Common issues with Glasgow homes and how to handle them guide, Strathclyde property interior, Scottish architectural advice

Common Issues With Glasgow Homes And How To Handle Them

26 July 2022

Glasgow is a vibrant and invigorating city, so it’s no surprise that it’s a popular destination for tourists and home buyers alike.

Many people who love Glasgow choose to live in the city, which offers many benefits, including amazing nightlife, great local attractions and stunning period properties.

The city is renowned for its beautiful architecture and stunning period homes, many of which are over a century old and still inhabited to this very day.

These buildings are beautifully designed and look incredible, but due to their age and the harsh weather in Glasgow, they can come with some issues that you might not have found in past homes.

For anyone who’s looking to move to Glasgow or has already taken the leap, here are some of the most common issues with Glasgow homes and what you need to do about them.

Common issues with Glasgow homes

Common Issues With Glasgow Homes Advice

Subsidence And Structural Damage

Older properties and those on uneven ground can be prone to a shifting of the foundations, known as subsidence. This problem can cause serious structural damage if it’s not taken care of promptly. Thankfully, the issue isn’t insurmountable, and there are ways you can deal with it. Underpinning a house, underpinning foundation work, and other structural services provided by Geobear can help you to restore the foundation of your home and avoid serious damage to your property. With no excavation or digging, you can quickly get your home safe with these innovative systems. Subsidence can cause major problems to your home and make it look unsightly, so it’s worth investigating the issue and finding the right way to deal with it as quickly as possible.

Household Pests

Pests such as fruit flies, cockroaches, bed bugs and even small rodents like mice and rats are common in Glasgow homes, particularly older ones with holes in the roofs and walls. When there are gaps in mortar and missing roof tiles, these insects and animals can sneak in and search for food or simply shelter from the weather. Whatever they’re doing, pests can be a health hazard just by being in your home, so it’s important that you learn how to get rid of them.

The method you use will depend on the type of pest infestation you have. If you’re unsure about what to do about your pest problem, then consider working with professional pest control experts. They can help to identify the problem and provide a practical solution that gets rid of the pests and reduces their chances of getting back into your property.

Japanese Knotweed

While weeds are common throughout the country and are usually relatively harmless, if annoying, one weed that is prevalent in Glasgow and can be very bad for your home is Japanese Knotweed. Once cultivated as an exotic plant, the weed is so ferocious that its roots can cause damage to your home’s structure.

The weed is incredibly difficult to get rid of, owing to the strength of its roots and the depth to which they can grow. If found on your property, it can cause serious problems with selling and insuring your home, so you need to make sure that you identify the plant as soon as you notice anything that even faintly resembles Japanese Knotweed. You can then contact professional gardeners for expert advice and removal services.

Roofing Problems

Many properties in Glasgow, such as the city’s famous tenements, are over 100 years old. These properties are also very tall and sometimes owned by multiple individuals, as they are usually divided into flats. As a result, the roofs might not have been serviced in many years, which can lead to significant issues.

These include leaks, structural damage, and more, and they can cause a lot of damage to the rest of your property if they’re not dealt with quickly. So, you need to make sure that you’re proactive and hire a roofing contractor if you see any signs of damage to your roof. It might also be worth investing in a regular roof check-up so that you can catch any problems before they become serious and start damaging your home and possessions.

Damp And Mould

Glasgow is renowned for its cold temperatures and rainy climate, so it’s understandable that older buildings can be subject to damp and mould. Signs include peeling wallpaper or paint, sticky substances on the walls, a musty smell and other issues. If left alone, these problems can damage both your home and the items you keep in it, such as precious possessions and furniture.

They can also lead to health problems in inhabitants. While damp is common in older homes, even newer properties that haven’t had a damp proofing course in a few years might acquire these issues. In some cases, these issues can be exacerbated by lifestyle factors, such as drying clothes indoors or keeping a lot of furniture and clutter in your home. So, it would help if you tried to identify the issues and then worked to reduce the problem.

Some quick fixes can help, such as using mould-resistant paint on the walls of your home. If the issue persists or is the result of a problem with your home’s structure, then you should ask damp proofing specialists to investigate and recommend solutions that can ensure that your home is always dry and comfortable.

Property Subsidence, Structural Damage and Mould

To Sum Up

Living in Glasgow can be an amazing experience, but homeowners need to be aware of common problems with properties in the area, particularly older ones. There are also some issues that can be made worse by the local climate, such as damp and mould problems. All of these issues can be annoying and expensive to fix, particularly if you don’t explore solutions straight away.

It’s easy to ignore small issues in your home, but these can lead to significant problems in the long run, so being proactive is important and can save you money and effort. Fortunately, this article should give you a basic run-down of the most prevalent issues that you might encounter and help you to deal with them promptly so that you can get back to enjoying life in this magnificent city.

Comments on this Common issues with Glasgow homes and how to handle them article are welcome.

Glasgow Housing Designs

Contemporary Glasgow Residential Property Designs – recent Strathclyde architectural selection below:

Student housing at 249 West George Street
Architect: Mosaic Architecture + Design
249 West George Street Glasgow student flats

Bridgeton Flats
Bridgeton Flats Muslin Street

Candleriggs Square Apartments Merchant City
Candleriggs Square Apartments Merchant City

Charles Rennie Mackintosh

Historic Glasgow : best Glasgow architecture of the past

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