We often think of our homes as sanctuaries against danger and usually they are. Homes are a place of rest and relaxation, recuperation and rejuvenation against work and the stresses of outside life. This is all fine and well but that doesn’t mean the home doesn’t have its own set of dangers we should look out for. If you live in an older home, for example, there can be all sorts of hazards you should watch out for. Some homes age gracefully and others have a slightly harder time as their foundations begin to age. Looking at it room by room, there are a bunch of safety checks that we need to constantly be on the lookout for so that we and our families can stay secure. The kitchen is one of the most versatile rooms in the home but it also contains the most concentrated sources of electricity and possibly gas. The kitchen is a place of cooking and transformation and you need a lot of heat to make that happen. Make sure you get all of the pipes and appliances in your kitchen checked a few times a year just to make sure that nothing in them is too old or too corroded. You don’t want a gas leak or something worse to threaten your home. Also make sure that all sharp objects in your kitchen are kept out of reach of small children and pets. Everything that could be potentially dangerous in your kitchen should be kept in a place where no one can get it unless absolutely necessary. This includes knives but also cleaning supplies and chemicals that could potentially cause problems. Moving onto the living room, make sure that everything plugged in in the living room is put in a surge protecting socket or extension cord splitter and that everything that could potentially be flammable is kept away from those areas. The living room is generally a safe place but there is always the risk of a fire hazard if you aren’t too careful. Bedrooms generally follow the same advice that you follow for living rooms. Bathrooms you should make sure are kept dry and clean so that no one slips and falls. Bathrooms can be surprisingly dangerous if they aren’t kept in tip top shape and aren’t looked after thoroughly so don’t neglect them if you can help it. But the neither the bathroom or the kitchen are the most overlooked and possibly dangerous rooms in the home. No. That distinction belongs to the basement.
Radon gas testing, testing for radon and keeping your family safe
The typical home basement comes in several varieties, each with their own special breed of problems and care. You might have a finished basement that you or one of your loved ones sleeps in on a regular basis. Your basement might be more of a recreational room with a television, video games or the like. Maybe a pinball machine. Or maybe your basement is just used mostly for storage and it isn’t finished at all. No matter what type of basement you have, one of the biggest threats to a home can arise in a basement. Yes, you should have always be on the lookout for radon and get radon testing done whenever possible to make sure that there is no radon leaking into your basement from outside. But what is radon, you might ask yourself? Strictly speaking, radon is a radioactive invisible gas that can be present in trace amounts in many different soils. It is nearly impossible to detect without the use of special tools but it can cause serious health effects if left untreated. This sounds really scary and it can be but fear not. To make sure that there is no radon in your basement, all you have to do is hire one of several companies who will come and inspect your basement for radon exposure. They will sweep your basement thoroughly and let you know what to do if you are a risk for radon exposure. Homes are supposed to be safe places and they can be, so long as you take the proper precautions. Radon detection services can help with that at any time.