Chimney Safety: Protecting Your Home and Family
A fireplace exudes warmth, comfort and a sense of nostalgia. However, behind this cozy image lies a potential source of danger if not properly maintained and used. Chimney safety is paramount to ensure not only the longevity of your chimney but also the safety of your home and loved ones. In this essay, we will delve into the critical aspects of chimney safety and discuss the measures every homeowner should take to prevent accidents and maintain a secure living environment.
A Clear Path to Pure: The Importance of Water Quality Testing for Homes
In the comfort of our homes, we often take for granted the water that flows from our taps. It’s easy to assume that the water we use for drinking, cooking, and bathing is clean and safe. However, ensuring the quality of your home’s water is a responsibility that shouldn’t be overlooked. In this blog, we will explore the significance of water quality testing for homes, the potential contaminants you should be aware of, and the steps you can take to maintain a healthy water supply for you and your loved ones.
Understanding Water Quality Testing
Water quality testing for homes involves analyzing your tap water to assess its chemical, physical, and microbiological characteristics. This process helps identify any potential contaminants that may affect the water’s safety for consumption and daily use. While many municipalities treat and deliver safe drinking water, various factors can impact the quality of water as it travels through pipes and into your home. (more…)
Barbecue Safety
During barbeque season, homeowners should heed the following safety precautions in order to keep their families and properties safe.
- Propane grills present an enormous fire hazard, as the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is aware of more than 500 fires that result annually from their misuse or malfunction. The following precautions are recommended specifically when using propane grills:
- Store propane tanks outdoors and never near the grill or any other heat source. In addtion, never store or transport them in your car’s trunk.
- Make sure to completely turn off the gas after you have finished, or when you are changing that tank. Even a small gas leak can cause a deadly explosion.
- Check for damage to the tank before refilling it, and only buy propane from reputable suppliers.
- Check for damage to the tank before refilling it, and only buy propane from reputable suppliers.
- Never use a propane barbecue grill on a terrace, balcony or roof, as this is dangerous and illegal.
- No more than two 20-pound propane tanks are allowed on the propety of a one- or two-family home.
- To check for a leak, spray a soapy solution over the connections and watch for bubbles. If you see evidence of a leak, reconnect the components and try again. If bubbles persist, replace the leaking parts before using the grill
- Make sure connections are secure before turning on the gas, especially if the grill hasn’t been used in months. The most dangerous time to use a propane grill is at the beginning of the barbecue season.
- Ignite a propane grill with the lid open, not closed. Propane can accumulate beneath a closed lid and explode
- When finished, turn off the gas first, and then the controls. This way, residual gas in the pipe will be used up
Bump Keys
What Is a Bump Key?
Most people think a locked door affords them security, but to anyone who knows how to use a bump key, a door lock is just a minor inconvenience.
Bump keys are keys cut to a special design that will allow them to be used for picking pin-tumbler locks. Pin-tumbler locks are the world’s most popular lock and these include exterior door entry locks for homes. The process of gaining entry using a bump key is called “bumping’, and it can be very effective.
All the cuts on a bump key are made to the maximum depth, so any key blank can be made into a bump key. Bump keys are manufacturer-specific. So, a full set of bump keys would include one for each of the major lockset manufacturers.
Home Security- Exterior
Burglar-Resistant Homes
There are a number of measures that homeowners can take to ensure that their homes are not attractive to burglars.
According to a survey, burglars tend to enter home through the following locations:
- 81% enter through the first floor
- 34% enter through the front door
- 23% enter through a first-floor window
- 22% enter through the back door
- 9% enter through the garage
- 4% enter through the basement
- 4% enter through an unlocked entrance
- 2% enter through a storage area
- 2% enter from somewhere on the second floor
How Much Snow Can a Roof Hold?
Unusual amounts of snow lead to many things—stalled cars, snowball fights, and airport closings. They also lead to many homeowner concerns over the roof’s ability to hold the weight. Find out what you can do to identify or prevent problems.
By Steven Fox
When weather stations predict frigid temperatures and record snowfall, concerns rise that roofs may not make it the full season but instead collapse under the strain of a surprising snow load. If it’s your first winter with your current roof (new or old), you may be trying to assess the situation for the season. How much snow can a roof hold, anyway? And are there steps you can take to avoid a worst-case scenario?
Holiday Electrical Safety Tips
As the holidays draw near, many people will begin bringing out their Christmas lights and icicles hidden in storage units to hang them up in celebration of the holidays. Perhaps you are this year’s host of the annual dinner or having a Christmas sleepover with the entire family. Remember, no matter what celebrations you will be hosting this year, safety is always the number priority. You do not want an electrical shortage, fire, or worse—a serious injury. (more…)
Fireplace Maintenance and Safety

Harmony Weihs
Enjoying a warm, cozy fire requires a clean, safe fireplace. Here are some tips for keeping it that way:
A Fall Checklist of 10 Things You Gotta Do Before Winter Sets In
By John Riha
When the last of summer’s heat is a faint memory, and you’re pulling out your hoodies more than your shorts, it’s time to tackle a few simple chores that’ll make winter more pleasant and prevent some nasty surprises next spring.
This fall checklist helps: