With so many items on their ¡°buying a home¡± checklist, few
homeowners take into consideration household safety, even
though it should always be a top priority. While most people
know that It is always advisable to take every precaution to
ensure your well-being as well as that of your loved ones,
somehow in all the hub-bub of moving and decorating their
new home, they fail to include household safety items in
their purchases.

One of the top dangers to your newly bought property and
your household are fires. Each year, according to
firesafety.gov, more then a half a million winter fires cause
$3 billion dollars in property loss, 1,900 deaths and 8,000
injuries. To protect your home and family place smoke
detectors on every level of your home and in every bedroom.
For additional protection they can be placed in hallways,
stairways, attics, basements and garages. Check your
detectors at least once a month and make sure their
batteries are in working order. An estimated 20% of U.S.
homes have smoke alarms present but none that are
working. These devices are inexpensive and it could be a
key factor in survival, as they facilitate early warning and the
ability for a person to escape, should a fire occur.

In addition to smoke detectors, it's recommended by home
safety product manufacturers that you have one fire
extinguisher for every 600 square feet of your home.
Extinguishers can help you put out a small fire before it gets
too large. Just make sure that your extinguishers have
pressure gauges and check them at least once a month to
ensure they are ready for use at all times.

Another form of danger is carbon monoxide poisoning. Very
few homeowners realize that carbon monoxide is invisible
and odorless, as well as poisonous and lethal. It is
recommended that you put at least one carbon monoxide
detector in your home to protect you and your family. There
are often too many tragic news articles published during the
winter each year where unsuspecting families decided to
use outdoor barbeques to warm their homes.

Many times other potential dangers, such as burglary, are
exacerbated by homeowners' negligence to take simple
safety precautions. When you are away from home always
lock your doors and windows. If the expense is not a
¡°budget¡± breaking financial item for your household, you can
provide further protection from burglary by installing an alarm
system in your home. Just as with smoke and carbon
monoxide detectors, make sure you regularly check to see if
your alarm system is functioning properly.

At risk of sounding like Smokey the Bear..don't forget,
household safety should always be top priority rather than at
the bottom of your to-do list. You'll be more than grateful in
the event you find yourself or your loved ones in any danger!
http://www.nefcortez.com/cities/Chino_Hills/