5 Renovators Nightmares

A renovators role is difficult at the best of times but it can sometimes take on nightmarish proportions. Every person who has ever renovated anything shudders at the thought of finding certain things during the renovation. Renovating is a gamble, particularly when you don’t know what is under the floorboards or inside the walls.  

Your sweet renovators delight can go sour if you peel away some layers of your lovely little renovators cottage can reveal some horrors that can cost you big bucks.

Some learn to detect these defects prior to purchasing the property, but sometimes this is too difficult and the buyer takes the gamble.  Here are five problems that renovators have nightmares about.
Renovation NightmaresExtensive water damage

Often found lurking under the sink, this can be a real hindrance for a renovator. A minuscule amount of damage is an easy fix, requiring the removal of the wet areas and then filled with wood hardener.  If the area is severely damaged there is a risk of mold becoming a health hazard.The removal of the entire piece of wood would be required which can prove to be tricky as modern kitchen cabinets may need to be disassembled or worse the entire Kitchen may need to be refurbished.

Outdated Piping and ElectricWires

If pipes are heavily corroded, wires are damaged then a renovator is going to have his work cut out for him.  Not only will the damages need repairing but in certain cases, entire walls may need to be removed for repair.

If a wall is removed then rebuilding the wall as well as the cost of damages caused can certainly add up to a pretty penny.  The same may be needed for the ceilings and the flooring.  What seems like a simple job can lead to much more work, in the long run, taking up more time and proving much more costly.
Asbestos

DIY Renovations
This job is to be avoided by renovators.  As is common knowledge, asbestos has debilitating health risks that renovators would like to avoid. The removal of asbestos requires health and safety protocols that renovators would like to side-step as the environment would need to be controlled.  There are renovation specialists who can remove and take away the asbestos. If the job is completed inaccurately the renovator, as well as neighbours to the building being worked on could suffer long-term and fatal health conditions. Check the laws relating to asbestos removal in your area.
Cracked Foundations.

This is the stuff of nightmares for renovators.  Cracked foundations can put a crack in your dreams of the perfect reno outcome. If a house has foundation issues this will create a huge job for a renovator.  In order to solve the problem, a renovator will either have to complete one of two methods.

Piering the foundations is a process that lifts the foundations up which is as difficult as it sounds.  The second method is called slab jacking which requires filling the foundations with a grout mixture which will raise the house. The best idea is to find out before you purchase a property that it has foundation problems. Get a building inspection and save yourself the heartache.
Pest ControlWhite Ants and Termites

Say the word ‘termite infestation’ around any renovator and expect them to go pale.  This tiny creature may appear harmless but if left unchecked the damage caused by these insects can be devastating. The structural integrity of the building could be compromised making repairs difficult and expensive. Termites cause damage to one in every 5 homes in their lifetime so make sure you get a pest inspection before you sign any contracts.


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