Protect Your Home from Fires with These Useful Tips
Keep your home safe from the risk of a fire by getting it evaluated by a certified home inspector from HTX Home Inspections.
Over a million homes are built in the US every year. And of the many features homeowners deem essential, fire safety should be on top of their list.
The thought of losing your home to a deadly fire is terrifying; data from the National Fire Protection Association showed that there were 353,100 home structure fires between 2014 and 2018 alone. These caused 2,620 civilian casualties and damage worth $7.2 billion.
Most home fires occur because of cooking, electrical appliances, heating, lighting equipment, and smoking materials.
Follow our tips to keep your home safe from a fire outbreak.
Test Your Smoke Detectors:
Smoke and fire detectors are the first things you want to invest in for fire protection. They provide a necessary line of defense, since their sensors can detect any smoke or heat near the device and alert you.
This allows you to stop a problem from escalating into an emergency. Ensure your fire alarms and smoke detectors are in their best condition by testing them once a month. Press the button on the front and wait for an alarm to go off.
Check the alarm’s sound range by having different people in different rooms confirm if they can hear it.
If the batteries are worn down, replace them, and replace old smoke detectors every ten years to keep the fire alert system working effectively.
Check Your Appliances:
Everyday appliances can really make quality of life better, but leaving them unattended can be dangerous to you and your home.
According to the NFPA, more than 50% of fires begin in the kitchen. Make your kitchen safer by keeping a fire extinguisher in a closed cabinet, and keep any flammable items outside.
If a grease fire breaks out, cover the fire with a heavy metal lid and turn any heat off. Use baking soda or salt for small fires or a B-class dry chemical fire extinguisher for a growing fire.
Bedroom Safety:
Your mattress should have flame-retardant chemicals to prevent fires, and you can use a flame-retardant mattress cover on top as well.
Avoid using electric blankets or space heaters in bed, and make sure the wall sockets aren’t overloaded.
If you need to smoke, make sure you do it in an open space and not where you’ll sleep.
Measure Levels Of Carbon Monoxide In The Home:
While carbon monoxide can’t destroy your home like a fire can, it is still harmful. It is an odorless, transparent gas that is released when carbon materials are burnt.
Burning natural gas, heating oil, or wood can release CO inside your house and increase the chances of a fire breaking out. Furthermore, it can cause carbon monoxide poisoning in the home. Use a dual-sensor that detects smoke, heat, and CO.
If you are buying a new home, contact HTX Home Inspections for real estate home inspections Houston. We will tell you if your new home is protected from any fire risks and help you make it safer. Book your home inspection by contacting us here today.
