We treat the home with utter respect. It’s our space, our sacred space of Netflix and chill, popcorn and chocolate, sleep and – well, you get the picture! The home is a space in which to spend time with friends and family and feel safe. This is your castle, and you secure it as much as possible to prevent anything from encroaching on that space and causing issues.
The thing is, no matter how many measures you put into place, you’re always going to be at risk of something going wrong. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a fire or a flood you’re worried about; you need to be prepared for any disaster that could strike your home. You’re going to need to get ready and get prepped; Doomsday may not be on the way, but there are threats ahead for your castle. Let’s look at ways you can slay the dragon and avoid the issues that could threaten your home!
A Kitchen Fire
A kitchen fire is always a disaster, especially if you’re not prepared. Did you know that there are people out there who don’t have any fire safety measures in their kitchens? It’s common sense stuff, really. Keep fire fighting equipment in the kitchen and make sure that you don’t leave anything cooking without supervision. Oh, and if you do have a grease fire, don’t chuck water over the stove or appliances that are still on!
Hello, Possum…
Imagine walking into your lounge after having some food and finding a wild animal sitting in the middle of the floor. The window was open, but that was a rookie mistake as you now have a house guest that you didn’t account for. What to do, what to do! The best thing to do now is shut the door and call animal control. You could try and herd it out, but there’s no use in sustaining an injury when a trained handler could come to your home and fix it!
Bye, Bye, Bearing Wall
Every house has load-bearing walls. These are the walls that keep the house standing upright, and if you knock one through, you risk the entire house coming down. It holds the weight of the house, which means that you could accidentally wreck it. You should do your research before deciding to do your own demolition or DIY. It’s far cheaper to call in an expert and get the walls assessed, but if you don’t have the time, check your blueprints. You’ll be able to tell which walls are the ones to avoid smashing!
The Indoor Pool You Didn’t Plan
No one likes to deal with plumbing emergencies. They love it even less when the basement is under three feet of water. Calling out the plumbers and hoping that they bring the right tools is the best thing to do. They’ll ensure that you have a replacement Black Threaded Pipe, and they can offer some guidance about drying out the basement. Just make sure that you check the water flow and turn off the valves so that you can stop the water from moving into the basement as quickly as you can. Prevent this from happening with the right pipe care, such as ensuring that they don’t freeze and burst in the winter.
Nasty Neighbours
You can be going about your business and getting on with your day before it starts, but no matter what you do – it’ll start. The thud-thud-thudding of loud music is penetrating through the walls, and it’s coming from your neighbour’s house. They’ve decided to rent their home out for the season, and the occupiers are incredibly loud, and rude with it. Not one person wants to be on the receiving end of this behaviour, so keep a log. Once you have enough evidence, report them for anti-social behaviour and make sure that you try to talk to them about the disruption first. You never know, they may not know how loud they are!
You’ve Been Robbed
It’s common, but it doesn’t mean that it should happen. Robberies occur often, and they leave you feeling vulnerable and anxious. The idea that someone has been in your space and has gone through your things is not a nice feeling. You need to make sure that you have the highest home security system there is, and you should ensure that you install a camera system, too. You can buy smart doorbell cameras that will catch any chancers in the act of trying to get into your home. You don’t have to have a panic – you don’t deserve to worry about your house like that!
Exterior Paint Job Affects Interiors
If you’ve been painting the house to update the exterior, you may deal with specks of paint flying into the interior of your home – especially if a window has been left open. The problem here is that most exterior paint is lead-based, which can be damaging if breathed in by you or any family members. Solve the issue by shutting the windows, vacuum the carpets and upholstery, and get checked out by a doctor!
The Phone Is Ringing From the Toilet
We’ve all done it. We leave our phone in the back pocket of our jeans, and as we stand up from the toilet, boom, it’s gone down the pan (literally). You can use tongs for fishing it out and put it straight into rice, and if you can get the battery out to dry it, do so! You can get your phone cleaned with anti-bacterial wipes, and then if you need to get a new phone claim on your warranty or take it to a repair shop. Make sure that it’s thoroughly cleaned before anyone touches it, though… just in case!
The Kids Got Into the Kitchen
We all know that children can be ninjas in the kitchen. They’ll climb to the knives and play pirates. They’ll turn the faucets on and flood the kitchen, and they’ll turn on the ovens. They’ll do all of that while you sleep. So, keep the kitchen locked down with the kids and make sure that they can’t get into the cupboards. It’s also a good idea to hide any stepping stools in the kitchen while they’re in bed so that they cannot climb up into anything.
You Forgot to Shut the Windows
Imagine coming home from work and finding the house freezing cold and water everywhere. You head upstairs, and a few of the back windows are wide open – because you forgot to shut them! It’s easy to forget to close the windows when you’re allowing the breeze from outside to circulate the upper floors of the house. Much as we love sunlight, no one likes the rain that comes into the house. It can ruin the floors, the walls, the upholstery – storms can have an adverse effect on the interior of your home if you’re not careful.
Wobbly Banisters
If you have upper levels of the home or a balcony to worry about, then it’s a good idea to make sure that they are sturdy. Do this regularly, and you’ll be able to ensure that no one topples over the railing. No accidents need to happen if you are vigilant about safety in your home.
Frayed Carpets
If your stairs have carpeting from top to bottom, think about the upkeep of the carpet here. You will – of course – be looking at the carpet across the whole home, but you want to make sure that the carpet is intact on the stairs, especially. If you ensure that your carpets are without frayed edges, you won’t need to worry about catching your toes and falling down the steps.
Broken Smoke Alarms
If you don’t get your smoke alarms fixed and checked out regularly, you’re going to end up in trouble with a fire in the home. A house fire can be devastating, and if you don’t get your smoke alarms checked often, you’re going to be on the receiving end of a smoke damaged house and no furniture. While you’re checking your smoke alarms, you should ensure that your carbon monoxide detectors are also intact!
Blackouts Ahoy!
It is not easy to cope when there is a blackout in the house unless you have candles and matches at the ready. Power outages often happen more in stormy situations than they do anything else. When the lights are out, you could have a generator waiting in the garage ready for moments such as that. You don’t have to worry in a blackout, not if you’re prepared for it to happen. Keep torches and candles to hand on each floor.
Clutter, Clutter, Clutter!
Cluttered homes are not the one. You can trip over anything in your way, and there is nothing so stressful as a house that looks a mess – except when this happens, and guests drop by! Cluttered homes can be a danger in an emergency, and kindling for a fire, too.
Avoid these disasters for a happy, healthy home!
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