Category: News

The word “leak” is never something you want to hear. That’s especially true when it comes to maintaining your property. Some leaks are minor. However, there are three leaks that can swiftly damage or destroy your property.

A Roof Leak

Your building’s roof is its main line of defense against the sun and the elements. A roof that’s installed properly can easily last 15 to 20 years. However, at some point, it may spring a leak. A roof leak usually starts as a drip. A small crack develops in a shingle or along a seam. Rain starts falling and drips start coming in. You likely don’t notice the drips. The leak gets bigger and the drip becomes a stream. It starts pooling in the attic or dripping from the light fixtures. If a leak in the roofing is left unchecked, it can cause substantial damage. Wet wood can begin to rot. Drywall can get moldy. Electrical wires can short out.

A Pipe Leak

You may think of a pipe leak as a slow drip under the sink. Some are like that. However, sometimes a pipe leak is much worse. It can end up causing a great amount of damage. The water coming into your property is under high levels of pressure. This pressure keeps the water flowing. If you develop a pipe leak, all of that pressurized water could end up flooding the building. Flooding can destroy carpet and hardwood floors. It can rot wood in the walls and cause drywall to disintegrate. If the flooding goes on too long, it can weaken the foundation of the building itself.

A Gas Leak

Gas is a common fuel used for heating and cooking. It’s efficient and cost-efficient. However, if a leak occurs, it could end up completely destroying your property. Natural gas becomes highly explosive when it reaches 5% to 15% concentration in the air. Below 5%, it’s too lean for ignition to occur. Above 15%, the concentration is too high.

When natural gas reaches this explosive concentration, it can ignite in the presence of any ignition source. This can include matches, pilot lights, lighters, machine sparks, and electrical switches. Even a wired doorbell can cause a spark which will ignite natural gas. The good news is that natural gas has an additive that smells like rotten eggs. If you smell a nasty odor, get out of the building and call the fire department.

The modern notion of homesteading has brought a renewed sense of pride among those who seek to carve out a life for themselves and their family. A property with multiple buildings and structures is a rustic dream for a lot of people desiring to learn to live off the land. Yet, every homestead has important annual maintenance issues that must be addressed in a timely fashion. Here are four such issues that should rank at the top of a homesteader’s list.

Fixing Pens and Cages

Containment areas for livestock and other animals are typically central to the successful operation of an established homestead. Consequently, building and repairing individual pens and cages inevitably becomes an important annual concern. These structures must both be fit for harboring the animals for which they are designed and for keeping predatorial animals away as well.

Patching Fences and Gates

Fences provide an additional artificial barrier to a homestead. Gates allow for controlled access in and out of the property at designated points. A fence may need mending each year to effectively ensure that unwanted wild animals and other intruders are prevented from having easy access to the interior of the property. This can include installing new sections of barbed or electric wiring, replacing rotted wooden posts and even hinges and latches for ensuring the gates function properly as intended.

Maintaining the Septic System

When a septic system starts having drainage problems, it can begin to behave in certain undesirable ways. Toilets may start to gurgle, there may be a foul-smelling wet area in the yard or the rate of sewage drainage could be slower than normal. These common signs will tend to indicate that there is either an obstruction preventing drainage from occurring properly or that drain line repair efforts will need to be carried out to resume the normal operation of the septic system.

Roofing

From the main living area to the chicken coop, the need to maintain solid roofing is an important yearly task around a homestead. Leaks can cause the underlying wood of structures to rot, and give mold an opportunity to become a serious and often expensive problem to fix down the road. Therefore, it is important to regularly look for roof damage and leaks and to get repairs under way as soon as possible.

No one said owning and operating a homestead was going to be easy. Every day brings a series of required chores and even a few new unforeseen challenges. Yet, it is rewarding to be able to put forth the effort required to whip a homestead into shape and keep it running like a well-oiled machine. This can make the endeavor both profitable and a source of enduring satisfaction for years to come.