An old house can be a wonderful purchase, particularly if you love the way it looks and it is in a great location. Older homes can sometimes cost less money, but before you spend that saved money frivolously, it might be wise to hire a local general contractor to help assess and update the various systems in your home. They can assemble a team of specialists to make your home better; this can be of great benefit to you, especially if you're new in the area and don't know any reputable professionals. Here are three issues that a general contractor can help with.
Masonry
Many times, the first problem that homeowners have with an old home is that the masonry starts to fall apart. If the home you've bought is already showing stress cracks in its foundation or cracks in the chimney, a general contractor can handle this by working with a masonry contractor to fill them and check for any lasting damage.
Electricity
If your house is an old one, it's possible that aluminum was used rather than copper when wiring the place. Aluminum was a cheaper solution at the time, but it is now known that it isn't as safe as copper because of increased loose connections over time and other problems. A general contractor can have an electrician analyze all the wiring inside the house and determine whether new wiring is needed.
Plumbing
Depending on the age of your home and the number of people in your family, the house may need a number of plumbing updates. For example, if you've got a big family and the water heater isn't large enough, you may notice that baths aren't as hot as they could be. Not only that, but if you are unsure when the water heater was put in, it could be very old and inefficient; you're very likely to need a new one soon. Pipes also need to be looked at, as in that past someone may have joined pipes of different metals together, which can sometimes speed up corrosion. A general contractor can delegate this work to a plumber so that you can be sure that the water supply and flow will be adequate.
Being able to work with a general contractor to update the entire house can be a smart way to ensure that you and your family are comfortable once you move in. Talk to some contractors in the area, such as Alpine Abatement Associates Inc, to find out what should be done for your specific house.
