3 Tips to Keep Your Home Healthy and Safe

We want to feel safe, secure, and comfortable in our homes. Neglecting home safety puts you and your family’s health in danger. Here are three tips to keep your home healthy and safe.

Smoke and CO Detectors

These small devices are safety essentials for every home. A smoke detector will alert you to smoke and fire in your house, and a CO detector will warn of a dangerous build-up of carbon monoxide. Proper placement of both devices will help you keep your family safe.

For smoke detectors, it’s recommended that there’s a detector in the hallway, living room, basement, every bedroom, and near the stairway. Installation in these locations will give you the best chance of being alerted to a fire.

Unlike smoke, CO has no smell or taste. It can spread throughout your home without notice. CO detectors should be installed on every level of your home, especially in areas with fuel-burning appliances.

Both types of detectors usually use batteries as their power source. Check the batteries at least monthly and always keep spare batteries on hand to replace ones that die.

Eliminate Mold to Keep Your Home Healthy and Safe

Mold often occurs in damp areas of your house and if left unchecked will grow and spread. Some mold spores are too small to detect with the naked eye, so you won’t always see it in your home. Mold test kits are available at most home improvement stores and online.

Your goal should be to prevent mold from growing in the first place. This means maintaining a proper humidity level with a dehumidifier, repairing plumbing leaks, keeping all areas of your home dry, and having good ventilation in your bathrooms.

Eliminating mold can be accomplished by using widely-available household cleaners. If cleaning isn’t doing the job, then a mold professional needs to be called. They have mold detection tools and can recommend someone with specialized methods of eliminating mold to keep your home healthy and safe.

Radon

After cigarette smoking, radon gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. Radon forms when small traces of certain elements, like radium, uranium, and thorium, break down in the soil and groundwater under your home. This chemical breakdown creates a gas that can leak into your home through cracks and gaps in the walls and foundation.

Like carbon monoxide, radon has no smell or taste. The only way to know if you have radon in your home is to have it tested. Purchase a DIY test kit or hire a professional for the most accurate results. The good news is that if dangerous levels of radon are found in your home, there are ways to reduce its presence.

Radon mitigation involves preventing radon from entering the home by sealing cracks and gaps in the floors, foundation, and walls. Other systems involve capturing the radon before it enters your home and venting it to the outside where it will safely dissipate. Radon mitigation must be done by a professional and the cost will depend on the type of work required.

Keep Your Home Healthy and Safe With Regular Maintenance

Any home will require upkeep to stay in good shape. Home maintenance involves having your home’s HVAC system serviced annually, checking for plumbing for leaks, and regular roof inspections. A little work now will prevent big problems later.

Attic to Foundation offers home inspection services to the Greater Atlanta area. Contact us to schedule an appointment.