With all the rush going on during the holiday season, we often miss out on keeping our homes safe and secure. Although the incidents of burglary tend to decrease on average during the cold season, factors such as extended leave to warmer places and snow build-up could leave your home vulnerable.
Accordingly accidents and fatalities are 1 times more likely to occur during cold weather conditions than during warm weather. But despite the risks being plenty, they are avoidable. Here are 9 crucial safety tips to ensure that your home and family stay safe during this winter season.
Remove Ice From Walkway
Removing snow and ice from your walkway is perhaps the most crucial tip in keeping your home safe during winter. An icy walkway poses a great danger to you and your loved ones. Opt to contact your local snow removal contractor right away to ensure your walkway is thoroughly salted and cleared of any hazards.
Keep Pipes Insulated
Keeping your pipes well-insulated is important, especially if you live in an older house. Frozen pipes can break and burst which could lead to greater damage to your home and furniture pieces. You may use heating cables, foam, pipe sleeves to ensure your pipes stay warm enough throughout winter.
Keep Flammable Objects Away
If you are using space heaters to keep your interior warm and toasty, ensure that objects such as fabric and paper are kept three feet away from such devices. Space heaters are combustible, thus it is best not to leave them unattended and to have them directly plugged into the wall.
Secure Your Fireplace
A fireplace is a charming sight during the cold weather months. It can also provide a lot of heating in the room. Nonetheless, a fireplace is the number one fire-starter of any property. To prevent coals or any flammable particles from jumping out of the flame and into your rug or carpet, place a grate around the front of it.
Clean Your Chimneys
A clogged chimney also poses a hazard to your home and family. A blockage in the flue liner of your chimney can cause carbon monoxide poisoning. Also, the soot on your chimney can cause a fire when exposed to high temperatures. That said, you should have your chimney cleaned and inspected at least once a year.
Keep an Emergency Kit Ready
You never know when disaster would strike and you would be snowed in your house. Having an emergency kit comes in handy in case any drastic weather changes occur. Your kit should include canned or dried food that could last for days, a flashlight, water, a shovel, a blanket, and an alternative source of heat.
Ensure Your Home Is Well Lit
If you live in an area where you will have to face longer periods of darkness during winter, ensure that your home is well lit. Though burglary usually happens during the summer months, you cannot take chances. Opt to install extra lights outside your home to make it brighter and less deterrent to criminals.
Be Ready for Blackouts
Blackouts are more likely to occur during bad weather conditions. so, in the same way, that you prepare your home for any weather changes, you also need to be ready with supplies for an eventual blackout. As mentioned, you need to have an emergency preparedness kit and have more than enough supply of batteries.
Invest in Battery-Powered Motion Sensors
During blackouts, your home is more vulnerable to being attacked by burglars since darkness invites criminal activities. A standard home security system would not cover you for this. Thus, you need to invest in a battery-powered motion sensor to keep your home security up and running even when there is a blackout.
When the winter season rolls in, make sure you and your family are ready to face the cold months ahead. Take note of these tips, and you ensure a safe winter holiday.
