An article by Mike Holmes in the October 8, 2011 Edmonton Journal entitled “Simple lint can be serious fire hazard” [reprinted from an earlier article called “Lint isn’t just fluff; it’s a fire hazard”, Edmonton Journal.com, September 29, 2011] reminded me that October is Fire Safety Month in Canada.  Is your home in Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Parkland County or the Edmonton area as fire-safe as it could be?  Use this handy checklist put together by a member of my team to find out.

Fire Safety Checklist

Smoke Alarms, Carbon Monoxide Detectors, Fire Extinguishers, Escape Plan

___ We have at least one smoke alarm newer than 10 years old on every floor.  (Ideally, also an alarm in or near every sleeping area, near the family room and kitchen, at the top of each stairway, in the garage, wired in with battery backup.)

___ Carbon monoxide detectors newer than 7 years old are located in the same areas as smoke alarms, with an additional one near the furnace.

___ Batteries in smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are changed twice a year.

___ We test the alarms every 3 months.

___ We have emergency flashlights with fresh batteries in every bedroom and the kitchen.

___ There are fire extinguishers in the kitchen, garage, basement, and near each fire source (fireplace, wood-burning stove).  These are checked or inspected on a regular basis, and someone in the home knows how to use them.  (One in each vehicle is a good idea too.)

___ We avoid accumulating clutter, especially combustible waste.  Items of this type are never stored near a heat source or near the furnace or hot water heater, and we ensure that we have clear paths to all exits.

___ As a family, we regularly practice our escape.  All family members know what to do in case of fire or other emergency.

Fire and Heat Sources

___ Our wood-burning fireplace/stove is properly ventilated and there is adequate fresh air intake.

___ Our fireplace has a screen to prevent sparks, and we dispose of ashes in metal containers.

___ Our wood-burning fireplaces/stoves and their chimneys are cleaned and inspected every year.

___ Space heaters are kept at least 3 feet from flammable/combustible items, and they are placed where they cannot be knocked over.

___ Heat sources of any kind, including the kitchen stove, are never left unattended when in use.

___ We make sure things that can burn, such as dishtowels, paper or plastic bags, curtains and loose fitting clothing, are at least 3 feet away from the range top when we are cooking.

___ Our barbecue grill is at least 3 feet away from the house and any combustibles when in use.

Flammables

___ Flammables are stored in original, marked containers away from sources of heat or flame.

___ If we must store gasoline and similar fuels at home, we do so in special safety containers, and never in the house.

___ We store matches and lighters in a locked cabinet or similar secure location out of reach of children.

___ We do not allow smoking in our home.  But, if we did, there would be deep wide ashtrays available; lit cigarettes would never be left unattended; ashtrays and furniture would always be checked before we leave the house or go to bed; smoking is never done in bed.

___ Candles are used only by adults, out of reach of children and pets, placed in sturdy and stable holders made of glass or metal well away from flammable items, and never left unattended.

___ The lint trap on our clothes dryer is cleaned after every load of laundry, and dryer ductwork is cleaned and inspected every year.

Electrical

___ Kitchen appliances, such as the kettle, coffee-maker, toaster oven and microwave, are plugged into separate outlets.

___ There are no frayed or cracked cords or exposed wiring in our home.

___ There are no outlets or switches that are unusually warm to touch.

___ All outlets and switches have cover plates so that no wiring is exposed.

___ No outlet has a smudge mark indicating that an electrical short has occurred around the socket where plugs are inserted.

___ Light bulbs are the appropriate size and type for the lamp or fixture.

___ No extension cord carries more than its proper load, as indicated by the rating labeled on the cord and appliance.  Cords are never run under rugs or hooked over nails, and are not used as a permanent solution.

___ We keep “air space” around electronic items such as TVs, stereos, computers, etc.

___ We replace any electrical tool or appliance if it causes electrical shocks, overheats, shorts out, or gives off smoke or sparks.

___ We keep electrical appliances away from wet floors and counters, and we take special care with electrical appliances in the bathroom and kitchen.

Your comments and questions are always welcome!  Call me at 780-910-9669, email me at barry@barryt.ca, or contact me here. 

Yahoo, summer in Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Parkland County and the Edmonton area!  We wait all year for this time to relax and have fun in the sun.

But there are some things you shouldn’t relax.  The weather may be pleasant and life is more casual, but home safety and security should still be a priority, whether you are leaving home for a well-deserved vacation or simply spending time in the backyard.  It’s a fact that more home break-ins occur during the summer, but there are things you can do to lessen the chance of becoming a target.

Think like a thief

• How would you go about breaking in to your home?  Are your doors unlocked or windows unlatched?  Are there bushes to hide behind or trees to climb that would give easy access to upstairs windows?  Any large vents, a pet door or easily opened basement windows?
• Think about your habits.  Do you regularly leave your garage door or windows open when you’re home and close them only when you leave?  Someone watching might clue in to the times when a break-in would be easy.  You may also have heard the recent news story from St. Albert of a ring of thieves targeting owners of motor homes.  When the vehicles were gone from the driveways, the thieves took this as a sign that the homeowners were away, leaving them free to loot and plunder.
• Think also about the inside of your home.  How visible are your possessions from the street?  Hide the valuables most targeted by thieves (cash, jewelry, financial papers, electronics, sports gear and the like) in creative or hard to get at places (not the bedroom or office as these are the first places burglars look), or position them away from windows.  Close your curtains at night.  Don’t tempt thieves by dropping your car keys and wallet next to the front door or on the kitchen counter right beside an open window.

Lock it up

It might surprise people to learn that the most common point of entry by burglars is the front or back door of a home, so why make it easy by leaving a door unlocked?  Maybe you never forget to lock up when you leave home for the day or when you go on vacation, but what about when you are at home?  Can you see the front door when you are in your basement family room?  Can you hear someone at the door when you’re relaxing on your back patio?  The best protection is a good solid door (hardwood or metal-clad) armed with a good solid lock (sturdy keyed deadbolt) that you keep locked all the time.

Check those keys

Do you know where your keys are?  People you’ve given them to?  “Hidden” outside your home?  Labeled with your name and address?  It might be time to change the locks if you can’t account for every key, and then change a few habits.  First, limit the number of keys you have.  If you find yourself needing more than two or three, you may want to consider a keyless entry for one of the entry points to your home.  (Tip: This works really well for houseguests or service people or anyone who needs temporary access to your home.  When the need for access is done, change the code.)  Secondly, do NOT “hide” a key outside your home!  Burglars generally aren’t too smart, but they know all the hiding spots.  Instead, give a key to a trusted neighbor or friend.  Third, get rid of any key chains that have your name and address on them.  If one of these gold-plated burglar invitations goes missing… well.

Stranger danger

Who says you have to open your door when someone rings the doorbell?  Consider installing a wide-angle peephole in your front door so you know who’s standing on your doormat without having to open the door.  Not a bad idea to have a peephole also in the door that opens into your attached garage.  A security chain on the front door is another good measure to prevent people you don’t know from barging in, or a screen door with a lock.

Window pains

Summer is the time to open all the windows wide and let in the sunshine and fresh air.  But those open windows might provide easier access to burglars too.  Here are a few things you can do to limit that access:

• Make sure all windows are closed and locked when you are away.  Same rule as with doors when you are outside in the backyard.
• Outfit ground-floor and basement windows with security grilles that need a key to open.  But just be sure that these security measures don’t compromise your ability to get out of your house should you need to escape!
• To prevent sliding glass doors from being lifted out of their tracks, block the track with a bar or wooden dowel.  Patio doors should also be fitted with special locks top and bottom.
• We’ve all seen the TV shows where someone breaks into a house by smashing the window located conveniently next to the (locked) doorknob, reaches inside and lets himself in.  Any windows like that in your home should be replaced with thick glass block or other burglar-proof glass, or thick Plexiglas.

Get lit

Burglars prefer to strike when no one is home.  That could mean during daylight hours when homeowners are away at work, but nothing says empty like a dark house and unlit yard at night.  One of the best security measures you can put in place is good interior and exterior lighting to lessen the appearance that your home is vacant, and increase visibility of vulnerable areas.  Inside your home, use timed switches on selected lights, TV and stereo to make it look like you are at home.  Look for timers that turn on and off at random times.  And don’t save these timers just for when you are away overnight or on vacation.  Remember that you want to avoid becoming predictable to would-be thieves.   Outside, aim for lighting immediately outside your home (front and back doors, and garage) and strategic lighting in the yard.  Pay attention to any pathways, recessed areas, or potential hiding spots, such as clusters of shrubs or free-standing structures, like a garden shed or gazebo.  Two types of lights to avoid for security purposes are solar-powered ones (too dim) and high-beam spotlights (too annoying to the neighbors).  Instead, opt for motion-detector lights which will save energy and the patience of your neighbors.

Make some noise

Got a big dog with a booming bark that wakes up the neighborhood when someone comes to your door?  Excellent.  You’ve got a built-in crook deterrent.  If you’re not a dog person, there are still things you can do to persuade would-be burglars to give your home a pass.  Wireless battery-operated door and window alarms that emit an ear-splitting noise when the door or window is opened are cheap to buy, easy to install, and serve as both an alerting device to you and a deterrent to anyone trying to enter.  Outside your home, use gravel around the sides of the house for a good and cheap sneak-resistant security measure.

Outside security

• Your house is locked but what about everything else on your property, such as garden shed, garage, vehicles?  Consider your unlocked car sitting in your driveway – with your garage door opener in plain view on the visor.  Battery-operated alarms can work on garden sheds and garages as well.
• Take a look at the windows in your garage.  Is a passer-by able to see what’s in your garage?  More importantly, is that passer-by able to see what isn’t there, like a vehicle or two?  No vehicles in garage or driveway tells burglars the coast is clear.  Consider covering up or frosting garage windows to spoil the view.
• What’s in your yard?  Expensive patio furniture that is easily carted away?  A barbecue that isn’t attached to a ground anchor?  Gardening tools and machinery not locked away in the garden shed?  Make sure all tools are painted or etched with identifying marks.
• Instead of an easy to climb solid wood fence around your property, you may wish to install spiky chain-link fencing or a prickly hedge.  Check the vegetation on your property, especially immediately around your house.  Would it hinder or help a burglar case your house and then get in?
• Help emergency responders to help you by making sure your house number is prominently displayed:  numbers at least 4 inches high and in an easy to see location.

Make friends with your neighbors

Especially strike up a relationship with that curmudgeon down the street who complains about everybody’s shortcomings or the nosy old lady next door who knows everybody’s business, because they will be the first ones to notice if something in the neighborhood is not as it should be.

Vacations

Your house needs to look occupied.  This means no newspapers left to pile up on the front step, flyers sticking out of the mailbox, or a lawn left too long unmowed.  Ask a good friend or neighbor to look after these chores for you.  A few other tips:

• Ask that same friend or neighbor to check inside your house as well (plants to water? fish to feed?), especially after a storm.  The last thing you want to come home to is a flooded basement, or the signs that someone unauthorized has been in.  Make sure to leave your cell phone number with your friend or neighbor so you can be reached in case of an emergency.

• If you have a pet, consider hiring a house sitter.  Your pet will be happier and your home will look lived in.
• Unplug electrical appliances that normally sit on standby to lessen fire risk.
• Lights on timers.
• Put your name, address, phone number, etc. on the inside of your luggage rather than on the tag hanging on the outside for the world to see.
• Something new we never had to deal with before is social media.  Don’t advertise your absence by telling all your Facebook friends about your vacation plans.  Wait until you get back to share your news.  Likewise, don’t announce it through an answering machine, voicemail or an automated email response.  Only tell people you trust that you will be away.

Alarm system

Should you or shouldn’t you?  To be effective, an alarm system has to be well advertised and well used.  That means prominently displaying the warning signs that your home is armed with an alarm system, and educating all family members in the proper use of the system at all times.  Potential thieves are less likely to target a home with an alarm system.  If a break-in does occur, help will be on the way faster.   But there are disadvantages to consider too.  Alarm systems and the monitoring fees can be costly.  It can be inconvenient to arm and disarm the system numerous times a day, and false alarms can be bothersome.  Only you can decide if the potential protection and peace of mind are worth the hassle.

Comments or questions about this article or about real estate in general?  Call me at 780-910-9669, email me at barry@barryt.ca, or contact me here.