The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California

Care And Repair Of The House

Introduction

Every house, even the most carefully built, needs attention and repair occasionally to keep it in good condition and to retard depreciation. Like other kinds of property, a house will show signs of wear and begin to decline in value, if it is not properly cared for.

Repair jobs which require special knowledge and skill should be done only by a qualified person. Others can be performed by the householder who is handy with tools. Perhaps the majority find the making of small repairs and improvements enjoyable and have some degree of skill in this direction.

Thousands of householders who have the ability to make small repairs and improvements satisfactorily and who desire to effect the savings which result hesitate to undertake the work because they lack simple and specific directions for determining the causes of common defects and failures that occur in the house and its equipment and instructions for correcting them.

This handbook is written to assist those who are sometimes faced with vexing problems in the care and repair of the house. It aims to point out the more common conditions of disrepair arising in the house from time to time, to describe briefly their causes, and to prescribe the tools, materials, and methods to be employed in their correction. It also deals to some extent with minor improvements that may be effected by the amateur mechanic who wishes to make his house more attractive, more comfortable, and of greater value.

Inspection Of The House And Its Equipment

Some householders give their houses attention only when acute trouble, such as a leaky roof or burst pipe, demands it, but it is neither wise nor safe to wait until something breaks or gives way completely. Such troubles should be anticipated by making regular inspections and applying remedies where needed. Many of the inconveniences and discomforts experienced in the household may thus be avoided, and considerable money may be saved.

The house may be inspected by members of the family owning or occupying it, who are often aware of some of its defects and inconveniences, or by an experienced workman whose knowledge and skill should enable him to discover defects not apparent to the average householder.

When outsiders are employed to do repair work it is often advantageous to have it done, when possible, during the least busy season of the building year. At that time workmen in the building trades, as well as builders and repairmen, are glad to have employment and will generally do the work more reasonably.