With Halloween just around the corner, we wanted to take a moment to discuss the things that haunt our houses. While creaking floors and self-closing doors may give us the jitters, more often than not house haunting can be traced back to a fairly mundane source. So before you call in the ghost hunters, we’ll try to get to the bottom of the things that go bump in the night…in your home!House Haunting One: Banging, Creaking, Skittering Or Scratching NoisesCommon Cause:
Pipes: If you have an older home, fluctuations in water pressure within your radiator can result in rattling noises. In addition, temperature changes can cause pipes to expand or contract leading to rattling noises.
Heating & Cooling: As floors and walls warm up or cool down unevenly, your home infrastructure may contract or expand slightly resulting in what can sound like creaky footsteps in your home.
House Haunting Two: Doors That Slam Shut On Their OwnCommon Cause:
Drafts: Changes in indoor air pressure (like the kind caused when you open or close your front door) can result in doors shutting on their own. Heavier doors are especially sensitive to air pressure changes.
Bad Door Hardware: Poor craftsmanship or shoddy hardware may also be causing your door to spontaneously shut. However, strangely, the solution may be to alter your hardware even more. To stop a door from opening on its own, put a slight bend in the hinge pin to provide added resistance.
House Haunting Three: Flickering LightsCommon Cause:
Loose Bulb: A loose light bulb will light intermittently, causing the lights to flicker on and off. To solve this common problem make sure that your light bulb is placed tightly within the socket and ensure that you are using the right size bulb for your socket.
Bad Outlet: A poor connection can also cause your lights to flicker. Plug another appliance into the lamp’s outlet to determine if it is functioning properly. If not, you’ll need to call in an electrician to repair your faulty outlet.
Is your home still too scary to handle on your own? Contact HomeCare Inc. for all your remodeling and home improvement needs!
