Here Are 6 Funny Sounds Your Home Might Make – Here Is When to Worry

*Collaborative Post

Houses are huge responsibilities. Just when you think you have everything settled, they might start making a funny noise. If you don’t know how to fix things, you need to know at least when they’re a significant issue and any potential reasons for the sounds. That way, you’ll be prepared for what to do if you hear these noises.

1. Running Water

You should only hear running water in your home if someone else is using it. If you hear water dripping, it could mean a leaky faucet, which is an easy fix. A steadier stream of water might indicate a burst pipe in the wall or under the floor.

The best way to figure out whether it’s an issue is to shut the water off. If you still hear water running, then you have a leak coming from somewhere. Hire a professional to help you fix the issue, and it’ll be good as new in no time. Taking care of it as soon as possible might also reduce water damage.

2. Creaky Floors

If you live in an older house, you’ve probably experienced the sound of creaking floors. They can be a pain when you’re trying to be quiet, especially if others are asleep or talking on the phone. Loose floorboards typically cause this noise, and the creaky sound comes from the bendy floorboards rubbing together. Luckily, it isn’t too challenging to fix.

Squeaky hardwood floors are easy to correct, but there are times when you won’t be able to see the subfloor under your primary flooring. Carpet sales hover around $10 billion each year, meaning that many people have it in their homes. In either case, installing screws carefully will help the boards stop creaking. Rely on a professional if you aren’t confident enough to DIY it. Rarely does a squeaky floor mean an actual structural problem.

3. Noisy Garage Door

Garage doors aren’t supposed to make a lot of noise. If yours sounds much worse than it used to, you may have an issue worth looking at. Some noises are easy to deal with. For example, if you hear a squeaking or screeching sound, you should look at the condition of your rollers, which may need replacing or lubricating.

However, if you hear a grinding noise, it might signify a more serious issue. When coupled with rattling, it could mean that your garage door wasn’t installed properly. Improper installation can lead to several other issues, like a slow-opening door. If you notice this issue growing worse, have a professional look at it.

4. Mysterious Hissing

One of the worst experiences is not knowing where a certain sound is coming from. You might hear hissing but can’t pinpoint where it originated. It might be a leak in your HVAC system, which can easily be remedied by calling a professional. The real time to worry is if your home runs on natural gas. Then, the hissing noise might signify a gas leak.

Absolutely don’t mess with the gas main unless you’re trained to know what to do. When you smell gas, get everyone out of the house and call your gas company. Make sure to open any doors and windows you can on your way out, and make sure no one lights any candles or has any other kind of flame.

5. Clicking Thermostat

It’s common to hear your thermostat click when it switches electrical power to the furnace or air conditioner. However, you should barely hear the click. If it seems too loud, it might be because your thermostat is older and is poorly insulated. However, you should also consider if you’ve recently removed the cover of your thermostat.

You could have put it back on the wrong way, leading to a loose mounting that knocked it out of alignment. Until you can fix it by yourself or with a professional, you may want to turn it off, so you don’t have to deal with the noise. Just be sure to monitor members of your household and your plants to ensure they’re all okay.

6. Scratching Behind the Walls

If you hear a scratching sound behind your walls, you don’t need to worry about anything being structurally wrong with your home. However, you will have some pests to deal with. You likely have mice hiding back there, but bats and squirrels are also possible. Luckily, these nuisances are easy to deal with.

Once you know there are pests in your walls, either set humane traps for the critters or call a professional to guide them out. A repellent system might work wonders for bats. Once you’ve dealt with the problem, seal up every hole and change some habits, like putting food or water away whenever you’re done with it. Over time, you should see a decrease in pests.

Know When to Worry

One of the responsibilities of owning a home is knowing when to call a professional and when you can DIY things independently. At the same time, you should learn how to fix something on a fundamental level. That’s why you should know when some of the mysterious noises you hear at home are actually a cause for concern. Now that you know what might be causing some of those funny noises, you can better prepare for them if you hear them again.

*This is a collaborative post. For further information please refer to my disclosure page.