General Home Safety

Fire extinguishers are designed to be quick and simple tools to use in an emergency situation. As a result, they are clearly marked in such a way as to make identification of their type and use...

Keeping clean is an important part of one's daily routine, but doing so safely is even more pivotal. If you're concerned about staying safe in the shower, this information will help you.

A set of double doors consists of two door leaves installed in a single frame. One leaf is considered active, and can be opened and closed using a knob or lever. The other leaf is considered...

Homemade repellents can offer a cheap and easy way of warding off unwanted pests such as snakes. If living in an area heavily populated by snakes, especially poisonous ones, it's a good idea to...

Curious and hungry critters can make a real mess of your lawn when they tip over the garbage cans. To prevent them from doing this, it is important to secure the lids so they are animal-proof,...

Asbestos is a type of mineral that poses serious health risks to those who inhale or ingest it. Even a small amount of exposure to asbestos is considered risky. Health risks associated with...

Extended periods of power loss are inconvenient and potentially dangerous, especially during cold winter months. A residential generator keeps essential electrical items in your home running...

Asbestos, a silicate mineral, can sometimes be found in home attic insulation. Exposure to asbestos can lead to cancer, and many homeowners are concerned that their dwellings could be hiding...

Knotless rope securing systems may be constructed of plastic, wood or metal. Some are as simple as a mounted hook to wrap and snub rope around. Others are a complex combination of pulleys, ball...

Exit signs provide direction and illumination to help lead people to safety in the event of emergencies. Some exit signs use batteries or photovoltaic cells to power their lights in the event of...

Ever had the lights go out and not have a candle or flash light? Well this is a quick way for you to make light till someone can go buy a candle or flashlight etc.

Removing a broken light bulb from its socket can be dangerous due to broken glass or the risk of being shocked, but here are a few easy tricks to fixing your light in no time!

"Oops" or "Uh Oh" are expressions that generally let parents know that something having to do with children, is amiss. Let's face it, all kids are curious. And curiosity...

Odds are there is an LP tank around your home somewhere. Most often they are associated with gas grills. Most people don't give much thought to safety procedures surrounding the use of these...

Gas fires present a challenge to firefighters since water alone will not extinguish them, and they can occur almost anywhere around the home where there is a natural gas or propane fuel source....

Being able to pick a lock has been glamorized in movies and TV shows as something that can be done extremely quickly. But in the real world, picking a lock is a very difficult thing to do....

Bump keys are lock picking tools that are commonly used to open pin tumbler locks. Pin tumbler locks are those locks that use pins of varying length to prevent the lock opening unless the proper...

Homeowners in the U.S. can block businesses from contacting them by requesting to be put on the national do-not-call list. The federal government maintains this list and prohibits business from...

America is number one in fire deaths and damage in dollars in the industrialized world. The nation is lagging in the fire prevention arena, according to a May 1997 FEMA (Federal Emergency...

In a hurricane, shutters are crucial in protecting a home against the storm's destructive winds and torrential downpours. One broken window can lead to a lost roof or complete structural collapse....

A real Christmas always poses a danger of catching fire. A real Christmas Tree is essentially a dead tree. The longer the tree stays in your house, the drier it becomes. As the tree dries, the...

There are several kinds of low energy lightbulbs, including LED bulbs, high efficiency incandescent lights, and compact fluorescent bulbs. Only fluorescent light bulbs have potential health risks....

Garage doors, especially two-car garage doors, can wobble, pull out of their tracks, and/or collapse in hurricane strength winds. When a garage door fails, high winds can enter the building,...

Window film substantially reduces the risk of breakage from impact. Thick film spreads the impact point over a larger area, making the shock less likely to crack the glass. The major benefit of...

Some shutter types have been specifically designed with hurricane protection in mind, while others merely provide a decorative touch for a home's exterior. Shutters come in a variety of styles and...

Swarming bees are typically part or all of a colony seeking a new location for a hive. They typically look for areas near ample pollen and nectar supplies, so the flowery landscapes around homes...

Other than a carpeted floor, most walking surfaces in your home have the potential to become slippery. Whether children are running across your hardwood floors in socks or you're traversing wet...

Anyone can suffer traumatic brain injury when a range of activities. You do not have to perform crazy stunts or engage in risky activities to be susceptible. Every day activities such as driving...

Kerosene heaters are a reliable and generally safe form of backup heat when power or natural gas fail. Kerosene heaters are small, relatively efficient and clean burning, so they are a great...

Some people may be intimidated by the idea of setting up their own wireless camera home security system. Advances in technology over the years have allowed homeowners to install their own wireless...

Everyone likes to feel safe at home, but true home safety requires some preparation and careful observance of a few rules. Homes are filled with hazards. Everywhere you look, there's something...

Electricity provided by home generators is every bit as lethal as commercial power. Home generators also emit poisonous gases, use flammable fuels and get hot. Important safety factors include...

Closed-circuit television, known as CCTV, is a reliable way to not only capture a burglary on tape, but keep track of what happens at home while you're away. New technology now allows CCTV to be...

All thunderstorms are dangerous and should be taken seriously. USA Today reports that approximately 100,000 thunderstorms occur every year in the United States of which 10 percent become severe,...

If an emergency strikes, you need to be prepared. One essential area of preparation involves emergency food storage. Conduct an analysis of your emergency food supplies to discover if they are...

House alarms will add an extra element of safety to any home. Whenever a door or window is opened, the alarm will go off and the alarm system's company will be notified. This works by attaching...

Steps or a ladder that are merely dropped into a pool will have a tendency to float to the top. The majority of these steps are made of a buoyant plastic that will need to be weighed down in some...

Many homeowners choose to install coal- or wood-burning stoves for warmth or aesthetics. Unfortunately, many of these homeowners, have not learned proper stove safety procedures before...

When the winter season arrives, we should all take the time to get prepared for inclement weather and icy conditions. But sometimes we are busy and forget to pick up Rock Salt at the supermarket...

Safety concerns, electric and magnetic fields, house resale values and building codes are considerations people must make when building a house near power lines. Regarding EMFs, after two decades...

Improving home security requires changing your perspective from one of homeowner to home invader. As stark a reality as that might be, too few view their home as a prospective thief might. A...

Now from time to time we look in our microwave and say yuck how did that mess happen. Now it usually takes some elbow grease along with some chemical to get everything clean. I tried this some...

By now we're all familiar with Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs) and how they can save us money on our energy bill. Unfortunately, even though they save money, from an environmental...

Telemarketers get our phone numbers from many sources. Almost every time we give our phone number to any source whatsoever, it can wind up going to a telemarketer. Telemarketing calls can be...

If you have children you understand how important it is to child proof your home. Keeping children safe is a number one priority and with these steps you can easily make sure that your home is a...

Security bars are bars and grids that are often installed with windows to prevent and deter burglary. They are usually made of solid metal and not only act as a barrier to entry, but also as a...

Home safety is extremely important; one common weakness is a home's windows. They can easily be broken or opened to provide access to the home's interior. By taking a few preventive measures, you...

Splashing or soaking in the bathtub is a favorite pastime of many, but safety is also a concern when taking a bath, especially for those who are elderly or very young. Prevention, preparation and...

You awake one night to the suffocating smell of smoke emanating from somewhere in your home. Tired and confused, you are not sure whether there is a fire or not; the smoke detector is beeping but...

Years ago I wrote a weekly column for a Florida Web site: Housing Predictor. I was way ahead of the "foreclosure/short sale" game. I even wrote a book on the subject of financing that...