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The age of various house members/units is crucial in the understanding of their remaining useful life. Listed below are some typical age/life expectancies. These are general statements, for there are many factors which determine the life of a house member/unit that are impossible to detect on a visual inspection. Some members/units may perform well beyond their expected life, while others may need replacement sooner.
| House Members/Units |
Est. Useful Life |
|
asphalt composite roof |
15 - 30 |
| slate/tile roof |
50+ |
| septic system (leaching fields) |
18 - 20 |
| boiler/furnace |
20 - 30 |
| heat exchanger w/humidifier |
10 |
| combustion chambers |
10 |
| burner |
10 |
| appliances |
5 - 8 |
| hot water tank |
5 - 12 |
| tankless hot water (serviced properly) |
10+ |
| buried water pipes in concrete |
15 - 18 |
| window maintenance/repairs |
maintain annually |
| flashing maintenance/repairs |
maintain annually |
| metal chimneys |
10 |
| metal flue lines |
10 |
| unlined brick flues |
20+ |
| automatic flue dampers |
inspect annually |
| swimming pool liners |
10 |
| tile walls (average quality) |
1 - 5 |
| exposed wood deck or porch |
5 - 7 |
| old wiring |
unknown |
| thermal seals in windows |
5+ |
| caulking/putty (average quality) |
1 - 5 |
| painted siding/trim |
5 |
| stained siding/trim |
7+ |
| downspout drywalls |
10 |
| termite treatment |
5 - 7 |
| carpenter ant treatment |
annually |
| air conditioning compressor |
8 - 12 |
| old water pipes |
unknown |
| old drains, traps, vents, waste pipes |
unknown |
| buried oil tanks |
15 |
| oil tanks |
30 |
| plumbing fixtures/faucets |
unknown |
| fiberboard siding |
5 - 7 years (properly treated) |
| rolling roofing seams |
maintain annually |
| chimney maintenance |
inspect annually |
| pump motors |
5+ |
| roof drainage maintenance |
service semiannually |
| heat pump |
8 - 10 | |
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Wood Destroying Insects
General Information About Wood Destroying Insects:
Termites - Termites are tough, determined, and highly efficient. And chances are you'll see no evidence of their work until structural damage has been done. Subterranean termites, the most common kind, live in colonies in the soil, from just below the surface to as much as 12 feet down. Each colony is built around a King and a Queen,whose sole job is reproduction. Worker Termites " commute " in what appears to be a mud tunnel between the colony and sources of food, including wood fibers and other forms of cellulose. These Workers rarely break through the surface of wood instead they hollow it out from the inside making it difficult to detect.
Carpenter Ants - Are chiefly a cosmetic nuisance. They nest in wood already softened by decay and emerge to forage for food. These Ants must emerge from their nest to forage, making them selves very visible. They are among the largest ants in the United States, worker ants varying in size between 1/4 to 1/2 inch long. They are black or black with a reddish brown midsection.
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