March 2021
LAKESIDE 41
How ‘sound’ is your home? When to address noises Did you hear that? You may have asked yourself or your spouse that question on more than one occasion. Sometimes a home’s noises are easily explained – a faucet didn’t get turned all the way off and it’s dripping, or the icemaker is busy freezing and dropping new cubes. Others – like strange knocks or apparent footsteps – may have you wondering if your home is haunted. There are usually non-paranormal, practical explanations for the most common household sounds, as well as solutions – some you can fix yourself and others that may require a professional. The cause of a house’s creaks and squeaks can be numerous, depending on where the sound originates. One of the most common creak culprits is flooring. As time goes on, you may notice a certain floorboard or stair always squeaks, and it’s usually in the middle of the night when you’re trying to quietly make your way to the bathroom or kitchen without waking anyone. Most often, these creaks are a board moving next to another or a board moving against a fastener. This is especially more prevalent in older homes where floorboards
and window that stick or develop large gaps.) Sara Multiple things, not just faulty Bagwell construction, can cause damage to the home’s foundation. Soil comDesign & position and moisture levels are Remodel key factors in many foundation problems. Different types of soil under the same foundation can cause uneven settling, leading to cracks (and the associated noises nMORE INFO: tracytesmerremodeling.com they bring). Water accumulation (in the soil, not just standing or have naturally expanded or conrunning water), tree roots and tracted over time, creating space temperature changes, as well as and/or friction. The noise also vibrations from heavy, sustained could indicate an issue with the traffic if you live near a busy subflooring underneath. This roadway, can all be factors in the doesn’t necessarily mean it’s time health of your home’s foundation. to replace the flooring and subIf you suspect problems in this flooring, unless the material is in area, contact a professional ASAP. poor shape, but you may want to If you hear scratching sounds contact a professional who can fix coming from your walls or scurthe issue. rying coming from the attic, Noises coming from beneath chances are you have a pest probyour home, including loud pops lem. Rats and mice are notorious or groaning sounds, shouldn’t be culprits, as are bats or squirrels in dismissed, especially if they perthe attic. The impacts of these unsist. These could indicate an issue invited guests in your home go with the foundation, something beyond the potential diseases they no homeowner wants to hear but carry or the skin-crawling fear a potentially critical problem that they provoke in some. Rodents, should be investigated and adespecially squirrels and mice, are dressed immediately, if necessary. notorious chewers as they attempt (Additional indicators of founda- to tunnel from one area of your tion troubles can include doors walls to another. And if they turn
their tiny teeth toward your wiring, the damage to your home’s electrical system can be far-reaching, not to mention a fire hazard. If you think your problem is rats or mice, trying some simple traps from the hardware store may be sufficient to solve an isolated issue. Squirrels or bats, as well as continued evidence of mice or rats, are likely jobs for pest professionals. When the removal is complete, be sure to ask them to investigate areas around your home where these animal invaders could be entering. After all, when you don’t address the underlying problem, the hassle and expense cycle caused by these home invaders is likely to repeat itself. Last but not least, a common cause of household noises can be your home’s plumbing. And when it comes to plumbing, problems range from the minor pesky running toilet or dripping sink to loose/unsecured pipes. If you’re relatively handy, you may want to attempt fixing that toilet or faucet yourself. Parts are easy to find in home improvement stores and relatively inexpensive. The inter-
PHOTO: TRACY TESMER DESIGN/REMODELING
Simple fix-its like leaky faucet repairs may be made by the homeowner.
net, particularly YouTube, can be a great resource for DIY videos that walk you through the steps. But you’ll want to leave any projects that are more complicated to a professional. And if further investigation reveals extensive plumbing issues in a bathroom, for example, it might be the perfect opportunity to tackle that upgrade or remodel you’ve been dreaming about. Be sure to reach out to a design/build professional to see what the possibilities could be if you already know you’ll need contractors and plumbers in your walls repairing problems. Sara Bagwell is a designer for Tracy Tesmer Design/Remodeling in Gainesville.
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