No matter how well maintained your home is and no matter how much you try to keep everything in top condition, know that some home emergencies are simply unavoidable. Blocked drains, blocked or damaged gutters, power blackouts, pest infestation and getting locked out of your own home are just some of the worthy mentions. Even though stuff like this can be really annoying when they happen, you need to take care of them as soon as possible to avoid making the situation worse than it is. Note that some of the problems you can take care of yourself, but for others, professional assistance is advised. So, let’s see what the most common home emergencies are and how you can take care of them.
Gutters
The gutters around your home should be cleaned on a regular basis because, otherwise, they can get damaged or even break. Another common household issue is blocked gutters. Cleaning the blocked gutters is not difficult, but it requires some vigilance because you’ll have to use the ladders to be able to reach them. However, if you are scared of heights or you don’t feel comfortable doing it yourself, there are experts you can call for help.
Drains and toilets
Blocked drains and toilets is another common – and very serious – household emergency. While blocked toilets are easy to take care of (simply use the plunger and flush a couple of times) blocked drains are better left to the professionals because, if you don’t know what you’re doing 100%, chances are you will cause even greater damage. Therefore, call the experts to help you out and take care of your drains as soon as you notice a problem.
Power blackouts
Power blackout is probably the most annoying household emergency, and potentially, the most dangerous one. If the blackout was caused by the grid going down, there’s not much you can do about it. However, if there’s something wrong with your home system, you should call a trusty emergency electrician to check it out. Keep in mind that dealing with electricity is a very serious matter and you should never try to do things yourself because the consequences can be severe.
Getting locked out
Getting locked out of the home can seriously happen to anyone, and it’s usually a pretty funny situation unless you have an unsupervised baby in the house, or dinner in the oven. There are some things you can try to let yourself back in (like the credit card trick), but chances are those won’t work, and you can even damage your lock. That’s why it would be best to call an emergency locksmith to help you out. However, if you do manage to unlock your door that way, call the locksmith regardless to replace your lock because if you managed to get back in your home that easily, it means that a burglar will have no problem doing the same.
Pest infestation
Pest infestation is a serious and, unfortunately, a very common issue. While some pests are only annoying and give you nothing more but a proper jump scare (cockroaches), others can be particularly dangerous and carry various diseases (like rats and mice). Termites are also potentially very harmful because they can literally destroy your home if you don’t take care of them on time. Therefore, find reliable experts to help you take care of such a problem as soon as you suspect that there is one.
Mentioned above were just some of the most common household emergencies. There are, of course, many others, but all of them have one thing in common – they can all cause some serious damage if not dealt with as soon as possible. Therefore, don’t hesitate to call in an expert to come and check things out as soon as you suspect that there might be a problem, because you know what they say – better to be safe than sorry.