Good Lifestyle

There is no doubtWinter is a magical time, filled with comfortable fires, hot cocoa and tons of holiday joy. But if you do not take extra precautions during ChristmasTime in particular, your Winter Wonderland can quickly turn into a vacation danger. In fact, there are many security practices that you could even realize that you do not know in your own home. Putting your Christmas tree wherever you think better or keep the candles lit that fill your humble home with pine perfumes and gingerbread cookies? Not so fast! To make sure you spend a happy and healthy holiday, we talked to home experts for the ultimate Christmas security tips you need to follow.

Christmas trees have the ability to ride in flames in terms of moments, especially if they are dry and fragile. It is therefore important to add moisture regularly. "Water your tree a day", saysMark ScottPresident ofMark IV Builders. "Never let your tree be empty of water and have two inches cut from the trunk to allow better water absorption to fresh wood."

Of course, yourChristmas tree Can be beautiful in a particular corner of your home, but make sure you do not sacrifice your safety by putting it there.

"If you have set up a Christmas tree, whether it's real false, just consider where it is situated and what other objects are around that," saysMatthias Alleckna, an expert energy analyst toEnergy rate.ca. "It's not a secret that, especially as they dry, the Christmas trees are basically lit. If you look around around your tree and you see that it is less than three feet of candles, heating Electrical or chimney spaces, it is a risk of fire. "

Your Christmas tree is not the only decoration you should be suspicious of this holiday season. According toNational Fire Protection Association, an average of 22 home candle fires have been reported each day between 2013 and 2017, most often in December. The data has also shown that the first two days for the fire lights started by candles were Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, with more than half of the fireclass fires being the result of furniture, mattresses, bedding , curtains or other decorations being too close to the flame.

All these lights and holiday decorations can be a big electric burden. However, no matter how much you wantthe two Your electric rudolphe figurine and the lights aroundYour Christmas tree In your living room, do not overload circuits feeding your home.

According to the benefitsMr. Electric, a "typical housewife system can power 70 mini-light chains of 50 ampoule or 300 to 600 LED lights of 50 ampoule". In addition, you must take into account everythingAppliances which are already plugged into existing circuits before adding decorations. So, if you plan to use more power than the experts suggest, spread it on multiple circuits to prevent overload.

With potentially expensive Christmas gifts in the house and vacation trips leaving unoccupied houses, the possibility of a home interruption is a real concern every December.Lior Rachmany, CEO ofDumbo Moving + Storage, says that his biggest advice to keep your home with burglar safety is quite simple: Make sure your doors are safe.

"In most cases, the burglars will come into your home through the door, so your doors before and back are the first line of defense," he says. "We recommend that you invest in quality quality locks, which will provide you with the necessary security and will help you leave your home with more ease."

Smart technology and key locks have made the safety of your home so easier. According toVA EELLIS, founder of the security consultant websitePrivacy Australia, smart devices can even make it appear as if you are always at home while you are away.

"Intelligent plugs can be set on timers or controlled automatically, and some systems even have an integrated holiday mode that will randle lights or night lights during evening hours or morning to give the appearance of someone. One at home, "says Ellis.

Online shopping During the holiday season, the holiday season is an easy way to get your gifts and avoid crowded retail stores, but it also comes from risks. According to the expertsGuardian protectionThe increasing number of packets, we tend to receive these days also provoked an increase in parcel flights. "Pirates porch prey on the houses where parcels are delivered during the day and no one is," the experts warn. "To avoid being victim, think when and where your parcels are delivered. Choose moments when a person will be at home or delivered to your workplace or any other place that is safer. »

Home security is not going to lock your doors and decoration carefully. With regard to holiday travel plans, avoid displaying about them online. According toBrad Campbell withanti-riot glassSocial media is the first place burglars seek to determine where knocking next door. If they know that no one will be at home for Christmas, which makes your home an easy target. Poster holiday picturesafter You come back from your trip and have someone check on your home frequently while you're away.

With the cold weather setting, there are a lot of precautions to take forKeep your home in Glugloute form.Brittany HOVESPAIN, Owner ofAccession to the expert property, Says that during the Christmas season, it always tells its customers "to make sure they never leave a pipe connected to a male outside when they are not in use. " Why? According to Hovepain, the water inside the pipe can freeze and repel frozen water in your pipes, which can grow and break them, damage your water system and possibly flood your home.

As scary of a thought as it is, it is very possible for your roof to give during the winter. According toLev barinskiy, CEO ofSmartfinancialMost roofs can handle up to 20 pounds per square foot of snow. If you do the calculation, 10 inches of fresh snow weighs about five pounds per square foot, which means your roof can probably argue that four feet of snow. Barinskiy says to avoid ice dams "" Owners should erase their roof of every six inches of snow.

There is no doubt that you will want to turn the crank up your chimney on Christmas morning as gifts unpack everyone, but do not do it without everything in order first.Peter Duncanson, Specialist in catering in case of disaster forServiceMaster Restoration, Warns against the owners to inspect their fireplace before Christmas. He says that "if you see black and flaky creosote deposits, use a wire brush to rub them away. And using a flashlight, you must inspect bulk bricks, blockages or debris.

With regard to the useyour kitchen During Christmas, make sure you are ready for the worst. Barinsky says that for Christmas, "many inexperienced cooks are trying their hand to the kitchen a great bird for the first time in their lives. And when a grease fire cutter, they are completely caught off guard.

Even worse, Barinskiy says that many are wrong to throw water on a small fire will stop it, but the water actually causes the flames to spread. Instead, it recommends cleaning their oven the owners before using it, have work smoke detectors, keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen, and never leave the food unattended when it cooking.

A good deep fried turkey is essential for Christmas dinners many families. But the preparation process can easilycause a fire Otherwise done safely. Barinskiy says you should fry your outdoor turkey, at least 10 to 12 feet away from your home, as well as all trees that could catch fire.

It may be tempting to get out of your garage and warm the car while you expect the head of your sister's house on Christmas morning, but it is very dangerous to do it. The expertsFirst Alert Warn people not to warm their car or let run inside their garage, even if the garage door is open. Smoked carbon monoxide Your car emits can easily spread in your home, poisons people and pets as well.

No matter what your home must be equipped with a carbon monoxide detector (CO). According toCenters for Disaster Control and Prevention (CDC), CO deadly poisoning increases during the winter months because heating systems work continuously. At least 430 people die in the United States each year from accidental co-poisoning, but a work detector can prevent the worst.

While the first step is to do everything you can forto avoid CO poisoning, if the worst comes to the worst, you must know the signs of this potentially fatal condition, especially since the first advantageous alert, you can not see or feel carbon monoxide. CO poisoning symptoms include headaches, nausea, vertigo, weakness, chest pain and vomiting. If you recognize one of these symptoms, leave your home immediately and call 911.

According toJesse HarrisReal Estate ManagerMedallion Capital Group, snow and dark at the end of a long day of Christmas can create serious risks. The bridges outside your home can be slippery and it is probably dark when you come home from the Christmas dinner. He says that the owners should install lights with motion detection sensors to ensure "a well lit road to your door without having to leave a light all day".

You must also be prepared with floor mats inside and outside of your doors, saysRichard Reina, expert in maintenance atTool ID. These rugs prevent ice, snow and salt from entering your homeand Keep family and friends from slipping or falling outside your home at Christmas. For all exterior carpets, Reina says you should invest in hair hairs to help clean the bottom of the shoes before anyone entering your home.

When all your guests leave at Christmas or you go home at home, you just want to hit the hay. CornAshley Peeling, Regional Marketing ManagerClv, says it's pivoting to remember to disable everything.

"During the holidays, people have all kinds of party decorations that light up and heaters to keep them warm," she says. "If you do not remember turn them off when you go to bed, not only your electric bill will soar, but you will also create fire risks."

With strong snowstorms and potentially fallen electric lines, it is extremely important to be prepared for unexpected power failure during the Christmas season. To do this, the benefits toCenriqu, a home management application, recommend all owners invest in multiple flashlights, batteries of batteries, lanterns, candles and a generator.

No harm donedecorating The outside of your home with dazzling Christmas lights, but make sure you take the appropriate precautions.Alfred Bentley III, home security expert and founder ofvivhomelink, says the owners should not allow external decorations to reach more than 90 days. After all, they have been exposed to winter meteorological elements and the criterion attacks, then prevent them longer could result in damaged sons, which put your home at risk of fire.

The outer lights are not the only wires to be wary. Bentley says you should check the wires inside your home for caresses or damage if they have been "pinched between furniture, placed under carpets, or hurry between windows or doors."

While no one wants to experience aEmergency at ChristmasIt is better to have a plan in place if we occurred. "Educate children on how to handle scary situations and create a shelter in your home, as well as a meeting place if you need to evacuate," says Duncanson. "Make sure the primary outputs are clear from any obstacle, especially Christmas trees or other holiday decorations, andDo not forget your pets. Designate someone to be responsible for keeping them safe. "

Duncanon also suggests packing an emergency preparedness kit with food, water, necessary medications, important telephone numbers, a backup kit, flashlights with extra batteries and blankets.