Category: Safety

What To Consider Before Getting A Pool

April 3, 2023

New homebuyers have so much to consider as they search for their dream home. Outside of architectural style, location, number of bedrooms, or whether it has a multi-car garage, homeowners need to be able to picture life within the house. Can they picture their kids playing in the backyard? Is this the type of place where they can see their family and friends wanting to come and visit? One amenity that has the ability to generate a great deal of excitement and ensure that a new home will be a gathering point for friends and family is the swimming pool. However, there are a lot of added responsibilities that come with managing and maintaining a pool. Whether you’re a homebuyer looking at a property with a pool, or you’re a homeowner who is thinking of making a dynamic addition to their home, here are a few things to consider before getting a pool. The Effects on Your ROIWhen making any major alteration to a property, homeowners should consider what impact that change will have on their property value. Even if the expectation is to stay in the same home for a long time, plans can change quickly! Although conventional wisdom

Property Inspections Are Reaching New Heights With Drones

March 6, 2023

When students try to predict their future careers, they face a tall task. More likely than not, their future career probably doesn’t even exist yet! Technology is advancing at a breakneck pace, and as a result, workers are finding themselves in exciting new fields and industry standards are transforming every year. These new technologies give many professions brand new tools which allow them to accomplish things scarcely imagined in the past. In the property inspection industry, a tool that’s finding its way into many inspectors’ tool belts and may be revolutionizing the field is the drone. What Are Drones?Drones are a short-hand name used when referring to Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (or UAVs). This general term refers to an incredibly wide range of devices that have been used in various recreational activities, to capture footage for films, and even to perform reconnaissance in warfare. Though they started out as mostly a novelty when made available to the public, drones have quickly become a tool to aid various commercial enterprises. In the field of property inspections, drones are more lightweight than some of their industrial counterparts. Property inspectors are restricted to units weighing under 55 pounds, but most are under three pounds

How To Stop Burglars In Their Tracks When You’re On Vacation

February 27, 2023

Between work, school, family, and friends, life gets busy! You work hard, and you deserve a nice long break from time to time. But leaving your home for an extended period of time can be stressful. After a relaxing trip, no one wants to return home to discover a break-in or a maintenance disaster. Taking some precautions prior to your time away is the best way to ensure you’ll have peace of mind to enjoy your vacation to its fullest! Recently, insurance experts at The Zebra compiled the latest statistics regarding burglaries in the United States. According to their research, 2.5 million burglaries occur annually in the U.S. In other words, there are new victims of home break-ins every 26 seconds. Solid home security should be a priority for all homeowners. The good news is that there are proven strategies to keep your home safe and your valuables secure while you take that next trip. Here are a few strategies every homeowner should consider to keep their home secure while it’s empty. Invest in a Security SystemThe best thing that any homeowner can do is to get a smart home security system. According to an article from Forbes, 83% of

How To Show Your Home You Care

February 13, 2023

Our homes are always there for us. They keep us warm and dry on rainy nights. They offer a calming retreat after a hard day’s work. Life is busy. Oftentimes, homeowners get caught up with their regular routines, and many helpful home maintenance tasks understandably get forgotten. People do what they need to and rarely much more. Considering everything that our homes do for us, we should take every opportunity to give back! Going above and beyond with home care can extend the lives of crucial systems, and mitigate potential breakdowns. To add to your regular routine, add these home maintenance tasks to show your home you care. Test Your Sump Pump While not every home has a sump pump, these drainage systems are vital to avoid flooding. Located in basements, sump pumps consist of a small basin and a hole which detects water levels. When working properly, these pumps expel water from homes when these levels are too high and redirect floodwaters safely away. Homeowners can test their sump pumps easily by filling a bucket with water and dumping it into the drain. If things aren’t working properly, discovering the issue during one of these controlled tests is certainly

How Zoning Laws Affect Your Home

January 30, 2023

The prospect of becoming a new homeowner is undoubtedly an exciting one. Sure, there are plenty of stressful aspects to consider, but the possibilities floating in homebuyers’ minds can be nearly endless. However, there are some limiting factors that every homeowner should be aware of before starting any ambitious projects on their new properties. Some might be under the impression that they are free to do what they like on their own property, but local governments have long-held zoning laws meant to protect their citizens. To navigate the world of zoning laws with confidence, let’s break down what they are, and how they might change your next home improvement project. What Are Zoning Laws? Zoning laws have a long history stretching back to the early 20th-century as governments outlined the distinction between what property owners could do on their land and what local governments could do to limit those actions. In short, they are rules that dictate what sorts of buildings exist and where they are built. Over time, common standards were developed with the public in mind. For example, zoning laws restrict where industrial buildings can be established. Residential zones are largely protected from being near large production facilities

Home Features That Ward Off Radon: A Guide for Homebuyers

January 23, 2023

If you aren’t familiar with radon yet, now is the time to learn about this potentially deadly natural gas. Outside of smoking, radon is the number one cause for lung cancer in the US and Canada. One thing that separates radon from other lethal gases, however, is its uniquely subtle nature. radon is an odorless and colorless gas, created through a natural process of uranium deterioration in the soil. Everyone is affected by radon gas, but outside and in the open air, radon has room to freely dilute down to non-hazardous levels. Too frequently though, homes can restrict the space that radon needs to dilute into these safe levels. For Canada, the World Health Organization warns that homes with over 200 Bq/m3 of radon are unsafe and require immediate radon remediation. In the US, this guideline is even lower, at 4 pCi/L (or ~150 Bq/m3). (Check out the WHO’s recent coverage of the topic here.) While not all homes experience the same average volume of radon dilution, the US’s Environmental Protection Agency has published a zone map so that homebuyers can be aware of the overall trends in their area. Only a certified professional can be relied upon for an

Maintenance Minutes: How To Locate Your Valve Shutoffs

January 16, 2023

Each home is made up of a few key systems that every homeowner should be aware of. When needing to make a repair or renovations, knowledge of these systems will certainly come in handy. In the case of emergencies, it is even more important to familiarize yourself with these key systems before you need to act quickly. Water leaks have the potential to result in thousands of dollars in damage, and gas leaks can be even more dangerous. If you don’t know already, here are some quick tips for how to locate valve shutoffs for both your water line and your gas line. Locating Your Water Line Water lines run throughout houses, and their locations can vary considerably from house to house. One great way to set yourself in the right direction is to locate your water meter outside of your home. Near your front lawn or by the curb of your home, you should first locate the meter “box,” which can usually be identified by a dark-colored metal or plastic covering. Following that in a direct line to your house, you should find a circular water meter, likely also in your lawn. Your water shutoff valve should be located

Pet-Proofing Your Home for the Holidays

December 12, 2022

The holiday season marks a unique time of the year. Storefronts light up with Christmas cheer and nostalgic music fills the air as we all rush off to find that perfect gift. Unfortunately, pet owners can often get left behind in the festivities. Furry friends work to tear homes apart while simultaneously endangering themselves in the new stimulating surroundings. Too often, pet owners choose to opt out of holiday decorations rather than deal with rambunctious cats or dogs. This season, here are a few options to consider reentering the holiday with pet-safe decorations. Secure The Right Tree Central to any Christmas-celebrating home is the Christmas Tree. There are fabulous variations on the tradition, and oftentimes families have their own preferred rituals involving how and when to decorate their tree. Adding a cat or dog into the picture can throw a considerable wrench into the process, however, as habits need to be adjusted in the best interest of protecting decorations, and keeping pets safe. Although there is some debate on which type of tree presents the fewest hazards, artificial trees ultimately introduce fewer toxins into the household. Still, artificial trees can drop plastic pieces that are harmful if ingested. For the

4 Things That Can Go Wrong With Your Chimney

November 14, 2022

As the weather gets colder, there are some things to consider before starting that first fire. Chimneys are a too-often neglected home amenity, and there are a few hazards homeowners should be aware of. For a warm and safe holiday season, here are a few things about your chimney that you might want to check in on. ObstructionsThe National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends that chimneys be inspected every year, and for good reason! Apart from just ensuring that your chimney is performing as intended, a neglected chimney can result in dangerous house fires or toxic smoke inhalation. A chief factor that can cause these issues is an obstruction within the chimney flue. Any number of obstructions can become dangerous hazards to homeowners. Twigs and leaves can gather, acting as additional kindling, and animals can commonly get stuck inside a chimney flue while searching for warmth or shelter. Depending on your local wildlife, some of the most common animals found in chimneys in North America include raccoons, bats, cats, squirrels, and birds (whose nests also act as additional fire-starters). CreosoteThe interior of a chimney can reach heats of above 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. Because of this, keeping your chimney clear of

How to Avoid Unwelcome Household Pests Before They Move In

November 7, 2022

After a long day’s work, your home is where well-deserved rest and recovery takes place. The last thing anyone wants is to share their personal space with an unwanted guest, but the more comfortable your home gets, the more attractive it becomes to pests. According to the US census, approximately 28.8 million households reported seeing either roaches or rodents in their homes in 2019. Even after diligent cleaning and regular house maintenance, pests know how to find a way inside. However, if you follow these few tips, you can ensure that your home remains pest-free. Keep CleanFinding a trail of ants or a mouse in your house doesn’t mean you’re a slob. Bugs and rodents will eat most anything, and usually pests that find their way into a home will break their way into sources of food or water. Still, there are a few cleaning habits and tips you can employ to avoid attracting any unwanted guests. First, don’t leave out any food when it is avoidable. This includes securing bags and boxes, cleaning up spills and crumbs as quickly as possible, and changing pet food regularly. Building these simple healthy habits is the first step to combating pests. It