Overall, every part of your home has a specific purpose, even if it’s not readily apparent. From your foundation to your rooftop, you’ll find bits of construction that obviously do something, though you’re not quite sure what. Take a walk around your house and get a better sense of how your home works with this selection of essential overlooked home features.
Flashing
When people think about roofs, they probably picture shingles first. But shingles are just the final touch. Roofs consist of several layers of material beneath the shingles, including wood, insulation, felt, and an ice and water barrier. One other thing you may notice on the roof is flashing, pieces of fitted metal—usually from thin sheets of lead, stainless steel, aluminum, copper, or zinc—found at the base of the chimneys, pipes, and other places where joints or separate pieces meet. Usually largely covered by shingles, you can still see exposed flashing here and there on the roof, keeping out water to protect the interior walls and wood and preventing mold.
Window Wells
Window wells, along with the basement windows they surround, serve several functions. Firstly, the window well wall keeps water, soil, vermin, and other unwanted things from getting into the house or pressing against and damaging the windows. Next, because your basement is built below ground level, they’re set up to bring the sunlight in—at least partially. They’re also, as required by the law and building codes, designed to provide a means of escape in case of emergency. Keep this in mind, as some people tend to treat their window wells as decorative rather than practical features. Don’t fill them with soil and try to grow anything down there; and if you do attempt to liven up the view from within the basement with greenery, don’t crowd the well. You might need to use it to get out some night!
Vent Pipes
Let’s head back to the roof! See those pipes sticking out here and there? Those are vent pipes and believe it or not they’re part of your plumbing system. While the chimney can take out the bad air from a fire or your HVAC system, vent pipes maintain air pressure in your plumbing. Vent pipes let in fresh air and keep drains, well, draining away waste and grey water—while also removing bad air and odors.
Picture Hanging Rails
Picture hanging rails may not necessarily be essential overlooked home features, but they do lend a touch of class. Back in the good old days when walls were made of plaster and lathe rather than drywall, hanging a picture from a nail could turn into a big patching job. Picture hanging molding is a wood ledge that runs around the perimeter of a room, just below where the wall meets the ceiling, and are found mostly in older, pre-war homes. Removable hooks are hung over the lip of the rail, letting you suspend framed pictures with wires, lending a nostalgic look.
