Oh, fall. You bring us both beautiful weather and the highly anticipated return of pumpkin spice-everything to our grocery shelves (and just about everywhere else). While many of us start to think about autumn when the leaves change, the reality is, we should start preparing for its return in advance. It’s always better to prevent issues from happening within your home than to fix them once they have occurred. This is where fall safety tips come in handy and can help as the weather drops outside.
In this article, we’ll review essential fall safety tips for both inside and outside the house to ensure you and your loved ones are protected during the cozy season.
Fall Safety Tips for Around The Home
Many of us consider fall the start of the holiday season. And the holidays often bring an increase in outdoor activity, whether it be from trick-or-treaters skipping up the porch steps or relatives stopping by for a Thanksgiving dinner. That’s why we should take extra care and precautionary efforts in maintaining the structures and landscaping around our home. Some simple steps you can take to do this include:
1. Trimming the Trees
If the leaves are starting to fall, this is a cue to trim the branches. If snow accumulates on the branches of trees, then the branches themselves could fall on the roof of the house. This can lead to a major home repair bill, so trim the branches now. If you need help, reach out to a local professional.
2. Cleaning the Gutters Regularly
With the leaves starting to fall outside, you need to make sure that the gutters can deal with rain, snow, and ice that might follow. Leaves are prone to clogging the gutters, which can impact the ability of water to drain from your roof. Therefore, keep the gutters clean. Otherwise, water could back up from the gutters onto the roof, causing it to leak. You want to prevent roof leaks from taking place, so make sure you maintain your gutters regularly.
3. Fixing the Walkway and Driveway
If there are cracks or crevices in the walkway or driveway, this is a major safety issue for both pedestrians and cars. These cracks and crevices can get even worse with ice and snow as the autumn season arrives. The moisture from snow or ice not only threatens to conceal these cracks, but can even make them worse. Repair any cracks before the winter weather arrives.
4. Focusing on Outdoor Electricity
Even though the temperature is going to drop, your home can still catch on fire. Inspect the outside of your home and look for frayed wires, exposed wires (that could be damaged by ice), and look for bird nests. Try to insulate the wires, bury them to hide them from the snow, and remove bird nests before they cause a spark to ignite.
5. Making the Home Non Slip
Slipping and falling on a slippery surface is never a pleasant experience. You can protect your guests from slipping by making the floors throughout your home non-slip. Many retailers offer certain coatings and finishes that you can apply to the floors throughout the home to reduce the chances of someone slipping and falling.
Fall Safety Tips for Inside the Home
Autumn often brings beautiful seasonal shifts around the country. The leaves change colors and we finally have the chance to enjoy a nice breeze from the cooler weather. Unfortunately, this cold weather can grow into a winter storm, forcing us to stay inside as piles of snow accumulates on our lawn. Cold weather can also threaten to freeze important household items, like our pipes.
Some easy tips for staying safe at home during fall include:
6. Preparing the Home Before Winter Storms Arrive
Even though there might not be any storms on the forecast yet, it doesn’t hurt to compile a list and stock up on what you’ll need to make sure your home is ready for harsh weather. This includes food and batteries, but also shovels and salt. This can help you deal with any ice that might land near your home. You should also make sure that your snowblower works well and that you have fuel for it.
7. Inspecting the Pipes
One of the major autumn safety tips that all homeowners need to address involves the pipes. With the temperatures starting to drop, the chances of a pipe freezing will go up. If the pipes are on the exterior wall, they have the greatest chance of freezing. It’s a good idea to add some extra insulation to these pipes to prevent a burst and costly water damage.
8. Considering the Lighting as it Gets Dark Earlier
It’s critical to make sure that the home is safe from burglars. As it gets dark earlier, this may lead to vulnerabilities around your property. You can eliminate this risk by adjusting your current lighting situation. For example, smart light bulbs often give you the ability to create a customized lighting schedule. This gives you the ability to illuminate your home, even when no one is home to deter the chances of someone breaking in.
9. Using Smart Technology to Keep the Home Safe
In addition, there are options for smart technology that can keep the home safe from burglars. By installing smart security cameras, doorbell cameras, and advanced alarm systems, this can significantly reduce the chances of someone breaking into the home. By making it harder for burglars to break into the building unnoticed, the home will be kept safe from those with bad intentions.
10. Checking the Home’s Ventilation
With more of us spending time indoors as the temperature drops outside, it’s important we check on the quality of our home’s ventilation. Make sure the filters are clean, as dirty filters can lead to a fire hazard. Particularly for those with chronic lung conditions, it’s critical to keep the HVAC system clean to prevent airborne particles from circulating in the air and interfering.
Count on ONIT for Year-Round Protection
These are a few of the simplest fall safety tips homeowners can follow to protect their homes this season. But unfortunately, danger can happen at any moment throughout the year. If you want to make sure that your home is secure from burglary or other unwanted visitors at any season, then rely on the professionals from ONIT Smart Security to protect your home.
We take great pride in our ability to pair our clients with the right technological devices that work with their budget. Our smart home security devices are designed with remote monitoring capabilities, making it easier to stay connected with home and your loved ones, no matter where you may be.
Contact us today to request a free quote and learn more about how we can help you!