New Year’s Home Safety Resolutions

Ah yes, it’s that time of year again - time to make resolutions and, most likely, break them fairly quickly. One resolution that doesn’t take a great deal of effort but can have a huge reward is safe guarding your home and surroundings. Here are a few items that you might not have considered:

Grab bars in the bathroom – Many people think that grab bars in showers and tubs are just for the elderly but did you know that every year close to 43,000 kids slip in bathtubs? Grab bars are a must for everyone.

Walkway stones – Bad weather and time can erode away soil underneath walkway bricks and stones. Be sure that they haven’t become loose or uneven. If you don’t have walkway lighting, consider installing some outdoor lights to help visitors navigate as well as adding an additional layer of security.

Home monitoring system – It’s easy to take our security for granted. We never assume that’s something’s going to happen in our neighborhood but, unfortunately, it does all the time. From scheduling lights to go on/off to give the appearance that you’re home, to getting texts when your kids walk in the door, ADT Pulse allows you to control and secure your home remotely.

Carbon monoxide and smoke detectors – Not only should you have smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors on every floor of your home and outside every bedroom, but they should be wired to communicate with each other. This means that if one goes off in the basement or lower level it will trigger the ones on the upper floor to go off as well. Monitored fire and CO is another option for your home. The service is usually offered by your security company. That way someone will call you and emergency responders even if you aren’t home.

Clean your fireplace -Heating fires account for 36% of residential home fires in rural areas every year. Often these fires are due to creosote (soot) buildup in chimneys and stove pipes. Be sure to have your chimney and stove pipes cleaned regularly and leave glass doors open when burning a fire to guarantee that the fire receives enough oxygen to ensure complete combustion and prevent the creosote from building up.

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