Home Improvement Tips |
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What is Carbon Monoxide (CO)? Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a colourless, odourless, and tasteless gas that can be deadly. What are common sources of CO? Almost 90% of North American homes have something that poses a CO threat. Since CO is a by-product of incomplete combustion you need to consider where the average household has combustion. For example Gas or Oil Furnaces, Fireplaces, water heater, and gas appliances that may have poor ventilation, or are in need of repair are common causes of CO in the home. What are symptoms of CO poisoning? CO poisoning is hard to detect by the human senses. Often people whom are exposed to CO feel flu like symptoms such as, headaches, nausea, and fatigue, as they slip deeper into unconsciousness. CO is absorbed into the blood and attaches to the hemoglobin, where it replaces the body's vital oxygen. The oxygen delivered to the brain and heart is decreased. Therefore the higher the CO level the more danger is present. Do we have to have Carbon Monoxide detectors? The consumer Product Safety Commission recommends that every home be equipped with a least one CO detector. Because CO mixes freely with air there is no particular level at which to install it. However it is recommended that you install them in areas that have greater air exchange. Don't forget that prevention is your best protection. Good detection should be in place for security. Detectors should not replace good maintenance of your appliances and their operating and exhaust systems. Good fire safety practices will help to keep your home and family safe. It is important that your family have an emergency escape plan, and that each family member is familiar with it. Make sure your smoke detectors are in working order, so they'll give you as much warning to danger as possible. Working smoke detectors save lives! Take a few minutes with every member of your household to create an escape plan, based on the following suggestions.
Fire Safety in the home - Smoke Detectors Take a moment when you have finished reading this information to evaluate how safe you and your family are against preventable and detectable fire loss and damage. When do I change the batteries in my smoke detectors? Recommendations have suggested with the turn of every clock. It is good practice to replace the batteries in your detectors with brand new ones every time you change your clocks that hour. Not to waste the removed batteries they will still be able to provide enough energy to operate children's toys or other small appliances. How do I check my smoke detector? Regular procedure should include activating the device using the test button, as well as using an extinguished match or candle. The reasoning for this is to assure that the detector will sound in the event of an actual fire. The test button is designed to operate the alarm and hardware component of the detectors system to ensure that the alarm will sound and lights will activate. The smoke will test the sensor to assure it is operating. What maintenance does a detector require? Your smoke detector should be tested regularly to ensure that it would operate in the event of an emergency. Such maintenance as stated above is essential for your system. Once again, don't forget routine battery replacement and testing. Ensure that the exterior unit has not been exposed to damage. Ensure that the unit has good airflow. Open the protective cover and assure that no dust or debris has collected in the unit. This may restrict airflow to the sensor which in turn may affect its functioning and may also cause unwanted false alarms. Where should I have detectors? And how do I know how many to have? Smoke detectors by law must be placed on floors with occupancies that are intended for sleeping. Early detection may provide you and your family with enough time to escape. It is very common to find homeowners that have installed detectors on all floors of the home. Where would I find more information on Home Fire Safety? For more information on fire safety in your home, contact your city's fire department and arrange for a Fire Prevention officer to visit your home. We are currently not aware of any municipal fire department that charges for this service. Always remember the best fire protection is fire prevention. Christmas TreeOne of the exciting parts of the holidays is decorating your home. This can be a very festive time, but it's important to remember safety. Before putting your lights up, spread them out, and plug them in. Check for loose or broken bulbs, and replace them. Remember that loose bulbs that fall out can be a choking hazard for children. When lighting candles, have a candle snuffer on hand. Remember never to leave a burning candle unattended, and do not light them too close to other decorations, curtains or your tree. When putting up a real tree, remember to water it regularly so it doesn't dry out. Dry pine needles can be a fire hazard. Again, keep in mind small children when decorating. Small ornaments with breakable pieces, tinsel, or small lights can all be choking hazards to an unsuspecting toddler. Decorate the tree with the breakable ornaments at the top, and keep other decorations out of reach where they cannot be pulled down. Remembering these important issues will help keep your family safe over the holidays and help you to relax and enjoy the season. It is becoming more and more popular for people to be working from home. Whether you have made the decision to start your own business, or work for an employer from home, there are many advantages and disadvantages to consider. One of the major appeals to a home office is the freedom of time. Many people consider that when working at their own home, they can do things differently than they would at an outside office. After all, now they save travel time back and forth; however, it is easy to fall into bad habits and they may find they're paying too much attention to distractions. If they have children, the noise level may be quite different at home even from another room and this can quite easily spoil your productivity. A home office gives you the ability to include office space as a tax write off (You should speak to your accountant to find out what percentage of your home bills you can write off). You can include a percentage of your home's square footage, as well as a percentage of utilities that are paid yearly as expenses the business incurs. Or, if you are working for an outside company, you may be able to negotiate these expenses into your contract, or bill them as part of your home office expenses. There are a few necessary skills needed in order to work from home. Time management, and the ability to continue to meet your deadlines, are critical. It is important to maintain your work performance at home, and that may require discipline. Money Saving Tips for Your Home By making a few changes to your routine, not only will you save money, but you can also conserve energy. In many of our day-to-day tasks, we can find ways to be more efficient and economical. The Kitchen * Ensure the dishwasher is full before running a load. Oftentimes it is easier to run it when it's convenient, but remember the water needs to be heated to high temperatures to get the dishes clean. Laundry * Only run your washer with a full load. The Washroom * Install a water saving toilet, or place a bottle full of water in the toilet tank to use less water By being observant of your routines, it can be easy to make changes the whole family will benefit from. The change of season brings cold weather that some household items need to be stored or prepared for. Caring for these items properly will help ensure a longer lifespan. Central Air Conditioning Units - Most units come with covers. It is essential to put yours on as soon as you've stopped using your air conditioning for the season. This keeps leaves and debris out. Some experts recommend only covering the top as a full cover may allow condensation inside the cover to cause rust. Outdoor Faucet - Your hose can be put away for the season during mid-fall, but certainly before freezing temperatures. Your water should also be turned off to that hose, to ensure freezing doesn't occur. You can usually find a tap for an outdoor faucet in your basement about a meter in from where the faucet is on the outside. Once you have turned off the tap inside, open the faucet outside to allow the little bit of water left to drain out. Before you need it, make sure that you have windshield washer fluid and an ice scraper for the car. Remember that it is your responsibility as a homeowner to clean snow and ice from the sidewalk in front of your home, as you should your own front walk, porch, and entrance ways to the home. Always have a supply of salt on hand to melt ice. Organizing and Storage Solutions Regardless of how much room we have, most of us could use more storage space. In many cases, there may be items we own that don't even have a home! De-cluttering our homes can be done in a variety of ways. Moving into a brand new home is the best time to start. It gives us a chance to have everything put in its place once and for all. Problems usually arise after we add new items to our home. The One Year Rule Take inventory in your home. If there are boxes yet to be unpacked a year later or more, or items that you haven't used in the last year, then you've managed without them this far! Don't open those boxes, unless it's to add trinkets that are collecting dust. Your local goodwill can make the most of your items. Don't forget the Basement Steps Although there isn't enough room to make a liveable space under your basement stairs, there is enough room to store seasonal items, the vacuum, or sports equipment. Baskets, Baskets You'd be surprised the number of baskets you may have that could be used for storing household items. Fruit baskets from the supermarket are ideal for storing kids craft items, old laundry baskets that are no longer able to be carried around can be used for board games, or clothing. And remember your local dollar store for stacking baskets, for a variety of uses.
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