|
One of the top dangers to your newly bought property and your household are fires. Each year, according to information in the federal fire safety website, more then a half a million winter fires cause $3 billion dollars in property loss, 1,900 deaths and 8,000 injuries. To protect your home and family place smoke detectors on every level of your home and in every bedroom. For additional protection they can be placed in hallways, stairways, attics, basements and garages. Check your detectors at least once a month and make sure their batteries are in working order. An estimated 20% of U.S. homes have smoke alarms present but none that are working. These devices are inexpensive and it could be a key factor in survival, as they facilitate early warning and the ability for a person to escape, should a fire occur.
In addition to smoke detectors, it's recommended by home safety product manufacturers that you have one fire extinguisher for every 600 square feet of your home. Extinguishers can help you put out a small fire before it gets too large. Just make sure that your extinguishers have pressure gauges and check them at least once a month to ensure they are ready for use at all times.
Another form of danger is carbon monoxide poisoning. Very few homeowners realize that carbon monoxide is invisible and odorless, as well as poisonous and lethal. It is recommended that you put at least one carbon monoxide detector in your home to protect you and your family. There are often too many tragic news articles published during the winter each year where unsuspecting families decided to use outdoor barbeques to warm their homes.
Many times other potential dangers, such as burglary, are exacerbated by homeowners' negligence to take simple safety precautions. When you are away from home always lock your doors and windows. If the expense is not a “budget” breaking financial item for your household, you can provide further protection from burglary by installing an alarm system in your home. Just as with smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, make sure you regularly check to see if your alarm system is functioning properly.
The following is a Home Safety Checklist of items to attend to when you first move in.
• Install new locks.
• Make extra sets of keys.
• Buy a fire extinguisher for the kitchen and garage.
• Install or check the batteries in the smoke detectors.
• Install or secure sturdy handrails.
• Service all heating equipment.
• Install carbon monoxide detectors.
• Use anti-skid material under area rugs.
• Install smoke detectors in key locations.
• Install an automatic night light outside bedrooms.
• Keep fire extinguishers handy in kitchen and garage.
• Keep medicines, poisons and firearms in child secured cabinets.
• Properly store paints, solvents and gasoline in a well-ventilated area.
• Provide rope or chain ladders on upper stories if there is no fire escape.
• Install ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI) in bathrooms and by kitchen sink.
At risk of sounding like Smokey the Bear...don't forget, household safety should always be a buyer's top priority rather than at the bottom of your to-do list. You'll be more than grateful in the event you find yourself or your loved ones in any danger!
