As we welcome each new season here in Massachusetts, we also need to remain cognizant of things that impact home safety. Keeping a safe home reduces stress and costly homeowners insurance claims. Here are some summer home safety tips to keep in mind this year.
Garage Safety
During the summer months, you use your garage more often than at other times of year. From bikes to lawn toys and other summer gear, a lot goes on in and around your garage. To ensure a safe space for you and your family, here are some things that you can do:
- Set a designated area for bikes and other equipment. Make sure they do not present a tripping hazard, even when your car is parked inside.
- Keep the windows and doors locked at night. Don’t make it easy for burglars to access the equipment stored within, or better yet, to access the interior of your home.
- Test garage door safety mechanisms. Most have stopping mechanisms if a person, animal, or object crosses the beam while the door is moving. Additionally, the door should open when meeting resistance, to prevent a person or animal from getting crushed beneath it.
- If your garage door is older, make sure there is a safety cord within the coils. This prevents the coils from darting across the garage if it breaks.
Home Security
During summer months, you are more likely to leave your windows and doors open. It’s important not to get complacent about home security. Be sure to lock your windows and doors at night, even if you live in a safe neighborhoods. Many modern windows have tabs that prevent windows from opening too wide. This can be used not only for child safety but also to prevent burglars from easily sliding windows up to access your home. If you’re in the front of your home but have the back door unlocked, a burglar could easily sneak in without you knowing! Keep doors locked unless you are within the area. If you need to leave a door unlocked because your children are coming and going, consider installing a door chime. This alerts you every time the door opens or closes.
Child Safety
No summer is complete without water activities. Whether you have a small wading pool or a larger above or below ground pool, it’s essential that you keep your kids safe from them. Here are some practices and rules that can help:
- Never leave children unattended in a pool. It takes just seconds for a serious incident to occur.
- When not in use, place barriers around pool areas.
- Do not run in areas around the pool.
- Keep pool safety equipment nearby.
- Discuss pool safety with your children.
Summer Vacation Plans
Our list of summer home safety tips wouldn’t be complete without discussing summer vacation trips! As you prepare to leave for vacation, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the moment and forget about home safety. There’s nothing worst than returning from vacation only to find that your home has been burglarized. Here are a few things to improve home safety while you are away on vacation:
- Don’t tell everyone that you will be away.
- Don’t share your trip details or status on social media.
- Ask a neighbor to watch your home.
- Have the post office hold your mail.
- Install a security system.
- Put interior lights on a timer or app-controlled outlet.
By paying attention to safety and keeping the above summer home safety tips in mind, you will reduce potential issues and have more time and energy to focus on summer fun!