Life Expectancies of Systems & Components in your Gainesville Home

Your Gainesville home is filled with systems and appliances that all have varying life expectancies. The life expectancy of a component or system, in terms of a home inspection, is defined in terms of it’s serviceable lifespan. Many systems and components in a home can be kept operations for very long periods of time however, the serviceable lifespan would be the point at which repairs or replacement of the system or components are likely to begin occurring. For example, caulking around window and door frame can be expected to last approximately 5 years before needing to re-apply. The serviceable lifespan of the caulking would be 5 years.

In Florida, may components and systems have a reduced life expectancy due to Florida’s unique impacts on homes. Saltwater, high wind, and intense sunlight and heat will degrade systems and components at an accelerated rate. For example, a dimensional shingle roof covering in most places in the U.S. can have a life expectancy of 25 years or more. In Florida, you can expect to replace the roof covering around 20 years or less depending on the local conditions. Insurance also plays a factor in the lifespan of systems in Florida. Many insurers will not cover aging systems and may require replacement of things such as roof coverings and water heaters in order to bind coverage before you, the homeowner, planned to replace them.

What Does Home Inspection Standards Say About Life Expectancies?

In Florida, Gainesville home inspectors are governed by the Florida Administrative Rules that oversee Home Inspector licensing. Section 468.8323 requires inspectors to report on the systems and components that are significantly deficient or are near the end of their service life. Even if a system does not appear to have any functional issues, it may still be reported solely because of the age of the system.

How Do We Know What System or Component Life Expectancies are?

This is a great question, and statistics on building system and component life expectancies has been tracked and published over the years. Further, life expectancies are determined by the performance of research and testing by not only the manufacturers but also third parties. It should be noted, life expectancies are based on a system being operated under the expected normal condition, with proper installation and maintenance. Environmental factors can impact a systems and the estimated life expectancy can be dramatically reduced, or in some cases extended, based on a variety of factors. A thorough home inspector in Gainesville, Florida, should be well versed in identifying life expectancies for a variety of building systems and components.

The below tables outlines some of the life expectancies of several components and systems in your Gainesville Florida home. This list is not a complete list of all the life expectancies for home systems, a complete list can be found at nachi.org/florida-life-expectancy.

Home ownership can be a labor of love. Buildings require care, maintenance and repairs over time. Using this information regarding life expectancies can help you plan how to maintain your home and consider budgeting for larger repairs or replacements. Greenwood Building Inspection & Consulting can help you create a maintenance plan for your home by performing a thorough inspection of your property and identifying defective systems and components while making recommendations on timelines for replacements based on age and condition.