If you’re thinking about a home gym, you’re probably thinking about the equipment you want to put in it, the way you want to furnish it, and any home renovations you may need to include in the process. However, if you’re considering a home gym, you actually need to make sure your home is structurally sound first. Take a look at these elements of home health you should probably be paying attention to.
Home Health Checklist Created By: JES
General Structural Health
The general structural health of your home is an important thing to pay attention to. If you have any of these warning signs, it could be telling you that your foundation is in dire straits:
- Nail pops
- Wall and floor gaps
- Uneven floors
- Drywall cracks
- Sticking doors or windows
- Bowed basement walls
- Flood damage
- Cracked chimney
- Sinking foundation
- Foundation settlement
- Vertical, horizontal, or stair-step cracks
- Cracked bricks
- Cracked block foundation
- Concrete cracks
Structural health is an important thing to pay attention to because it’s one of the most dangerous things to avoid addressing. When you don’t address structural health concerns, you can end up with irreversible damage all through your home. Once it comes time to sell your home, that could add up to as much as a 30% reduction in home value.
Basement Health
What about your basement? Especially if you’re hoping to put your home gym in your basement, be on the lookout for these warning signs:
- Poor drainage
- Musty smell
- Leaking water heater
- Leaking windows
- Leaking in basement cove
- Sump pump issues
- Swelling or warped doors
- Water stains on the walls or floors
- Efflorescence
- Wet walls
- Wet floors
- Wet carpet
- Wet drywall
- Condensation on windows or doors
Not only would this make your home gym very uncomfortable, but it can have a very significant impact on your home integrity. In turn, that can cause other foundation problems, which can make your home susceptible to the weather. Plus, moisture issues and mold often cause allergies and asthma for people living in the home.
Crawl Space Health
Even if you don’t have a basement, you probably have a crawl space. Your home’s crawl space will also have a significant impact on your home’s health as a whole. Be on the lookout for these warning signs:
- Standing water
- Floor joist issues
- Wood rot
- Condensation
- Wet insulation
- Foundation cracks
- Open vents
- High indoor humidity
- Sagging floors
- Mold
- Unpleasant odors or poor air quality
- Rodent or bug issues
- High electric bills
As with basements, crawl spaces also tend to suffer from excess moisture. This can affect your home’s general structural integrity. Plus, if you have poor air quality in the crawl space, that air will rise up into the rest of the home, putting all the residents at risk. Pests are also important to tackle immediately because of the risk of disease.
Concrete Health
The concrete around your home should be of utmost importance as well. Consider concrete slabs you may have in any of these locations:
- Patio
- Garage
- Driveway
- Basement floor
- Sidewalk
- Pool deck
Have you noticed sinking or cracking in these concrete slabs? Do you notice that they’re uneven? The most obvious problem you may run into here is the fact that it’s a tripping hazard, which can also be an insurance hazard. However, it could also indicate foundation concerns that you haven’t noticed yet. If there are a lot of problems with the concrete around your home, call in an expert to see if it’s a structural concern.
Conclusion
Overall, it’s clear that handling your home’s structure should be number one on your list of concerns when it comes to home health. You can’t create a great home gym unless your home is structurally sound first. Talk to a foundation repair expert to learn more about your options and make sure you have a sound structure before you build your home gym.