7 Tips on Avoiding Home Safety Risks

1. Check your deck – If your deck is made of wood you deck can be come damaged through the years by the freeze and thaw of winter. Check for nails or screws that might have worked their way above the surface and hammer or screw them back down. After that clean the deck thoroughly and seal it.

2. Check electrical outlets, cords, and plugs – Make sure plugs are plugged all the way into the outlet, replace any cords that have exposed wires or look mangled. These problems are a possible fire hazard and should be taken care of to prevent a possible fire.

3. Clean garage floor – If your garage floor has an oil spot on the floor from a car or anything else that could be dangerous to step on because you could slip and fall or create a fire hazard, should be cleaned up. To remove greasy messes use a degreaser that is biodegradable, nontoxic, and non-flammable. Pour a good amount on the spot and use a brush to scrub the floor. Then cover the spot with about an inch of kitty litter and let that sit for a day. After a day sweep off the litter and you will have a clean floor.

4. Check your yard – Look at the trees and other plants in your yard. If a tree is large and close to your house it could be damaging your homes foundation. When planting new shrubs or trees make sure they are far enough away from your house. Shrubs should be at least a foot away from an exterior wall for proper air circulation and to lessen damage in the future. Trees should be places accordingly to the size a tree might grow to on average.

5. Wash air conditioner unit – It couldn’t hurt to clean your air conditioner to prevent build up. Use your hose to wash the coils fins.

6. Inspect the garage door – Your garage door could fail over time, so it is a good idea to inspect the springs and other mechanisms before a part breaks and causes more trouble.

7. Check detectors – Test all of your detectors like smoke, radon, and carbon monoxide. You may also want to change the battery every 3 months. A detector should be on every floor.

So if you follow these simple tips on home safely risks you can be sure your home will be safe for your family to work and play in.