Every homeowner wants to sleep well at night, knowing their home is safe and sound for the health of their family. Yet, did you know there are hidden hazards lurking in your home that you may be unaware of? Check your house against the list of hazards below, and your home and health will thank you.
9-volt batteries: Even though they are useful and necessary for many electronic devices in the home, 9-volt batteries can ignite when coming in contact with anything metal. You may want to make sure your 9-volts are stored separately, or that they come with small plastic caps that you can use to keep them safe.
Hidden Gas Lines: Older homes, particularly ones that were built between 1860-1920, were all once fitted with natural gas lines to supply lighting in the home. As modern electricity improved these lines should have been capped off or converted, but many lines are still active today. Have a home inspector double check these lines to ensure they are dealt with properly.
Carbon Monoxide Levels: This is an odorless and tasteless gas that can be extremely dangerous when levels are high in the home. Have your heating appliances maintained regularly and install detectors on every floor to prevent levels of carbon monoxide from rising in your home.
Ionized smoke detectors: According to realtor.com, over 90% of smoke detectors found in the U.S. are ionized detectors. Unfortunately these detectors are less reliable when it comes to detecting slow burning fires, and lack of reacting can lead to major house damage or worse. Consumers should look for photoelectric detectors when purchasing detectors for their home.
Lightwood truss construction: This type of construction uses metal gussets to join trusses instead of screws or bolts, but unfortunately they are susceptible to heat and fire. When the home heats up the gussets pop off, leading to a collapsed structure. Installing a proper sprinkler system above these structures can aid in fire prevention.
Worried about potential hazards in your home? Luckily, there are ways to cope and deal with these problems. You can check out the Green and Healthy Homes Initiatives website for tips and resources to combat these hidden hazards and put your mind at ease.
