Follow a ’10 feet’ BBQ rule & avoid a deadly outdoor decor mistake – experts share top July 4 home safety tips
SAFETY experts have shared several must-know tips to stay safe during the upcoming holiday weekend.
They offered useful advice to keep your home free from any destruction on the Fourth of July, plus why you should steer clear of an interior design blunder.
With summer now in full force, many homeowners are taking advantage of the nice weather with outdoor activities.
That also increases the risk of fires, crime, and dangerous situations.
To help keep people safe during the holiday festivities, experts at Travelers Insurance offered tips to keep homeowners safe.
SIMPLE SAFETY
FIRE FACTS
First, they advised placing the fire pit in a safe spot at least ten feet away from your home, backyard deck, or near any low-hanging trees.
These can easily catch fire and spread quickly, so that’s why the pit should never be left unattended.
To fully extinguish it, use sand, and then let the pit coals cool completely before disposing of them in a metal container.
Lastly, “keep stacked firewood at least 30 feet from your fire pit and house.”
OUTDOOR ADDS
Be careful when dealing with any outdoor light sources or decorations.
The experts recommended plugging all outdoor lights and decorations into ground-fault circuit interrupters, also known as GFCIs.
Heeding this decor mistake reduces the risk of electric shock.
Also, make sure lights and cords are secured properly in case of wind and potential damage.
But they said to “never staple, nail through or fasten electrical wires or extension cords in any way” because that might damage the wire or insulation.
LOCATION LESSON
Next, it is essential to choose a location for the grill that is also ten feet away from the house, garage, tree branches, or any other flammable structures.
They added that they should not be used on a balcony or under an overhang, plus not be too close to combustible deck rails.
Make sure to also keep pets and kids away.
POSITIVE PLAY
Fourth of July is a day that the whole family can enjoy, especially children of all ages.
Playsets and trampolines are a fun source of entertainment, but the experts warned that “damaged or weather-worn ones can cause accidents.”
As a word of caution, they suggested limiting the number of jumpers on a trampoline at one time and removing ladders when they are not in use.
They also recommended investing in trampoline enclosures because they can help prevent injuries and falls.
Next, inspect any playsets for openings between pieces because depending on the size they could “trap a child’s neck.”
VACAY VALUES
Even when you’re not home, there are several measures the Travelers Insurance experts said to take to protect your property.
If you have a trusted neighbor, let them know you’re going to be out of town and ask them to keep an eye on your house.
Also, in case of an emergency, it’s also a “good idea” to leave them with your vacation address and a contact number.
As an extra dose of help, they could also set out your trash and retrieve your empty garbage cans and recycling bins for you, and remove any new flyers.
To not arouse suspicion that you’ve gone away, they suggested holding your mail and temporarily stopping your newspaper deliveries, so it doesn’t build up.
To prevent your home from being robbed, utilize motion-sensitive lighting fixtures for extra security and to brighten the space when needed.
Also, consider purchasing lights with automatic timers that you can control remotely to help make it seem like you are home.