Life Expectancy of Housing Components

March 18th, 2008

Perhaps it’s because my home is going on 20 years old and I’m in the throes of making costly updates (windows, furnace, roof, etc.), but lately I’ve been making particular notes about the age and condition of homes’ costly components when touring with clients.

When viewing a home listing, in addition to the cosmetic aspects of the home, I pay particular attention to items like the furnace, roof, and deck — costly replacement items that may need attention from the new owner in relatively short order.

If you’re in the market, you might want to educate yourself on these issues in advance. To help, The National Association of Homebuilders conducted a study in 2006 on the effective life of many housing components. I chose a handful of areas to display here, particularly considering our NW climate and environs:

Appliances:

• Gas ranges: 15 years
• Dryers and refrigerators: 13 years
• Compactors: 6 years
• Dishwashers: 9 years
• Microwave ovens: 9 years

Decks:

• 20 years

Faucets and Fixtures:

• Kitchen sinks (acrylic): 50 years
• Faucets: 15 years
• Bathroom shower enclosures: 50 years
• Shower doors: 20 years
• Showerheads & toilets: Lifetime
• Whirlpool tubs: 20 to 50 years

Flooring:

• All natural wood flooring, and marble, slate and granite: 100 years
• Vinyl floors: 50 years
• Linoleum: 25 years
• Carpet: 8 to 10 years

Heating, Venting and Air Conditioning:

• Furnaces: 15 to 20 years
• Heat pumps for 16 years
• Air conditioning: 10 to 15 years
• Tankless water heaters: 20 years
• Electric/gas water heater: 10 years

Roofing:

• Slate, copper and clay/concrete: 50 years:
• Asphalt-shingle roofs: 20 years
• Fiber cement shingles: 25 years
• Wood shakes: 30 years

Siding and Accessories:

• Brick, engineered wood, both natural and manufactured stone and fiber cement: Lifetime
• Copper gutters: 50 years
• Aluminum gutters: 20 years
• Copper downspouts: 100 years+
• Aluminum downspouts: 30 years

Windows and Skylights:

• Aluminum windows: 15 to 20 years
• Wood windows: 30 years

Note that these are functional lifetimes. Kitchens, bathrooms, appliances, paint, etc. have much shorter stylistic lifetimes. Obviously, these guidelines are highly dependent on local weather conditions, proper building and design, material quality and adequate maintenance. I can think of a few other exceptions too, like EIFS and LP siding.

Something to keep your eyes open to when touring homes 10+ years or older. You might want contractors to certify roofs, inspect furnaces, provide replacement costs, and give you additional advice during your home inspection timeframe.

The link is broken on the NAHB website, but I’ve got the full, detailed report here.

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Entry Filed under: First-Time Buyers, Remodeling