Take a long, hard look around your house. Are there parts of your home design that look seriously damaged? Does your house give you problems during extreme rains and storms? Is there an unpleasant odor that’s been in your house for the longest time?

If you answered yes to any of these, you may have a serious problem on your hands. Here are 5 warning signs your home needs renovating:

Chipping and warping on house walls

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Are there painted walls inside your home that are chipping or flaking off? Do your interior walls look wrinkled or warped? Is there a noticeable bubbling on certain areas of your walls?

These are possible signs of serious water damage and deserve to be checked thoroughly. Putting off any wall renovations may cost you more in the long run.

A lingering odor that’s been there for years

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If your home smells like wet socks, or worse, something that’s rotting, you may have molds present inside.

See if you can spot areas in your home with mold. They often appear in the seams and corners as green, black, brown, yellow or white spots.

If left unattended, this can affect your long-term health, especially if you have respiratory problems to begin with.

Water rings, sagging or soft spots on the ceiling

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Early signs of water damage appear as water stains or rings. Extensive damage, meanwhile, manifests as sagging or softening which drastically affects the look of your ceiling design.

Be aware of any water damage happening inside your home as it can spread and cause more problems in the future.

Crumbling or spongy-type wood

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Take a good look at the wooden parts of your home. Are they crumbling or deteriorating? Is the wood spongy to the touch? Is there a fungus-like growth on the wood?

These are signs of rot, a fungus that appears when wood is subjected to large amounts of moisture. Rot is a threat to your home’s structural integrity and should be addressed immediately!

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Aside from rot, another problem that causes wood to deteriorate is termite infestation.

If the wood in your home sounds hollow when you knock on it, termites may be breeding inside. Other signs of infestation include mud tubes climbing the foundation of your home, maze-like patterns in furniture, wooden floors or walls, and termite pellets or droppings.

Call a pest control expert to prevent further infestation and damage.

Your next steps

If you notice any of these warning signs inside your home, act immediately.

First, consult a professional. While it may cost you more initially, hiring an expert may save you more by providing you a proper, long-term solution.

Second, consider investing in quality building materials like HardieFlex fiber cement boards for your renovation. HardieFlex durable fiber cement boards are resistant to damage caused by fire, moisture or termites, and it contains no asbestos. With HardieFlex, you won’t be worrying about renovations for a very long time.

Think it’s time to renovate your home? Call us and we’ll send a HardieFlex team over to assess your situation and give you the assistance you need.