Protect your home from fire

By Scott McGillivray

     Email article       Add to Basket

(NC)—House fires are more common than we think, so there's no time like the present to stop and evaluate the different fire-safety measures you have in and around your home and to make sure everything is up-to-date. Here are a few simple fire prevention tips to tackle on the weekend:

• Ensure your smoke detectors are working. Check them once a month, clean them every six months and change the batteries at least once a year. For added safety, install smoke alarms on all levels of your home, primarily near bedrooms.

• Make sure all of your electrical appliances and cords have a recognized seal of approval, like the Canadian Standards Associations (CSA). It's also a good idea to use appliances that have an automatic shut-off.

• Check electrical cords, replacing ones that are cracked or frayed. Also, never overload electrical outlets or use extension cords to replace additional outlets.

• Check your residential fire extinguisher and ensure it is stored in an easy to access location in case of emergency. When renovating or building, use fire resistant materials to increase the level of safety in the home, like a quality Roxul product called Safe n' Sound insulation. Materials like this are excellent fire barriers that will delay the spread of fire.

Scott McGillivray is a full-time real estate investor, contractor, television host, writer, and educator.

www.newscanada.com

Word count: 223

Terms of Use

Articles are provided free of charge. Articles appearing on web sites, must credit www.newscanada.com. Articles appearing in Print, must credit News Canada with (NC) at beginning of an article or – News Canada at the end. Any source/sponsor of the information quoted in the text must also be identified as presented. Images are only to be used with corresponding editorial copy. Usage of News Canada articles constitutes your acceptance of these terms and an agreement between you and News Canada.

Image Instructions - Note: Illegal to use without News Canada editorial.

To open/download image(s) used in this article, please click the following links: