How to Enhance the Home Safety of Windows & Doors
The windows and doors of your home, though they serve as much-needed sources of light and air to your home, can be safety hazards to small children and people with impaired critical thinking skills, such as Alzheimer's disease. The portals, if left unsecured or poorly maintained, can also invite intruders into your home, leading to potentially catastrophic results. Enhance the safety of your home and protect your family with properly functioning windows and doors. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Grease-based lubrication
- Locks
- Window and door guards
- Cordless window shades
- Decals
Instructions
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Maintain your windows and doors to ensure that they open and close the way they should. In the case of emergency, you may need to exit your home quickly; the extra seconds it takes you to open a door or window that sticks can literally be a matter of life or death. Lubricate window hinges and sashes with a greasy lubricant on a regular basis and make sure that none of your doors or windows are painted shut.
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Lock your doors and windows when they are closed to increase the level of safety in your home. If your windows are not equipped with locks, you can buy new locks at a home improvement store. Install the locks high up on your doors if you have individuals living in your home who could unlock the door and go wandering off alone.
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Install window guards, small accessories available at your local hardware store, to limit how widely you can open your window. Small children and pets can easily fall out of open windows if they are left unsupervised, while windows left wide-open give intruders easy access to your home and family. Adjust the guards so that your windows each open no more than 4 inches.
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Protect the children in your home from wandering outside unattended with door guards. Guards placed at the top of the door prevent kids from opening it more than just a crack; doorknob covers may also hamper efforts to open the door.
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Arrange large furniture away from the windows. Children and pets can potentially fall out of a window by climbing on top of a couch or armchair that is placed right under an open window.
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Employ window coverings that are cordless; the cords used on coverings like Venetian blinds can be a choking hazard. Instead, use curtains or cordless shades that maintain your privacy to help keep you safe on both sides of the door. Bare windows and doors give outsiders a clear view of your everyday life and routine, making your home a prime target for burglars.
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Apply colorful decals to sliding doors and windows that your family could mistake as open air. Running into a glass window or door can produce numerous types of injuries.
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Tips & Warnings
Always supervise small children when they are around open doors and windows, particularly on balconies or in the upper stories of your home.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Pixland/Getty Images
