Safety tips for decorating your home this holiday
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. But disaster can happen when you least want it to. Before you rush into decorating, follow our tips to avoid any holiday décor mishaps:
Use Candles Carefully
Candles can set the right ambiance for any holiday gathering. However, with numerous family guests over and little kids running around, candles can be knocked over, causing a fire. Keep flammable items away from candles and never leave children alone in a room that has flames. To play it safer, consider using LED candles instead of real ones.
Unblock Your Chimney
With the weather getting colder, you’ll want to start using your fireplace. But before you light that first fire of the season, when was the last time you cleaned that chimney flue? A dirty chimney can cause fires that damage or even destroy your home. Indications of a chimney fire can be a loud cracking and popping noise, a lot of dense smoke, and an intense smell. To avoid this, call a professional to clear up your chimney and to check that the flue is operating correctly to ensure warm nights by the fire are worry-free.
Don’t Overload Your Outlets
Between the Christmas tree, lights, and other decorations don't overload your outlets. Limit the number of light strands to no more than three and consider using LED lights, which emit less heat and energy. And always remember to unplug your holiday lights before going to bed and when you leave the house.
Christmas Tree Hazards
Both real and artificial Christmas trees can pose as fire hazards in your home. To avoid any potential fires, choose a safe spot for your tree. Keep it at least three feet away from fireplaces, radiators, and space heaters. For real trees, wreaths, or garland watch for dry needles, especially when they fall on the floor. Dry pine needles increase your fire hazard risk.
Use The Right Lights
If there are any strings, cracked bulbs or any other signs of damage to your string lights, try to repair them or just replace them. Another important detail is to never mix indoor and outdoor lights. Indoor lights aren’t made to withstand the outside temperature and weather, which could lead to them breaking and causing a fire through an electrical shock. Similarly, outdoor lights can be a fire hazard inside because they are often hotter than standard tree lights.
No one plans for a fire to occur, especially during the holidays. But accidents happen. If you find yourself dealing with a fire this holiday season, contact Action Public Adjusters today. We’ll guide you through the entire claim process and ensure you get the settlement that will put you back in the holiday spirit.
