Home Safety Tips
A few tips on this page can save your life! Owning a home can be a very rewarding experience, but you need to make sure that it is a safe too. Here are some practical, easy applications that can save you time, money, injury, and possibly even you and your loved one's lives!
Generators:
Generators should never be ran inside! They let off lethal carbon monoxide fumes that can kill you. As we saw during Hurricane Katrina, inexperienced people bought generators to make electricity during the outages. Several people died because they ran these machines inside! When using a generator you need to make sure that it is well ventilated. Don't use them inside your house or inside the garage. (Also, don't run your car inside a closed-in garage, as it lets off carbon monoxide fumes as well!) Prevention: Only use generators outside.
Carbon Monoxide :
Known as the silent killer, carbon monoxide is released when old gas furnaces and what not malfunction. Without a detector to warn a person of the harmful gas, a person can breathe it without knowing it and could be fatal. In 2009 a Sterling Kyle Oser tragically died close to LSU's campus because of a faulty heater.
Fire Alarms:
Very inexpensive and easy to install. Most people can install one in 5 minutes or less! You mount two screws in the wall, place a battery in the fire alarm, and then lock it into position. You can find them in some places as low as $5.00 a piece. Baton Rouge requires houses to have a fire alarm in each bedroom. Fire alarms should be placed on the wall, just above the entrance door, that way the fire alarm will detect the smoke as soon as it infiltrates the room.
Fire Extinguishers:
One of the major causes of home fires, is unattended cooking pots. So, invest in a fire extinguisher which can put out a kitchen fire that, if not put out, can burn down your entire house and possessions. They cost a bit more than fire alarms, but are well worth it.
Confidentiality:
During the holidays and birthdays you'll want to be extra careful not to let on what your house contains. If the wrong eyes spot a box of a widescreen television at your driveway they'll presume that the t.v. is inside! This is the same for new appliances, computer boxes, etc. Prevention: Compact the box, cut up, or turn the box inside out so no pictures are visible from passer Byers.
Spare Keys:
Be sure not to place spare keys in well-known hiding places like under mats, in mailboxes, under potted plants, etc. Otherwise you're inviting an unwelcome guest inside. Prevention: Keep an extra key with a nearby well-trusted friend or family member.
Change Locks:
A good safety precaution is to change the locks to your newly purchased property. The previous seller's keys falling into the wrong hands could make this preventative measure worth it.
