fall maintenance

Daylight Savings Safety & Fall Home Maintenance Checklist • Check alarms – Housing codes typically require smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms in a residence. Consider adding these safety devices in garages and basements. Check the batteries in all smoke and CO alarms. • Clean up clutter – Many trip-and-fall or fall-from-above accidents happen because houses are cluttered near doors. Garages, basements, and attics are places where many homeowners put things out of the way – only to find them “by accident” come springtime. Clean up for safety’s sake. •Separate for safety – In the garage and basement, make an area for bikes, balls, and toys – away from potentially dangerous areas and items such as fuels, paints and power tools. • Prepare for an emergency – Make sure all entrances and exits to your home, including through the garage or basement, are clear. Place a first-aid kit and flashlight in the garage and basement. Mount a fire extinguisher in the garage, and train adults how to use it based on manufacturer’s directions. • Check appliances – Check appliance hoses for dishwashers, refrigerators, washers, and dryers. Danger signs: crimping, cracking or other damage on power wires, supply/discharge hoses, and vents. If you have a sump pump, test it – before spring downpours and melting snows do. • Cap, label and raise – Safely cap containers containing chemicals of any kind. If these materials need to be kept, make sure they are labeled correctly. Raise up (out of the reach of children and pets) any containers with hazardous materials. • Ventilate. – Make sure petroleum-based products and other products with noxious fumes are not stored in a confined space such as a basement or closet. Nor should they be near a heat source. Fall also is a good time to have chimneys professionally cleaned before cold weather sets in. Call ANDY OnCall® for all of your home maintenance and repair needs! http://andyoncall.com/locator/

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