5 Ticking Time Bombs in Your House

By Leigh Morgan

March 08, 2025

Tick, tick, tick ... That ticking sound you hear could be a major problem about to rear its ugly head. Home maintenance isn't everyone's idea of a good time, but it can help you avoid some of these problems. If you have any of these ticking time bombs in your home, it's only a matter of time until something goes wrong.

This May Also Interest You: What’s a Home Improvement Loan and How Do You Get One?

Avoid costly home repair bills by hiring a professional to uncover hidden issues and remedy them immediately.

5 Home Maintenance Time Bombs

In this context, a ticking time bomb is something that's going to cause a problem within the next few days, weeks or months. If you have one of these urgent issues, you can't ignore it until next year or worry about it five years from now. These are some of the most common examples.

1. Cracked Foundation

It's common for a home's foundation to crack a little as it settles. Normal settling causes hairline cracks, which are thin cracks that usually develop within a year of building a home. Hairline cracks form when poured concrete starts to dry out. If you live in a new home and have a few of these hairline cracks, you probably have nothing to worry about.

If you have another type of crack, you need professional assistance. Foundation cracks are concerning when they are wide or keep getting bigger over time. You should also be concerned if a crack is large enough to allow moisture or foul odors to seep through the foundation and into your home. The longer you ignore these cracks, the greater the risk of structural damage to your home.

2. Old Furnace

Your old furnace may seem like it's chugging along just fine, but there's a good chance it's nowhere near as efficient as it used to be. This is especially true if you haven't been keeping up with home maintenance. If you want your furnace to run efficiently, you need to change the filters regularly. It's also important to get regular tune-ups from a licensed professional. During a tune-up, a plumber cleans the components of your furnace, checks the drain line and performs other important maintenance tasks.

If you have a gas furnace, failing to maintain it can put your family at risk of serious health problems. Gas models use a heat exchanger to remove carbon monoxide from the air. If you have a cracked heat exchanger, it may allow carbon monoxide to escape into the air you breathe. Carbon monoxide is odorless and colorless, so there's no way to detect it unless you have a CO detector. For some people, coming down with carbon monoxide poisoning is the first sign of a furnace problem.

Generally, you should replace your furnace if it's more than 15 years old. You may need to replace it earlier if it needs frequent repairs or if your energy bills are much higher than they used to be.

3. Neglected Roof

Whether you have asphalt shingles or wood shakes, your roof needs regular maintenance to keep it in excellent condition. Unfortunately, you don't have much control over the weather, especially if you live in an area known for natural disasters. Heavy rain, high winds and other poor weather conditions can cause significant damage, increasing the risk of leaks.

If you don't have your roof inspected regularly, you won't know if you have loose shingles, clogged gutters, tree damage or other serious problems. Over time, these problems may worsen, causing water to leak through the underlayment and into your home. If you don't want to deal with waterlogged furniture and mildew-covered curtains, have a roofing professional inspect your roof at least once per year.

More Related Articles:

4. Outdated Electrical Wiring

If you live in an older home and haven't updated the wiring since you moved in, you may have a ticking time bomb on your hands. Older wiring systems weren't designed to handle the current demand for residential electricity. The more items you plug in, the greater the demand on your electrical system, increasing the risk of overheating. If you continue to overload your wiring, it may even start a fire.

It's also common for older electrical systems to have frayed wires. If one of these wires sparks, it can cause insulation or other materials to catch on fire. To avoid these problems, have a licensed electrician assess your wiring system and perform recommended upgrades. Once you have an updated system, check it regularly as part of your home maintenance routine.

5. Soggy Areas Above Septic System

After your septic system breaks down waste, it separates what's left into liquid, solid and floatable matter. Liquids travel through a series of pipes and into a drainfield. From there, water eventually sinks into the soil. When a drainfield fails, water accumulates above the septic system, causing the ground to get soggy. Eventually, sewage may start backing up into your home. If you see a soggy area above your septic tank, contact a professional right away.

Follow us