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Remember, prioritizing your safety at home is not just essential, it's your responsibility. Whether you live alone or with family, there is always more you can do to maximize your safety and guarantee minimal incidents and safety hazards.
That being said, you might wish to know how to make your
home safer. Winters at home can be a time when you maximize safety, as using
your inside fires, darker evenings, and wet weather can all contribute to
safety issues. Here, we will discuss how to make your home safer this winter.
Attend to your fire and chimney before use
If you have a real fire inside your home, lucky you. Not only are they cosy for winter family nights at home, but they are much more cost-effective when warming your home.
You must attend to your fire and chimney before using them.
They might not have been used for more than half a year, and things can fall
into your chimney that are flammable. A chimney sweep will
attend to your chimney and make it safe. Then, you can rest assured that no
issues will start when you ignite the flame.
Preventing trips and falls
Icy or snowy conditions increase the risk of trips, falls, and slips both inside and outside of your house. To prevent accidents, ensure that driveways, steps, and outside paths are free of snow and ice. Using sand, salt, and de-icing agents can help maintain safe paths. Additionally, consider adding handrails to steps or ramps to provide extra stability, especially for the elderly and small children, in icy weather.
Wet clothes and boots can lead to slippery floors inside the house. Installing absorbent matting at all doorways can help prevent water from snow or ice from being tracked inside, reducing the risk of falls.
Insulate your pipes
In the winter, frozen pipes are a typical problem, resulting in burst pipes and water damage. Another winter home safety tip is to ensure proper insulation of exposed pipes in unheated spaces, like garages, attics, and basements, is simple and reasonably priced. In addition, to lessen the chance of freezing during really cold times, keep the taps slightly ajar to permit a slow, steady flow of water.
Maintaining a constant temperature in your house is also
crucial, even while you're not there. To keep pipes from freezing when
travelling in the winter, set the thermostat to at least 55°F (13°C).
Ensure proper ventilation
Homes are frequently sealed tight during the winter to retain heat, but adequate ventilation is still required to ensure healthy air quality. Make sure there is adequate ventilation in your house, especially if you use cooking appliances, fireplaces, or heating systems. The health of your home may be impacted by the accumulation of allergens, pollutants, and even mould caused by inadequate ventilation.
Make sure the exhaust fans in your kitchen or bathroom are operating properly and use them frequently to move air around. Even on the coldest days, think about opening windows for a little while each day to let fresh air in and stale air out.