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The cost of your homes wear and tear Can be a lot to bear, But knowing what you'll be facing Before certain items need replacing Will keep you alert and aware.
Although the life of your home will last decades, the items in your home won't last as long. The life expectance of some items will last longer than others. It's important to know because this will allow you to better budget for those repairs and replacements all homeowners go through. If you're like me you like surprises, but not the ones a home can give you especially if those surprises cost you a larger chunk of your weekly or monthly paycheck. The list below gives the estimated life of items most homeowners spend money on to replace. Note, these are merely estimates based on average statistics. The number of years you get from these items depend on how well you performed preventive maintenance. Also whether you used the items according to the manufacturer's instructions. How long you allowed repair problems to continue before fixing them also determines how long they'll last. Heating
and Cooling System Air Filters
6 months.
After your heating and
cooling system filter becomes clogged with dirt, dust and other
particles it has to work harder. As it works harder, it's burning more
energy and doing a worse job of cooling or heating your home.
Home Fire
Extinguisher
10 to 12
years.
The contents of fire
extinguishers become depressurized after a certain amount of time. This
causes a risk of the extinguisher not working properly when needed.
Keep away from heat, because heat can reduce its useful life.
Home Smoke
Alarms
10 years.
After 10 years, most smoke
alarms become less dependable. So to make sure you protect your family,
replace old smoke alarms when they approach the 10-year mark.
Roof
20-30
years.
Roofs are one of
the most expensive parts you'll ever replace on your home. When your
roof leaks, it can cause many problems. So, make sure you take care of
your roof by keeping tree limbs, leaves and other items off.
Rain
Gutters
20 - 25
years.
Rain gutters help you
protect your home in many ways. It protects the roof. Plus they prevent
water from running down the sides of your home, which ruins your homes
paint, foundation, windowsills and more. Protect your rain gutters by
keeping them free of leaves that could cause water to overflow.
Central Air/Heating Unit
15-20
years.
Preserve your unit by
keeping up with manufacturer's maintenance schedule performed by
qualified technician.
Exterior
House Paint
3 to 5 years. Windows
30 -40 years.
Garage door
20 - 30 years.
Carpeting
10 - 15 years.
Water heater
8 - 10 years.
Galvanized water pipes
40 - 60
years.
Copper
water pipes
100+ years.
Asphalt
Driveway
25 - 30 years.
Cobblestone driveway
100's of years.
Concrete Driveway
50+ years.
Kitchen Cabinets
20 - 30 years.
Bathroom Cabinets
20 - 30 years.
Commode (toilet)
Life of home.
Now that you have an idea
of how long the many of your homes most expensive parts will last you
can plan your budget better. This can also help motivate you to take
better care of these expensive parts. You'll also find
yourself getting the most use from them before they'll need
replacing or repairing.
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