Quick, easy tests to ensure home safety

The overall safety of a home should never be in question. However, a number of homeowners don't stay up-to-date with routine maintenance and other simple forms of upkeep. 

If this is the case, the entire house could be at risk because of one small error or overlooked step. Many home inspection professionals could find numerous problems throughout a property, and it may also be up to the homeowners to perform several tests in order to keep their house safe.

Double check any potential problems

It is easy for residents to believe that their home is both safe and in great working order. On the contrary, many issues tend to be considered out of sight and out of mind, which means that serious threats could be bubbling just beneath the surface.

A property inspection is a phenomenal method to make sure that everything is working as it should, and there are also easy ways for homeowners to check, according to MSN Real Estate. For instance, radon - a dangerous gas - is both colorless and odorless, which means that the best way to see if it is present in a home is with a test. They are cheap and easy to use, and if elevated levels are detected, systems exist to help pump the gas back outside.

In addition, the clothes washer and dryer are two appliances frequently used. Despite their necessity, a number of people forget to clean out the lint trap, exhaust duct and dryer vent, the news source noted. Improperly cleaned components could be a serious fire risk, so it could pay off to inspect these areas quite regularly.

Mold is also a common problem, and a home inspection could help point out locations where it could form, or where it already has. Not only can spores damage a property, but they can also cause several health problems among the residents. Moisture inside the home that can't properly escape can lead to mold. Underneath the sink is a good area to look for it, and catching the problem early could save on expensive repair bills.

Check older houses regularly

Homes can range in age from brand new to hundreds of years old, and nearly each decade that passes presents new problems for homeowners to tackle. A property inspection could figure out dangerous situations, and simple checks on a consistent basis is also advisable.

Many house fires are caused by bad electrical wiring, according to HGTV. A home inspection often turns up these types of problems, and modern homes and older ones frequently run into different types of issues. For example, some people tend to use extension cords for everything, and running them all across the house could overload the system.

Moreover, exposed wiring is also a threat, regardless of the age of the property. Renovations could lead to open splice wiring, where electrical tape and other connectors are used. Instead, a licensed professional should perform the task correctly. Also, houses built before 1950 typically have an electrical system that isn't designed for the demands of today's technology, so homeowners should check before plugging in too many gadgets and appliances.

Some older houses may have problems with plumbing and other piping. Properties built between 1942 and 1958 could have papier mache pipes, since World War II resulted in an iron shortage, the news source noted. Anyone looking to buy a house built from this era should have a home inspection completed. If these types of pipes are present, they will need to be replaced sooner rather than later, because the likelihood that they will fail is high.