Life Expectancy of Home Components
One way to prepare for the costs of owning a home beyond the mortgage
payment, insurance and taxes, is to know the expected life expectancy
of your home's components.
Such knowledge
doesn't supersede the use of a home inspector when buying a home, new
or old, but it can help you develop a savings plan so you are prepared
for the inevitable.
Sooner or later you'll have to repair or replace many of your home's parts -- inside and out.
Knowledge of
components' life expectancies is what homeowner associations use, in
part, to build a reserve fund designed to spread, over time, the cost
of the inevitable.
When the roof
goes, the appliances conk out, or the paint begins to fade, it's a lot
easier to come up with the cash if you've already got some socked away
for just this kind of rainy day.
Last year, the
National Association of Home Builders, along with the Bank of America
developed the "NAHB/BoA Home Equity Study of Life Expectancy of Home
Components" to help you take the guess work out of preparing for the
worst.
The report
suggests you use the timelines as a general guideline. Local weather
conditions, use habits, regular maintenance -- or the lack of it -- can
all affect the life expectancy of many components.
Personal tastes
for contemporary upgrades, remodeling needs and other factors may also
dictate replacing parts before their useful life time is up.
In any event
based on a comprehensive telephone survey of manufacturers, trade
associations and researchers NAHB developed information about the
longevity of housing components.
From the
foundation to the rooftop, here's a quick look at how long, on a
national average, some of the most common home components are expected
to last.
Foundations.
Poured concrete block footings and slab foundations should last a
lifetime, 80 to 100 years or more provided they were quality built. The
foundation termite proofing, 12 years, provided the chemical barriers
remain intact.
Properly installed waterproofing with bituminous coating should last 10 years.
Flooring. Natural wood flooring has a life
expectancy of 100 years or more with proper care. Marble, slate, and
granite, likewise, but again, only with proper maintenance. Vinyl
floors wear out in 50 years, linoleum about 25 years, and carpet
between 8 and 10 years, tops.
Electrical system. In the electrical system, copper
plated wiring, copper clad aluminum, and bare copper wiring are
expected to last a lifetime, whereas electrical accessories and
lighting controls are expected to fail not much longer than 10 years.
Outside materials. Outside materials typically last a
lifetime. Brick, vinyl, engineered wood, stone (both natural and
manufactured), and fiber cement typically last as long the house
exists. Exterior wood shutters get 20 years, well maintained gutters,
50 if they are copper, 20 years if they are aluminum. Copper downspouts
last longest, 100 years or more, while aluminum ones give out after 30
years.
Doors. Exterior fiberglass, steel and wood doors will
last as long as the house exists, while vinyl and screen doors have a
life expectancy of 20 and 40 years, respectively. Closet doors are
expected to last a lifetime, and French doors have an average life of
30 to 50 years.
Windows. Wooden windows last longer than aluminum ones -- 30 years compared to only 15 or 20.
HVAC systems. Heating, ventilation, and air
conditioning systems require a religious regimen of maintenance. Still,
most components give up within 25 years. Furnaces break down in 15 to
20 years, heat pumps 16 years, and air conditioning units 10 to 15
years. Tankless water heaters can go for 20 years or more, but electric
or gas water heaters only 10 years. Thermostats have a 35-year lifespan
but are often replaced for more efficient models.
Appliances. Appliances' life expectancies depend
largely on how much they are used, but they are typically replaced long
before they are done. One must keep up with the Joneses. Among major
appliances, gas ranges live15 years, dryers and refrigerators die at
13, compactors, dishwashers and microwave ovens might last until they
are 9 years.
Roofing. The life of a roof is largely dependant upon
local weather conditions, proper building and design, material quality,
and adequate maintenance. Slate, copper, and clay/concrete roofs have
the longest life expectancy, 50 years or more. Wood shake roofs, go for
30 years, fiber cement shingles last 25 years, asphalt shingles give up
at 20.
Written by Broderick Perkins