Safety

House safety issues – Smoke and Carbon Monoxide detectors, Stairs, Fire safety and much more

Garage Safety | How to Really Make Your Garage Safer

Garage Safety

While checking the news this morning I stumbled upon this short article listing a few garage safety issues by U.S. Home Safety Council. To explore a little more their garage safety suggestions I followed a link to their website and looked at much longer list. I have to tell you that I’m disappointed after reading it.
While working as a home inspector I‘ve evaluated close to 5000 properties and majority of them with car garages. In most cases there were serious, even life threatening garage safety issues involved, and yet, 3 of them have not been included in that list, part […]

Where to Install a Carbon Monoxide Detector Alarm

Avoid installing plugin type carbon monoxide alarms in areas easily accessible by children

Before I explain where to install Carbon Monoxide detector alarm and show you recommended CO detector alarm locations in your home, let me list a few areas where CO detectors are not required. However, if they are required and you have them installed – make sure to put them on a house maintenance priority list.

Balcony Railing Safety Code | Balcony Guardrails Safe for Children

House safety maintenance - climbable balcony guardrails are not permitted - watch your children

Do you have a balcony and small children running around the house? If so, before you start reading about the balcony railing safety code, make sure that they are not playing alone.
My children are already older and I don’t have to worry about them fitting in between the balcony railings. However, every time I inspect a property with guardrails that a small child can simply walk through or climb up, I get goose bumps.
Remember to inspect balcony railing periodically – it’s an important house maintenance schedule item!
Many associations / management companies responsible for older multi-unit condominium buildings and townhouses with […]

Kitchen Stove Safety Anti Tip Bracket

Kitchen stove - two piece anti-tip bracket

Simple devices like the kitchen stove anti tip bracket can save your child and yourself from serious injuries and sometimes even death.
Kitchen stove anti tip bracket is a single or two piece device, supplied by the stove manufacturer, that must be installed at the base / behind the stove. It prevents the stove from tipping over or tilting while somebody applies pressure to the open oven door.
Since 1991, after “voluntary safety standards” have been developed by UL (Underwriter Laboratories) and ANSI (American National Standards Institute), gas and electric stove installers are required to install provided by the manufacturer stove anti […]

Telescopic Ladders Review – Watch Your Fingers!

Telescopic Ladders Review

One of the first questions asked during my inspections is: where did you get this telescopic ladder? So, to make my life easier and yours happier, I’ll give you my telescopic ladders review, a few words about that famous piece of equipment, actually two manufacturers and 3 telescopic ladders.
Telescopic ladders are made out of aluminum, which makes them significantly light. Because they are telescopic / collapsible, they take up very little space in your storage, or anywhere else if you don’t have a storage area. I’ve been personally using two different brands […]

Garbage Disposal Wiring | Kitchen Disposal Safety

Loose garbage disposal electrical connection

Have you ever looked at your garbage disposal wiring?

If you did, you’re probably not one of the homeowners that own garbage disposal units visible on the pictures.
This is just another waiting for an accident type of a situation and garbage disposal wiring should be on a home maintenance routine check-up list.
Garbage disposal vibration, especially under some heavy loads … by the way – this is not a garbage can, and don’t use it as such, sometimes causes garbage disposal wiring and plumbing connections to separate.
Even properly wired garbage disposal electrical cable might become loose and fall off the connector creating […]

Closet Fire | Closet Light Fixture Fire Hazards

Closet fire can be easily caused by a closet light fixture

Incandescent closet light fixtures can easily cause closet fire and this fire hazard is very often ignored by the home owner.
Is your closet light fixture safe? Keep reading so you can verify that it’s not going to cause any closet fire.
We rarely pay attention to our closet light fixtures for as long as they work. Stacking cardboard boxes and plastic bags filled with old clothing or Christmas gifts wrapping paper against that exposed, glowing light bulb can easily and pretty fast result in a closet fire.
Would you please go and […]