4 Necessary Updates for Vintage Homes Home Decoration Home Improvement by Anica Oaks - October 9, 2014 Old Made New: 4 Necessary Updates for Vintage Homes Are you a proud owner of a vintage home? If you are, there are several updates you should consider. These updates won’t destroy the charm of your vintage home, but these updates will help preserve its functionality and help keep it safe. Read on below to discover what you should do. Electrical Many old homes have an old electrical system called knob and tube wiring. This electrical system worked well in its day. However, when it is an old system, it can become dangerous. The problem is that insects may eat the outside of the old wiring. This exposes the raw electrical wires to insulation, nails, wood, and other materials behind the walls of a home. The wire contacting these materials can cause a fire. To prevent this, have an electrician remove the knob and tube wiring and install modern wiring. Image Credit – www.canstockphoto.fr Asbestos Asbestos was an inexpensive building material used on older homes. It would be slathered onto a material and left to dry. The result was a good insulating material to help preserve heat in homes. The problem with asbestos is that it can flake and crumble. The resulting powder is very harmful to human lungs if inhaled. Asbestos should be removed from your vintage home by a professional contractor in order for you to avoid risk to yourself. Insulation The insulation in your vintage home needs to be checked and updated. For example, you may discover asbestos that needs to be removed. More likely, you may discover that your home once had blown insulation that has since settled behind the walls. You will need to add more insulation or update it completely to prevent expensive heat loss during colder months. You also might be surprised to discover there is no insulation at all! In this case, you will need to install some. If you are unsure if you have enough insulation in the right places, contact Advanced Plumbing or an HVAC expert near you. Roof and Gutters You should check the roof and gutters of your vintage home. Older homes often have shingles that are blown loose. The shingles may also be weak and in disrepair. Should a heavy enough storm arrive, the result could be expensive water damage to your home. Even if the roof looks structurally sound, make sure you check the gutters. A poor gutter system allows water to enter the home just below the roof. This water may be only enough to make it damp, but the result could be mold or an attractive haven for various insects. This could cause portions of your vintage home to rot away without you evening knowing about it. Vintage homes can be excellent investments and wonderful places to live. Make sure you protect your home by looking into the above four updates.