Archive for the ‘Home Safety’ Category

Check Out These Home & Safety Tips For An Enjoyable Summer

Thursday, June 30th, 2022

Well maintained home followed home & safety tips.

Prepare for an enjoyable summer by following these home & safety tips before you begin celebrating. The term ‘safety first’ became popular through the 20th-century movement to reduce workplace hazards and has been used since 1910 in the United States.

The concept of ‘safety first’ has been with us since then. And I think it is a wise way to approach our homes and summer activities.

It is that time for cookouts, bonfires, outdoor activities, and the lazy, hazy days of summer. But before you start enjoying those favorites, start with preparation for the fun ahead!

Home Maintenance

The best place to start our discussion about home & safety tips is with our home maintenance. Summer’s high temperatures and storms can take a toll on our homes. So begin by thoroughly checking your home to determine any overdue maintenance issues.

Some items that you should check around your home include:

  1. Security

Burglary rates are higher in the summer. Therefore, taking the time to check that locks, doors, and security systems are functioning properly will be time well spent. 

  1. Garage

Clean and declutter your garage. The ability to pull your car into your garage during an expected storm could prevent hail or wind damage to your vehicle.

  1. Weatherstripping and caulking

We don’t often consider the advantages of weatherstripping and caulking in the summer. However, checking and making necessary repairs can help prevent bugs from entering the home and keep your home cooler, lowering your cooling expenses. 

  1. Sump Pump

If your home has a sump pump, take some time to ensure it is fully functioning. Heavy rain can cause a water backup in your home. A functioning sump pump will remove excess water from the home’s interior and lessen the risk of mold growth.

  1. Exterminate 

Seal up any cracks in walls, and find a safe insect repellent to prevent future damage from insects.

  1. Home tech

Smart home technologies allow us to use light timers, motion detection lights, smart doorbells, cameras, and other security measures to keep our homes safe from intrusions.

  1. Tree and Shrub Maintenance

Trim any overhanging branches to prevent damage to your home. In addition, you should trim large shrubs back to prevent intruders from having a hiding place.

  1. Children

Check your home for potential hazards like pesticides, cleaning supplies, electrical wires, etc. Make sure all dangerous chemicals are not within reach. 

  1. Safety equipment

Be sure to have a fire extinguisher, first-aid kit, and emergency contact information accessible.

Fire and Grilling Safety

Whether cooking on the grill or enjoying an evening fire, remember there is a danger if not handled properly.

  1. Flammable materials 

Keep a clear zone of 10 feet of the grill or fire pit for flammable materials.

  1. Supervise

Don’t leave fires or grills unattended. Be sure to extinguish any fire before going in for the night thoroughly.

  1. Children and Pets

Keeping children and pets at least 3 feet from the fire is advisable.

Pool Safety

Relaxing poolside is a summertime favorite. However, precautions can prevent accidents in home pools and hot tubs.

  1. Swimming Lesson

Teach children how to swim and be comfortable around water. Provide water wings or swim vests to new or insecure swimmers. Supervising children in or near the pool is the best safety measure.

  1. Fencing and Gates

Your municipality may have fencing requirements. Even if they do not, installing a gate and fence can protect household members. In addition, consider installing an alarm on the gate or backdoor, so you are alerted when someone opens it.

  1. Safety equipment

Keep a floatation device, pole, and first-aid kit available poolside in case of emergencies. Also, consider having sunscreen available to reapply while swimming.

  1. CPR Certification

Maintaining CPR knowledge can be beneficial in an emergency. Familiarize yourself with the techniques to help someone who may be drowning or in distress. Here are some tips from the American Red Cross to help.

Personal Safety

Add personal safety to your list of home & safety tips for summer. Take care of yourself and others by paying attention to risks brought on by the summer weather. Understanding how to prevent weather-related harm will ensure an enjoyable summer.

  1. Hydration

Drink plenty of fluids. Water is the best choice, but you can also consider sports drinks, tea, coconut water, and fruit juice. Avoid soda, beer, wine, and hard liquor for hydration. If you are under a doctor’s care, ask your doctor for the best practices for your condition.

  1. Body Temperature

Air-conditioned areas are best to help maintain a safe body temperature when the temperatures are high. Locate a cooling center in the community if you do not have air conditioning in your home during high heat warnings. Avoid sitting in a car or leaving children or pets in the car. If you have to be outdoors, take breaks from the heat when possible. Use a cool shower or bath to cool down. 

  1. Protection

Wear sunscreen, hats with a wide brim, and lightweight, light-colored clothing outdoors. Avoid strenuous or high-energy activity during the high heat of the day.

  1. Heat Exhaustion

Familiarize yourself with the signs of heat exhaustion. Muscle pain, cramps, spasms, heavy sweating, paleness, weakness, dizziness, headache, nausea, confusion, rapid pulse, and fainting can all be warning signs.

Weather

Proper weather preparedness is encouraged by the National Weather Service year-round. However, summer weather can turn dangerous quickly and is a big part of our summer home & safety tips.

  1. Air quality

Summer air quality can cause a risk to older adults, children, and people with heart or lung disease. Stay inside if possible. Limit the amount of time spent outdoors to essential activities. Limit the use of cars, gas-powered lawn mowers, and other vehicles during this time. Do not burn during an air quality alert.

  1. Beach

Waves and currents can be affected by the weather. Before heading to the beach, check weather reports, tide, and conditions. Check the beach area for warnings. Familiarize yourself with the location of life stations on the beach.

  1. Drought

Lack of precipitation for an extended period and high heat can cause a drought. Dry conditions can lead to brush fires or wildfires. Comply with all burning restrictions and other directives during this time.

  1. Flood

Floods can occur anytime during the year. Learn what to do before, during, and after a flood to increase the chances of survival for you and your family and protect your property. Also, familiarize yourself with what to do if you are driving and hit a flooded road.

  1. Heat

Heat is one of the leading weather-related killers in the United States. It is particularly hard on young children, older adults, people with medical conditions, and pregnant women. 

  1. Hurricanes

Hurricanes and tropical storms can be devastating. Storm surges, heavy rain, damaging winds, tornadoes, high surf, and rip currents can all result from such a storm. Learn how to protect yourself, your family, and your property before a storm approaches your area. Proper preparation is the key.

  1. Severe Thunderstorms

Hail, wind gusts, and lightning can wreak havoc on property and personal safety. Be cautious and take cover.

Having fun in the sun is one of the greatest joys. I hope these home & safety tips help you have a wonderful, safe summer experience.

If you’d like some tips on transforming your outdoor space, check out this past blog post.

Contact me, Charles D’Alessandro, your Brooklyn Real Estate Agent with Fillmore Real Estate. As a Brooklyn real estate agent with over 30 years of experience, I help sellers and buyers achieve their real estate goals. Reach me by phone at (718) 253-9500 ext. 1901 or email at [email protected]

The Best Way to Keep Your Home Clean and Safe Every Day

Monday, June 15th, 2020

If you’re wondering which way is the best way to keep your home clean and safe on a daily basis, this blog post is a must-read. Cleaning often is tedious to do throughout each day, but it is inexpensive and doable. But don’t stress about it. Just be mindful and clean, clean, clean!

Keep your home clean
There is a simple way to keep your home clean and safe.

Pandemic Versus Epidemic

Do you know what the difference is between a pandemic and an epidemic?

Pandemic

According to Merriam-Webster, when used as an adjective, pandemic means “occurring over a wide geographic area and affecting an exceptionally high proportion of the population.” But when used as a noun, it means “an outbreak of a disease that occurs over a wide geographic area and affects an exceptionally high proportion of the population.”

Epidemic

And according to Merriam-Webster, when epidemic is used as an adjective, it means “affecting or tending to affect a disproportionately large number of individuals within a population, community, or region at the same time.” But when used as a noun, it means “characterized by very widespread growth or extent of, relating to, or constituting an epidemic.”

Merriam-Webster further states, “An epidemic is an outbreak of disease that spreads quickly and affects many individuals at the same time. A pandemic is a kind of epidemic: one which has spread across a wider geographic range than an epidemic, and which has affected a significant portion of the population.”

Sanitize and Disinfect to Keep Your Home Clean

All it takes is a great spray bottle, some hydrogen peroxide, and 70% isopropyl alcohol. You don’t have to have a rag to wipe things down after you spritz your surfaces. But your wood and finished surfaces will do better if you follow up with a wipe down. Plus, you’ll wipe up some dirt for an even cleaner home.

1. Disinfect frequently-touched surfaces such as doorknobs, handrails, and tables.

2. Wipe down frequently-used appliances and areas such as large appliances, bathrooms, and countertops.

3. Sanitize the small stuff, too, such as light switches, remote control, and cell phone.

4. Disinfect outside items such as shoes and items you touched while you were out and about.

5. Wash your hands.

Wash hands properly

Wash Your Hands Properly

Wash your hands and wash them often to help keep your home clean. And when should you wash your hands?

  • After you go to the bathroom
  • When you blow your nose, cough, or sneeze
  • Before you eat
  • After you touch a surface that could be contaminated

And there is a way to properly wash your hands. This video from John Hopkins Medicine shows you how.

Keep Your Home Clean Now for Selling Later

And when you keep your home clean, really clean on a regular basis, you’re actually preparing your home to sell should you decide to do so.

If you in the market to sell or buy a new home, contact me, Charles D’Alessandroyour Brooklyn Real Estate Agent with Fillmore Real Estate. With 30 plus years of experience in the real estate industry, I can help even during these uncertain times.

Our office is completely shut down and committed to your safety during the COVID-19 health crisis in compliance with the State of New York public health policies. I can be reached by phone at (718) 253-9600 ext. 1901 or by email at [email protected].


Charles D'Alessandro

Charles D’Alessandro
Your Brooklyn Real Estate Agent
718-253-9600 ext. 1901

Is the Electrical Wiring in Your Home Up to Code?

Saturday, December 30th, 2017

Electrical wiring

Maintain the safety of your Brooklyn home and family. Bring the electrical wiring in your house up to code, and start today. It’s that important!

If your Brooklyn home was built more than 35 years ago, as most were, bringing your electrical wiring up to code is worth serious consideration. Not only will you maintain the safety of your home and family, your house will meet updated building codes and national requirements for residential homes. Today’s households utilize more gadgets, devices, and appliances than ever before. And that means easily overloaded electrical systems and possible danger to families living in older homes with outdated and insufficient electrical wiring.

Indications Your Electrical Wiring is Not Up to Code

How do you as a homeowner know whether or not the electrical wiring in your home needs updating? Ask yourself the following questions:

  • Do the lights in your home flicker?
  • Are breakers constantly tripping or fuses frequently blowing?
  • In order to use one appliance, do you need to another appliance off?
  • Have you discovered melted electrical wiring?
  • Do you have faulty circuit breakers that don’t trip causing shocks, overheating and fire?

The issues caused by outdated electrical wiring are easily resolved with the installation of a new electrical panel.

Tell-Tale Signs Your Home is in Need of a New Electrical Panel

Just as old electrical wiring needs to be brought up to code, your electrical panel needs to be updated or replaced. Look at and listen to your panel box.

  • Do you hear crackling sounds from your panel box?
  • Is there corrosion or rust on the breakers or panel?
  • Are any of the electrical service conductors overheating?

More Signs Your Electrical Panel Needs to be Replaced

Now take a walk through your house to look for and consider the following:

  • Do any appliances run at less than full power?
  • See any two-pronged outlets? Two-pronged outlets are non-grounded.
  • Are your kitchen and bathrooms equipped with GFCIs (ground fault circuit interrupters)?
  • How many extension cords do you own and how often must you use them?
  • Do you need surge protectors to protect the appliances in your home?
  • Was your home built with a 60-amp electrical service? Does it still run on that 60-amp electrical service?
  • Is your electrical panel a fuse block panel or split-buss panel? A split-buss panel is an electrical panel with no main breaker.
  • If your home has a 100-amp electrical service, is it sufficient to run necessary appliances?

Other Reasons You Need a New Electrical Panel

  • Kitchen renovation
  • Home addition
  • Installation of a major appliance: HVAC system, stoves, spas, power equipment, etc
  • More outlets are needed
  • Homeowners insurance requirements have to be met
  • A 240-volt circuit is needed
  • A sub-panel needs to be added

What is an Electrical Panel?

Your electrical panel is a painted or gray metal box mounted on a wall inside your home. It is easily accessible and usually located in a utility room, laundry room, garage, basement, or closet. In rare instances, an electrical panel may be located outside the home.

Your utility company provides power to your home via your electrical panel. Power is systematically distributed throughout your home through major and minor electrical wiring which branch out from your electrical panel. Thus a properly functioning electrical panel is essential for home safety and the use of your gadgets, devices, and appliances.

Just Because You’re Living in a Newer Home Doesn’t Mean Your Electrical Panel is Safe

Fuse boxes were designed before the 1950’s. And they were built to handle only 30-60 amps of power. Our appliances today require 100-200 amps or more. This is why fuse boxes pose huge fire and electrocution safety risks. If your home uses a fuse box or any of the following electrical panels, have a new electrical panel installed immediately:

  • Federal Pacific Electric Electrical Panel
  • Zinsco Electrical Panel
  • Pushmatic Electrical Panel

Is your electrical wiring in dire need of an update? Does your Brooklyn home need a new electrical panel? Schedule an electrical inspection of your older home. Update your electrical wiring in steps, if necessary, but start today. Prevent electrical emergencies, and protect your home and family.


Charles D’Alessandro

Your Brooklyn Real Estate Agent with Fillmore Real Estate

718-253-9600 ext. 206

[email protected]

 

When is the Best Time to Tackle Fall Home Maintenance?

Friday, September 15th, 2017

Fall home maintenance

The ideal time to prepare your home for winter is now before the cold weather arrives. Here are a dozen fall home maintenance tasks to help you get prepared in time.

September is here! For most of us, this means the end of the dog days of summer, the wearing of warm sweaters, and pumpkin spice everything! Temperatures are starting to cool off here in Brooklyn and our thoughts are turning to warm hues, the raking of leaves, and bright orange pumpkins. But before the leaves begin to fall, I encourage you to look further ahead to the cold weather that always follows autumn. Tackle fall home maintenance now and prepare your home for another cold Brooklyn winter hits.

A Dozen Fall Home Maintenance Tasks to Complete Now

Take these next two weekends to complete the following fall home maintenance tasks around your Brooklyn home. Why? It could save you from costly repairs down the road when it’s really cold outside.

  1. Clean out gutters

When leaves fall and rainy, snowy days become more frequent, it’s best to have your gutters clean and in working order. Gutters should be free of debris and clogs before winter arrives. Ideally, the best time to clean out gutters is right after the trees lose their leaves. And since we’re on the subject of gutters, have you considered installing downspout extensions? This would be a great time to install those!

  1. Clean and repair siding

Over the summer months, the siding of your Brooklyn home can get pretty dirty, grimy, and even moldy. Get a power washer and remove all that nasty stuff. And check for damage. Look for cracking, rotting, and warping that needs to be repaired before winter sets in. Inspect the caulking, too. Has it shrunk or cracked over time? If so, replace it.

  1. Check door and window seals

Before the weather turns cold, make sure windows and doors seal tightly and find the places where air may leak. You want your warm air staying inside and winter’s cold air staying outside. Where there are leaks, there is loss of energy. Use caulk or weather stripping to seal any leaks you find.

By the way, if you have double- or triple-pane windows that are frequently foggy, you probably have a failed seal.

  1. Inspect your HVAC

Before you turn on the heat, hire a quality HVAC professional to inspect your HVAC system. Don’t wait until it’s cold outside. HVAC specialists are busy when it’s hot and when it’s cold, and they are usually booked far in advance. Call them now and schedule a tuneup for your HVAC system. They will check the thermostat, blower motor, and heat exchanger to make sure they are working properly. They will also fix loose electrical connections and gas connections.

  1. Clean the chimney

If your home has a functional fireplace, clean the chimney before the temperatures fall. Soot builds up in your chimney and puts you at risk of a chimney fire. Clogged chimneys also increase the risk of carbon monoxide in the home. Be safe. Don’t enjoy a cozy fire until after the chimney has been cleaned.

  1. Check for cracks and loose paver material in walkways

Cracks and loose paver material in walkways and entryway areas should be fixed before icy weather causes an accident. Small cracks can be fixed with epoxy and don’t take long to fix. Serious cracking will require a professional.

  1. Repair leaky faucets

Repair leaky faucets in the kitchen, bathrooms, and utility room. It costs considerably less to fix leaky pipes now rather than later. A broken pipe in the winter is costly to repair and can cause a lot of property damage.

  1. Service the yard equipment

The best time to service your lawn mower and trimmer is in the fall before you put it to rest during the winter. Dirty components and old oil are harmful to your summer yard equipment. Change the oil, air and gas filters, and install new blades if needed. Don’t drain the gas tank completely though. Fill the tank with a mix of premium gasoline without ethanol and a gas preservative just before you put it in storage.

  1. Store garden hoses and turn off outdoor spigots

A hard freeze can cause hoses to burst and outdoor pipes to freeze. You won’t be using any of these things this winter, so insulate each spigot and detach and store the garden hoses. A headache avoided.

  1. Check all outdoor cords

All outdoor extension cords should be checked for potentially dangerous nicks or frays. Nicked or frayed cords should be thrown away. Extension cords in good condition should be neatly stored in the garage or basement.

  1. Clean the range hood filter

Now here’s a super easy fall home maintenance task! Just throw your range hood filter in the dishwasher. When the dishwasher stops, the filter will be as good as new.

  1. Check the toilets

To find out whether or not your toilets leak, put some food coloring in the toilet tanks. If the water in the toilet bowls changes color without flushing, your toilets are leaking. New flappers or seals will put an end to this money problem.

Want even more fall home maintenance tasks and tips? Call Charles D’Alessandro Your Brooklyn real estate agent with Fillmore Real Estate at (718) 253-9600 ext. 206 or email [email protected] for more great home maintenance information as well as answers to your questions about buying or selling your home in Brooklyn this fall!


Charles D’Alessandro

Your Brooklyn Real Estate Agent with Fillmore Real Estate

718-253-9600 ext. 206

[email protected]

For You: A Brooklyn Home Fire Prevention Checklist

Friday, October 16th, 2015

Home fire

Testing your smoke alarms every month is an important part of the prevention of a home fire in your Brooklyn home.

A home fire can strike without warning, day or night. A home fire is not subject to a particular season of the year. Are you prepared if a home fire happened in your Brooklyn home? If not, you can be!

October is National Fire Prevention Month, so I visited RedCross.org. I found 3 sad home fire statistics:

  •  On average 7 people die every day from a home fire.
  • On average 36 people suffer injuries as a result of home fires every day.
  • Over $7 billion in property damage occurs every year.

RedCross.org also states that if a home fire starts in your Brooklyn home, you have only 2 minutes to escape. Can your family safely escape a fire in your home in just 2 minutes? Find out. Religiously implementing the following two steps will keep your family safe if a home fire happens to you:

  1. Plan and practice a 2-minute fire drill with your family twice every year. Knowing and practicing your home fire escape plan regularly can save your lives.
  2. Smoke alarms should be installed on every level of your home, in every bedroom and outside every bedroom. Your children need to hear what a smoke alarm sounds like. They should know what to do when a smoke alarm goes off.

Test your home’s smoke alarms every month. Sixty percent of home fire deaths happen in homes that have no smoke alarms or smoke alarms that do not work. Smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years and never disabled.

Carbon monoxide alarms do not replace smoke alarms. Your home should have both carbon monoxide and smoke alarms. Your family should know the difference between the sounds of each.

My blog post 7 Basics of Home Fire Safety in Brooklyn was written when Brooklyn suffered a great tragedy in March, 2015. It reiterates much of what is mentioned here.

Preparation for the possibility of a home fire in your Brooklyn home is key!

No one wants to encounter a home fire emergency ever! But your best safety measure to take is to prepare as if it were inevitable. When you’re prepared for the possibility, you and your family are less likely to become one of the sad home fire statistics listed above.

The following list is lengthy, but every point is important to prepare your family with in case of a home fire.

  • Start preparing by identifying and eliminating fire hazards from your Brooklyn home.
    • Items that can catch fire easily should be kept at least three feet away from anything that gets hot, such as a space heater or burners on a stove.
    • Never, ever smoke in bed.
    • Keep matches and lighters out of reach of your children. Talk about the dangers of fire with them on a regular basis.
    • Don’t go to sleep while a portable heater is on. Turn it off when you leave the room or go to bed.
    • Stay in the kitchen whenever the stove is on and/or food is frying, grilling or broiling. If you must leave the kitchen, turn off the stove, even for a short period of time. Faithfully use a timer to remind you that food is cooking, simmering, baking, roasting or boiling.
  • Download this Home Fire Safety Checklist.
  • Delegate responsibilities to every family member in case a fire starts in your home. Teamwork is vital in an emergency. Yes, different types of fires will require different responsibilities. Discuss all the possibilities, what to do and who will do what.
  • Create an escape plan. Everyone should know two ways to escape from each room in your Brooklyn home.
  • Practice your escape plan at least twice a year and at different times of the day. Practice fire drills after waking everyone up to a smoke alarm.
  • Drill this into everyone’s head: “If a fire occurs in our home, GET OUT, STAY OUT and CALL for help.”
  • Tell your family to never open doors that are warm to the touch. Tell them they should use the second way out of that room. If smoke, heat or flames are blocking their way to escape, they should stay in the room with the door closed. If possible, put a wet towel under the door. Then they should call 911, open a window and wave something bright to grab someone’s attention. A flashlight should be used if the home fire strikes at night.
  • Practice low crawling. A fire’s smoke is deadly and rises during a fire.
  • Practice “Stop. Drop. Roll.” If clothes catch fire, stopping, dropping and rolling will smother the fire and save your life.
  • Decide where you will meet once you get out of your Brooklyn home. Your immediate meeting place should be across the street away from the home fire. Have a point of refuge lined up to stay should a home fire displace you and your family.
  • As soon as you get outside to your meeting place, call 911 for help.
  • Time your fire drills. Remember, you have only two minutes to get out of your burning home! Practice until you get out in two minutes or less.
  • Discuss and decide what to do if any of you get separated while escaping a home fire.

Don’t become a sad Brooklyn home fire statistic. Choose to be prepared just in case. I love Brooklyn and care about the safety of our community. If you have any questions about the safety of a home you own or are looking to purchase, call me, Charles D’Alessandro, your Brooklyn real estate agent with Fillmore Real Estate, at (718) 253-9600 ext. 206 or reach me by email, [email protected].

Sources:

http://www.redcross.org/prepare/disaster/home-fire

7 Basics of Home Fire Safety in Brooklyn

Wednesday, April 15th, 2015

home fire safety

Practice home fire safety in your home regularly

In March, 2015, the great city of Brooklyn suffered a tragedy in the Midwood community. Fire broke out in the night claiming the lives of seven siblings. Such sadness moves us to seriously face the important issue of home fire safety in our own homes. Does your family know what to do if a fire were to break out in the night in your home?

Take action now. Protect yourself and your family with the following basics of home fire safety:

  1. Before retiring to bed:

  • Unplug as many electrical appliances as possible.
  • If you are a smoker, safely put out cigarettes and extinguish candles. (Always keep matches and lighters out of the reach of children).
  • Check gas appliances.
  • Put a fireplace screen in front of open fires.
  • Clear clutter from staircases.
  • Close interior doors and keep them closed.
  • Keep house and car keys near you or appropriate doors and windows.
  • Keep a mobile phone nearby for emergency calls.
  • If you use an electric blanket, turn it off.
  1. When cooking in the kitchen:

  • NEVER leave a pan in use unattended.
  • Use spark devices to light gas cookers. Matches or lighters are not as safe to use.
  • Pot and saucepan handles should be positioned to point toward the outside edges of the stovetop. Don’t let them hover over pilot lights or other burners.
  • Keep the oven door shut.
  • Use only a thermostat-controlled deep fat fryer for frying.

Kitchen fires account for 50 percent of apartment fires and 25 percent of home fires. One-third of these fires are caused by leaving a pan unattended when in use. Don’t leave cooking food unattended!

  1. When smoking (if you’re a smoker):

  • NEVER smoke in bed.
  • Never leave a lit cigarette, cigar or pipe unattended. As they burn down, they can fall, land on something combustible and start a fire.

Smoking causes more fires and kills more people than any other single cause. Be aware of and take the necessary steps to avoid the fire risks that come with smoking.

  1. If drinking alcohol or taking drugs:

  • If you are under the influence of alcohol or drugs, you are uncoordinated, uninhibited and more at risk of causing a fire while cooking or smoking.
  • Don’t attempt cooking when impaired.
  • Don’t smoke when impaired. You may fall asleep. Whatever you are smoking will burn down, could fall onto something combustible and could start a fire while you’re asleep.
  1. When using electronics:

  • Keep appliances away from water.
  • Turn off and unplug electrical appliances when not in use. Service them regularly.
  • Never overload outlets. An outlet can overheat and start a fire if too many appliances are drawing power from a single outlet.
  • Never fix damaged cords with duct tape. Throw away the cord or the appliance the damaged cord is attached to.
  • Never run cables or cords under mats or carpets. You’ll never know if the cable or cord is damaged and in need of replacement.
  1. Teach home fire safety tips to your children:

  • Explain the dangers of fire and how it should be dealt with. Depending on the ages of your children, tell them that fire is best dealt with by an adult.
  • Teach your children to STOP, DROP and ROLL if their clothing catches fire. Rolling on the ground will smother the flames.
  • Make a home fire safety escape plan with escape routes and a meeting place across the street from your home. Share it with your children and practice it with them regularly.
  1. General home fire safety tips:

  • Make sure smoke detectors are working properly each month. Change smoke detector batteries every six months. (Before properly disposing 9-volt batteries, cover the positive and negative connections at the top of each battery with duct tape).
  • Place at least one smoke detector on every level of your home.
  • Install escape ladders in second- and third-story bedroom windows.
  • Fire extinguishers should be placed in the kitchen and near places in the home where there are open flames.

A home has many potential hazards, but preventing fires in your home should take top priority. Take time to make your home as safe as it can possibly be. Make your family feel safe and secure at home.

For more information on home fire safety, visit  http://www.nfpa.org/safety-information/safety-tip-sheets.

As a Brooklyn real estate agent with Fillmore Real Estate, I truly care about my clients’ safety in their homes here in Brooklyn. Contact me, Charles D’Alessandro, at (718) 253-9600 ext 206 or email [email protected] when looking to buy or sell your next home.

Resources:

http://www.syfire.gov.uk/homesafetybasics.asp

http://www.syfire.gov.uk/homefiresafety.asp

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2015/03/23/local-leaders-urge-brooklyn-families-to-prioritize-fire-safety-in-wake-of-deadly-blaze/

10 Ways to Prevent a Fall in Your Brooklyn Home

Tuesday, December 30th, 2014

Prevent a fall in your Brooklyn home

Prevent a fall in your Brooklyn home

The number of serious and fatal injuries caused by falls is rising in America.

The New York Times reported in November, 2014:

“The number of people over 65 who died after a fall reached nearly 24,000 in 2012, almost double the number 10 years earlier, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”

“More than 200,000 Americans over 65 dies after falls in the decade from 2002 to 2012. Falls are the leading cause of injury-related death in that age group.”

“And more than 2.4 million people over 65 were treated in emergency departments for injuries from falls in 2012 alone, an increase of 50 percent over a decade.”

You may not see your need to do anything to prevent a fall in your Brooklyn home until after you have fallen, but a bad fall will certainly make you wish you had! A fall can seriously impact your health and independence, but they are not an unavoidable part of growing older. They can be prevented!

Here are 10 ways to prevent a fall in your Brooklyn home:

  1. Exercise – Exercise strengthens your legs and improves balance, making a fall in your Brooklyn home much less likely.
  2. Be aware of side effects – Side effects such as drowsiness or dizziness caused by medicines and combinations of medicines will make a fall in your Brooklyn home more likely. Talk about possible side effects of your medicines with your doctor or pharmacist.
  3. Get your eyes checked every year – Wearing glasses or contacts with the right prescription and seeing clearly will prevent a fall in your Brooklyn home.
  4. Identify potential home hazards – Tripping hazards, (papers, books, clothes, shoes, rugs), clutter and poor lighting should be identified and removed or changed to prevent a fall in your Brooklyn home.
  5. Install handrails and lights on your staircases in your Brooklyn home.
  6. Install grab bars, too. Put them inside and next to your tub or shower and next to the toilet.
  7. Use non-slip mats in the tub and shower.
  8. Avoid the need for a step stool. Keep items you use most often within easy reach in your Brooklyn home.
  9. Use bright lighting – You need brighter lights in your Brooklyn home in order to see well as you grow older.
  10. Wear shoes – Going barefoot or wearing slippers will prevent a fall in your Brooklyn home.

Stay safe, secure and independent while growing older. Prevent a fall in your Brooklyn home before you fall.

I can help you find the perfect home with all or almost all of the 10 ways to prevent a fall in your Brooklyn home. Give Charles D’Alessandro Your Brooklyn real estate agent with Fillmore Real Estate, a call at (718) 253-9600 ext 206 or email me at [email protected]. Let’s start looking today!

Resources:

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/11/03/health/bracing-for-the-falls-of-an-aging-nation.html?emc=edit_na_20141102&_r=0http://www.cdc.gov/Features/OlderAmericans/