While it may be cold outside, things can still heat up inside as fires affect thousands of homes each winter resulting in property damage and loss. The importance of ensuring fire inspections are conducted cannot be emphasized enough for the most effective way of avoiding damage by fire is to prevent the fire. Here are some reasons on why you should be having an inspection done at least two times a year.
Fire inspections help identify any potential problems that lead to fire hazards. This way they can be corrected and people can be educated on how to identify them and how to respond. Sometimes property owners don’t think this as part of maintenance but regular fire inspections help ensure that the house is as safe as can be.
Residents of your community can benefit from a home fire safety inspection program. Home inspections provide an opportunity to inspect for fire safety issues in the home, provide measures to improve the safety of residents and increase fire safety and awareness outreach.
Here are some steps to take when inspecting your home for fire hazards.
- Look at the exterior of your home for potential hazards such as obstructions to fire escapes, combustible liquids like gas, and overgrown vegetation obstructing windows or exits.
- Inspect the main door, ensuring it opens and closes easily. Deadbolts are great for security but make it hard to leave in a hurry; consider changing the lock system.
- Locate all of the smoke detectors inside your home. Start in the basement and work your way up ensuring there’s one in every room.
- Take any present detector down and check for a date. If it’s older than 10 years, the unit should be replaced. Also, check to see if it’s working and change batteries if you haven’t done so within the last 6 months.
- Draw up a fire escape plan and practice it; know two ways out of every room and practice the plan twice a year.
- Make sure windows easily open. If the window’s sash can be removed, practice and show all members of your family how to open windows properly.
- Locate fire extinguishers in your home. If there are none, purchase and place one on every floor in your house.
- Inspect electrical outlets, power cords, and surge protectors making sure they are not overloaded and are being used for their intended purpose.
- Inspect the areas around appliances that produce heat such as the stove, furnace, hot-water heater, fireplace, space heater, wood stove, and any other heat producing device. Make sure that the area around the appliances is free of combustibles. Have all fuel-burning appliances inspected, cleaned, and maintained by a licensed professional on a regular basis.
Royal Renovations can handle every aspect of the restoration process whether the fire damage was small or large. We’re here to help you.