted when there's a backup. That's when you learn really quickly just how important that sewer connection or septic system really is. Still, taking the sewage system for granted is easy when everything is working as it should.
We are all familiar with furnaces and air conditioning units. In fact, it is safe to say that most of us appreciate HVAC for its ability to keep us comfortable. But there is a subset of the HVAC concept few people know a lot about: venting and circulation.
Homes need to be well vented to keep fresh air coming in. Maximizing ventilation requires good air circulation. Combined, the two prevent the air inside a home from growing stale. Keeping fresh air moving is critical to comfort and health.
Last but not least is the front porch. Before suburban life encouraged people to be less neighborly and more reclusive, building a house without a front porch was unheard of. Today, not so much. Many suburban homes have only small front steps.
The front porch has been underappreciated for decades. But Back in the day, it was a gathering place for family and friends. People used to sit on the porch in the evening to watch the traffic go by. And if you were taking a walk with your significant other, stopping to talk to people sitting on their porches was normal.
How do you feel about these five common home features? If You forget all the rest, at least remember to show your gutters the appreciation they deserve. Without gutters and a good drainage system, rain would pour off the roof and erode your foundation. There is no way that's good.
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