Weekly Tips APR 07

APRIL 10, 2007

HOME SECURITY AUDIT

As Spring approaches, we'll tend to be out and about more. We'll also leave windows open and in some cases lower the security level of our homes. Seasoned thieves know this and gear up for break ins at this time of year as well as summer vacation time. Here are a few issues to look at to enhance the security of your home:

1) Consider installing an alarm system in urban areas. In rural areas where response may be too slow to make an alarm system effective focus on physical deterrence instead. A good example of this is to clad door windows with lexan to prevent an thief from breaking the glass and gaining entry. In urban areas, thieves will avoid noisy break ins because of neighbours and look for unlocked windows. In the country, a noisy entry is of lwoer risk.

2) Make sure all exterior doors are of high quality, either steel clad or solid wood. Flimsy doors can be easily kicked in. Also, add a peephole so you can see who is at the door before you risk opening it.

3) Make sure all windows lock. When away from the home lock all windows and of course doors. Check patio walk outs and make a quick sweep of the house before you leave to make sure the doors and windows are secure. As part of your sweep check stoves, dryers and other appliances to make sure they are off.

4) Make the back of your house as inaccessible as possible. High hedges or fences that must be climbed over to gain access to your backyard can attract a lot of attention from neighbours.

5) Make sure that you lock your garage and if there is a door between the garage and the house, make sure that you treat it just like an outside door. Thieves that gain access to this door through an unlocked garage can work undetected to gain access to your main dwellin area.

6) Keep hedges at the front of your home low so that any neighbor or passer by can see activity or a break in. Prickly hedges and shrubs can also act as  a detterrent to intruders.

7) Make a habit of locking your car whenever you exit it. Cat thieves typically target cars in driveways that are often unlocked and easy to hotwire and drive away. Thieves can also use tools they find in the car to break into your house.

8) Never leave your house keys with a mechanic's shop or valet service. Thieves have been known to duplicate the keys and with your address information, easilt break into your house in the future.

9) Make sure that sheds are also locked. Thieves can use them as effective hiding places and use your tools stored in the shed to break in. If hinges must face out, use hinges with non removable pins as extra security.

10) Never leave containers of combustables in the open, in unsecured carports or on decks. Vandals often take this gas and burn your house in an act of arson.

11) Always lock up ladders in garages, sheds etc so that thieves cannot use them to gain access to a roof or higher unlocked window.

APRIL 20, 2007

MAKE YOUR HOME SAFE FOR CHILDREN
Small children and even your pets have a natural curiousity to learn and explore around the home. It's important that you take measures to make your home safe and secure for them. Look around your home and make sure that you take steps to make your house safe for your children and those that may be visiting:

1) Look at the thermostat setting on your water heater. A high seting can instantly scald and burn small children. By setting your water temperature lower, you'll also save money. Set your thermostat as low as you can get away with but still get a decent cleaning job from your dishwasher.

2) Make sure that you add slip proof strips to the inside of your tub that can be slippery. Tubs can be slip hazards for young and old alike. Also make sure that no electrical applicances are every in arm's reach of the tub to prevent electrocution.

3) Never leave a young child unattended in the tub even for a moment. Tragedies like drownings occur often when small clildren are left for a moment while answering the phone. Bring a cordless phone into the bathroom and keep an eye on your child.

4) Make sure medicines, after shave lotions, perfumes etc. are kept up high in a medicine cabinet away form children. Many of these can be very harmful if swallowed.

5) Purchase modern, safety approved child gates for staircases. Children will always find stairs fascinating as they begin to crawl and must be kept out of bounds to prevent a serious fall.

6) Position furniture so that children cannot reach or pull on electrical chords. Chords hanging over sinks or tables can be disasterous to small children who may pull the applicance down on them.

7) Cover unused outlets with safety covers. These are almost impossible for children to remove and prevents the risk of shock by inserting objects into live sockets.

8) Purchase door knob covers that prevent children from opening specific doors, like those to the outdoors. This will prevent children from wandering away. If you have a door to the basement add one there also to prevent the risk of small chidren falling down the stairs.

9) Add screens in front of sources of heat such as space heaters, fireplaces, wood stoves and even natural gas fireplaces. Their colorful screens attract children and can become very hot.

10) Make a habit of cooking on rear burners when children are present and turn handles inward.

11) Remove all small objects and knick knacks to higher shelves. Small chidlren will put anything in their mouth and this may create a choking hazard if not out of a child's reach.

APRIL 30, 2007

CARBON MONOXIDE PROTECTION

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a deadly and invisible gas that kills thousands of people annually in Norrth America. It's odorless as well. That's why protection from this deadly gas is critical for your family using two approaches:

1) Have your home professional inspected by a heating contractor. Correct any potential risk factors such as poorly vented furnaces, blocked chimneys, or loose vent joints. Appliances that share a chimney such as a furnace and hot water heater may cause a problem and in many areas in now against building codes. All applicanes should have a dedicated chimney.  Fireplaces can even be a source of Carbon Monoxide if improperly vented. Often, old chimneys can have internal blockages as a result of bricks and mortar that has fallen into the chimney, compromising proper venting.

2) In conjunction with a comprehensive annual inspection by a heating professional of all chimneys and vents, add two or three Carbon Monoxide detectors in your home. Place one in the basement near your appliances. If they produce Carbon Monoxide, this detector may give you the earliest warning, as this gas is heavier than air and can settle in lower areas. Add one to your garage as well.

If any of your CO detectors raises an alarm, open all windows and immediately get your family outside. Call in a professional to determine what the problem is, that generated your contamination.