Tag: summer

How to Prepare Your Home for a Hurricane

July 6, 2018

The peak of hurricane season is just around the corner, so what should you do to prepare? Besides taking every step necessary to make sure your family stays safe, there are also things you can do to protect your home and valuable property. Here are six things you can do right now to prep for the coming storms. 1. Strap down your roof. If you have access to your attic, you can provide extra strength and protection from high winds with hurricane straps. These come in the form of metal straps or clips that tie your roof to the frame of your house so the roof is less likely to suffer damage from hurricane-force winds. If you live in certain states like Florida, your roof may already have these straps as they’re required by law for new construction. If you don’t have them, you can add them for about $500. 2. Install storm shutters. It’s also a good idea to protect your windows as much as you can, because you never know what the wind will be blowing. Storm shutters close and lock over your windows, and they’re made of impact-resistant materials like steel or aluminum. There are many different

Firework Safety 101: Stay Safe This Fourth of July

June 29, 2018

With the Fourth of July rapidly approaching, you’re probably busy stocking up on fireworks and finalizing plans with family and friends. While firework safety might be one of the last things on your mind in the midst of all the bustle, it’s worth looking into. An estimated 11,000 people were injured by fireworks-related incidents in 2016, and those were just the ones reported! The vast majority of those accidents? Entirely preventable. Take a moment to review these safety tips and keep your loved ones out of danger this Fourth of July. Know Your Local Laws Before you consider setting off fireworks at home, you’ll need to check up on your local laws. Certain states have banned fireworks outright or prohibit the use of certain kinds of fireworks. These regulations change all the time, so even if you think you know your city or state’s views on fireworks, it never hurts to review them. Don’t Give Fireworks to Your Kids Even though they’re considered a “kid’s” firework, you might be surprised to know that sparklers are the leading cause of injuries on the Fourth of July. Sparklers can reach up to 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit, hot enough to cause severe burns or

Opening Your Pool for the Summer: A Definitive Checklist

May 16, 2018

Opening the pool for summer can certainly seem like a daunting task. After all, you just never know what you might find under that cover, and it’s easy to let your imagination run wild. But we promise it’s not so bad! We’re here to give you a quick refresher course and break down the process into manageable chunks. All you’ll need is a friend to help you, start-up chemicals and a list of items you should have on hand from your pool’s previous season: Get your start-up chemicals ready. Most pools will need their chemical makeup adjusted after being dormant all winter, so a trip to your local pool supply store is probably in order. You can buy a start-up kit for about $30 that contains everything you need, including algaecide, water clarifier, chlorine, pH increaser, pH decreaser, metal sequestrant, alkalinity increaser and calcium hardness increaser. Depending on your pool’s size and unique chemical composition, you may need to go back for an extra dose of one or more of the above. Clean off your pool cover. Chances are, your pool cover is holding standing water, leaves and other debris. This is where your pool cover pump and soft broom

10 Barbecue Safety Tips That’ll Save Your Eyebrows

May 11, 2018

Grilling out is the quintessential summer pastime, up there with baseball and slip n’ slide. Outdoor grills have become a common appliance (61 percent of households own a gas grill and 41 percent have a charcoal grill), so it’s not surprising that we tend to take our safety for granted when we use them. When you think about it, though, grills can be dangerous—in fact, gas and charcoal grills cause over nine thousand home fires per year. The good news is, mishaps like these are easy to avoid if you follow a few simple barbecue safety tips! 1. Keep the grill away from your house. This may seem like it goes without saying, but seriously, keep your grill away from the house. At least 10 feet is a must, but even more if you can. The last thing you want is a gust of wind blowing stray embers at your siding or up into the gutters. Also, be aware of pergolas, trees or other things above your grill, and move it so you’re cooking out in the open. 2. Keep your grill stable. You’ll also want to make sure that your grill is placed on a level, hard and stable