Your home is your castle. It protects you from the outdoors, gives you a comfortable place to live, and creates a sense of security. But even though your home feels safe and secure, the reality might be different. Sometimes there are safety issues that you need to address as they arise and before they become more serious. They can show up in the form of unexpected maintenance, changes in how you do something, and modifications that enhance your safety. Following are three home safety concerns that you could encounter.
Install Sensor-Activated Outdoor Lights
Image via Flickr by rafael-castillo
Let’s face it – motion-activated outdoor lights are annoying. But the annoyance factor is well worth putting up with, because these lights add a layer of security to your home. Consider this scenario: you’re at home, you see a light go on, and you go to investigate. Whomever or whatever tripped the sensor is not likely to stick around when the light comes on. It doesn’t seem like you did much by looking around, but you actively protected your home and may have dissuaded a thief from further action.
The lights also work when you’re not home. When they go on, it can make an intruder think twice about seeing if you’re there or not. The thief is there to steal, not get exposed by the light, and he’s likely to move on to a home that’s not as well lit.
Recognize the Signs of Electrical Problems
Do you hear humming when you flip a switch? Is there a spark when you plug in an appliance? If so, chances are good you’ve got a short somewhere or there’s a bad ground. If your lights flicker when you draw power, there’s a bigger problem. These are all signs that something’s not right with the wiring in the house.
These are all warning signs, and you shouldn’t ignore them for too long. There’s an increased risk of fire and electrocution when electrical issues appear. Call in an electrician to investigate the problem and let him track down the cause and repair it. There may be a simple grounding issue that needs just a few minutes to fix, or the home may need new wiring.
Change Over to Green Cleaners
Household cleaners tend to be full of chemicals, which is at odds with living a healthy, low-chemical lifestyle. And there’s always the risk of an accidental mix while cleaning with ammonia and bleach. When these two combine, it results in dangerous chlorine gas. Switching to green cleaners reduces or eliminates the interaction of chemicals and provides the same results as chemical-based cleaners. You may find you put in a little more elbow grease with green cleaners, but a little exercise never hurts.
These are just some of the ways you can make your home a safer place to live. Give your house a critical eye and look at ways to fix, repair, replace, and improve areas with the appropriate fixture or installation. Make your home secure so you don’t have to think
