Building and maintaining a home is no black and white task. In the October 14th episode of The KTSA Home Improvement Show, we saw there’s a lot to consider when it comes down to it. We welcomed plenty of questions concerning the foundations and repairs, floor replacement and pest control. Here are some of the highlights.
Foundations
Lisa kicked the show off with a question about recently getting foundation work done in her 1,300 square foot home and noticing new cracks. She was inquiring what to expect when applying her warranty and was concerned about the speed of service she was experiencing. When it comes to foundation work, there is no “one-size-fits-all” answer, and it takes quite some time to guarantee proper foundation repairs. Most foundation warranties involve third-party engineers, and it typically takes a few months for foundation repairs to settle before plans of action can be made. We reassured Lisa that patience is critical to foundation repairs.
The next caller was Corey, who wanted to know what sacrifice he may be making if he chose to build his home on a 2×4 foundation as opposed to a 2×6. We informed him that he would mainly be giving up structural integrity and energy efficiency by going with the 2×4. The sole purpose of adjusting to a 2×6 foundation was for the addition of insulation to make a home more energy efficient, provide more comfort in the house, and meet Energy Star requirements for the amount of padding in the walls and the ceilings.
Later, Dale wanted to know whether or not foundation repairs decreased the value of a home. In no way do foundation repairs reduce the value of your home. If anything, the repairs will maintain and sometimes even increase the value of your home. Getting around foundation repairs is nearly impossible, so we recommend doing it before trying to sell a home instead of losing out on property value in a purchase.
Floors
Meanwhile, JoAnne called for some input about replacing her carpet with either wood or ceramic tile to mimic wood. We introduced JoAnne to a beautiful product called Ceramidur. Ceramidur is a ceramic product with the properties of vinyl. It has ceramic mixed in with the vinyl, so it remains flexible, holds its finish and looks just like wood, giving JoAnne all the things she wants in one. Plus, there’s very little upkeep and maintenance to it.
Fumigation
Mike called in a while later, curious as to why homes are built with wooden foundations as opposed to steel – since termites and pests are major homeowner concerns. Our short answer for him: cost. Steel foundations and construction cost significantly higher than more efficient, wooden-framed homes. As far as termites, a homeowner should never have to worry about them so long as they are properly maintaining their home with a trusted pest control company.
