October, 2013 |

Archive for October, 2013

Oct 21 2013

Profile Image of M.K. Tenney

Halloween Safety Tips for Your Family

Trick or TreatersWith Halloween just days away, it is necessary to think about your family’s safety on this special night. Below are some Halloween safety tips that you probably already know, but please read through them as a reminder to stay safe this Halloween. Remember scary is only good if it’s fun!

  • Accompanied by an Adult – Children should always be chaperoned, preferably by their parents. There is safety in numbers, so travel in groups if possible, and know where you are heading before you start out on Halloween night.
  • Unrestricted Costumes – Make sure your children’s costumes are short enough that they won’t trip when walking. Enlarge the eyeholes in masks or use makeup instead, to help them see where they are going. If they are carrying any props like swords or brooms, make sure they are flexible to prevent injury if they should fall.
  • Light It Up – Bring along flashlights with fresh batteries to help brighten your path. Use reflective tape or glow lights on costumes to help little ones to be seen. Try to stay on well-lighted streets and go only to the houses that have a porch light on at the front door.
  • Don’t Eat the Candy – Wait until you get back home and have time to go through all the loot your children receive.  Inspect wrappers for tampering of course, but also check for choking hazards like small hard candies or toys and items your children are allergic to.
  • Identify Your Auto – If you are staying with the car while sending your trick-or-treaters up to the porches, remember cars can look alike in the dark. Decorate your dash board or radio antenna with something that lights up so the little ones can easily identify their ride. Be sure they are aware to enter the car on the curbside instead of the street side. Don’t forget seatbelts, even if it is a short ride.
  • Obey the Law – Remind little ones the proper way to cross the street, using crosswalks and signal lights when possible. Stay on sidewalks and do not cut through alleys. Some communities post a curfew for trick-or-treating, so start early and get home in a timely manner.

This article brought to you by The HousePlanShop, LLC, the home of the best selling house plans from the best designers!

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Oct 08 2013

Profile Image of Curtis Cadenhead

Prepare your Fireplace for Winter: 7 Things to Know

FireplaceIf you enjoy the occasional fire in your wood-burning fireplace or you heat rooms in your home with a woodstove, there are a few crucial safety tips you should follow before you build your first fire this winter. Fireplaces and chimneys are involved in over 40% of home-heating fires, so take precautions before you strike up a fire to ensure your home and family are safe. construction site management is important which allocate the position of the fireplace in your home when it’s time to start the fireplace installation. Wood pellet fireplaces offer an efficient thanks to heat a home employing a renewable energy source. If you’re trying to find heat sources outside of propane fireplaces, wood pellet stoves maintain the design of traditional woodstoves, but operate more efficiently without many of the disadvantages. Pellet fireplaces burn wood pellets which are known to be economical compared to other sorts of fuel like wood logs, fuel oil or electricity. they’re easy to take care of compared to log burning stoves, and that they burn very cleanly. you’ll fill your fireplace within the morning and have it burn for 16 or more hours before it must be refilled again. 6 mm træpiller fireplaces are very energy efficient, making them an increasingly popular choice in many homes. Sinisi Fire Barrier projects respond to the needs of the client and provide a solution to both simple and complex problems in safety and security.

      • Assess the chimney for damage and problems – Carefully inspect your chimney for loose bricks, missing mortar and cracks. Check the chimney liner for cracking and deterioration. Have a professional make any necessary repairs.
      • Inspect the chimney cap – Your chimney should be covered with a cap fitted with wire-mesh sides. The cap keeps debris, rain, squirrels, birds and other critters from entering the chimney. If your cap is missing, replace it.
      • Select the right wood – When burning a fire in your fireplace, it is best to burn dense and seasoned hardwoods such as oak that has been split and stored in a dry place. Burning green and soft woods such as pine produces more creosote which builds up in the chimney. (Creosote is a flammable by-product of combustion.)
      • Stick with small fires – Build and burn small fires. They produce less smoke and therefore less creosote buildup in the chimney. Also keep in mind, fires that are too big or too hot can crack your chimney. This damage can be expensive to repair.
      • Use kindling – When you’re trying to get your fire started, use kindling. It is very dangerous to use flammable liquids to start your fire.
      • Protect against embers – It is not uncommon for embers to shoot out of the fireplace. Prevent this from happening by using a mesh metal screen or glass fireplace doors. If you have a woodstove close and secure the door.

 

Following these tips every winter will help prevent a fireplace accident from happening and keep your family and home safe.

This article brought to you by The HousePlanShop, LLC, the home of the best selling house plans from the best designers!

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