LONGEVITY ON THE HOME FRONT: HOW LONG WILL THAT FURNACE LAST?

You want your house to last forever, but some parts of a house are going to fail. The Study of Life Expectancy of Home Components from the National Association of Home Builders gives a picture of when you can expect home components to need replacement.

Why care about the longevity of home components? Because your home is most likely your biggest investment. And if you have a mortgage or home equity line of credit secured by your house, repairs and replacement become part of your cost of capital. Considering longevity will motivate you to save for the inevitable failure of a furnace, for example, or a roof.

Longevity estimates are subject to many caveats. Only good quality material--properly installed and maintained--will achieve the estimated lifespan. And a dry environment is usually more conducive to longevity than a damp one.

Estimated longevity only applies when the entire building is kept in good shape. If your foundation cracks due to unstable soil or flowing water, floors may sag, and walls may crack. When the roof or plumbing leaks, the drywall, plaster, and framing beneath can suffer prematurely.

Carpet, linoleum, roofs, and many appliances have an estimated lifespan of only 10 years or so. Many other components have a life expectancy of 100 years or the "lifetime" of the building, including:

  • All masonry and concrete (except driveways), such as foundations, walls, and countertops.

  • Siding--vinyl, cement, stucco, brick, and manufactured stone, and probably aluminum (not listed).

  • Drywall, plaster, wood, steel, and concrete framing.

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