Winter Fire Safety Tips

Jodi Mayo Alessandri, For Somerville Aluminum 

With temperatures dipping close to zero degrees this week, remodeling contractor Somerville Aluminum would like to remind homeowners to be diligent about home heating and smoke alarm safety.

Home fires are the most common disaster the American Red Cross responds to, sending volunteers to the scene of fires at all hours of the day and night to help those affected. In 2013, one home structure fire was reported every 85 seconds, with home fires occurring most often in the winter season when people may use unsafe heat sources. With this in mind, Somerville Aluminum would like to provide the following safety tips:

• Keep all potential sources of fuel like paper, clothing, bedding or rugs at least three feet away from space heaters, stoves, or fireplaces.
• Portable heaters and fireplaces should never be left unattended. Turn off space heaters and make sure any embers in the fireplace are extinguished before going to bed or leaving home.
• If you must use a space heater, place it on a level, hard and nonflammable surface (such as ceramic tile floor), not on rugs or carpets or near bedding or drapes. Keep children and pets away from space heaters.
• When buying a space heater, look for models that shut off automatically if the heater falls over as another safety measure.
• Never use a cooking range or oven to heat your home.
• Keep fire in your fireplace by using a glass or metal fire screen large enough to catch sparks and rolling logs.
• Have wood and coal stoves, fireplaces, chimneys, and furnaces professionally inspected and cleaned once a year.
• Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, inside bedrooms and outside sleeping areas.
• Teach your children what smoke alarms sound like and what to do when they hear one.
• Once a month check whether each alarm in the home is working properly by pushing the test button.
• Replace batteries in smoke alarms at least once a year. Immediately install a new battery if an alarm chirps, warning the battery is low.
• Smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years. Never disable smoke or carbon monoxide alarms.
• Carbon monoxide alarms are not substitutes for smoke alarms. Know the difference between the sound of smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms.

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Eight Tips for a Supremely Organized Winter Garage

Mountains of snow on the horizon mean that shovels, snow blowers, skis and more are about to come out of the woodwork. Prepare appropriately for the daily use of winter equipment and gear by getting your garage in tip-top shape now. An organized garage that acts as a functional storage space will keep everything you need at hand, allowing you to move through chores and errands with efficiency and ease. Optimize your garage space by following the below tips from the pros.

Traditional Garage And Shed design by Minneapolis Architect Murphy & Co. Design

Plan accordingly. Before you make any move, assess your space carefully. Even if you want to do the dirty work yourself, you may want to call in a professional simply to help you create a working vision. “You want to understand exactly what your personal storage requirements are, and then design your garage accordingly to fit your needs,” says Jeff Murphy, president of Murphy and Co. Design “It’s amazing what a good design can do to the quality of life in your garage.”

Modern Garage And Shed design by Chicago Closets And Organization Pro Storage Systems

Avoid general floor storage. First rule of thumb: Keep the garage floor as clear as possible. “Snow melting off your car will make anything left out wet and muddy,” says Rozalia Kiss, design manager at transForm

Modern Garage And Shed design by Salt Lake City Closets And Organization Flow Wall System

Work your walls. Use all the wall space available; this not only keeps things off the floor, but also leaves optimal space for your car. “Consider a wall track system to hang shovels and other tools in an easy-to-reach place by the garage door,” says Kiss. “For heavy, bulky items such as winter sports equipment, install deep garage shelving with metal stiffeners.”

Other design

Look up for general storage. Running out of available wall space? Use the ceiling. “There are many great companies that specialize in simple garage storage, including overhead storage that can mount on your current ceiling,” Murphy says.

Modern Garage And Shed design by New York Closets And Organization transFORM | The Art of Custom Storage

Consider creating a gear closet. Murphy suggests creating a dedicated sports or gear closet out of a room accessed directly from the garage. “These spaces are simply a larger closet with shelves and open storage, which works great for unloading kids’ sports items right from a vehicle into a room where it doesn’t matter if it becomes wet or dirty,” he says. “This room is typically heated the same as the house.”

Modern Garage And Shed design by Salt Lake City Closets And Organization Flow Wall System

Hang racks for skis and snowboards. “Mounting a ski or snowboard rack on the wall is a nice way to keep the clutter down in the garage,” says Murphy. “It allows for a dedicated location to keep them off the floor and out of the way of tipping over.”

Contemporary Spaces design by Hawaii Closets And Organization Organized Hawaii

Keep sand and salt at hand. Use sliding wire baskets or install a tilt-out hamper for easy access to sand, salt and even (well-wrapped) birdseed. “This also helps to keep them protected, stored and off the floor all winter long,” says Kiss.

Eclectic Garage And Shed design by Salt Lake City Closets And Organization Flow Wall System

Install motion-sensor-activated and battery-powered LED lights. You never know when a winter storm might challenge your power, so it’s best to be prepared. “Motion-sense-activated and battery-powered LED lights help you find supplies in the event of a power outage and can be easily mounted under cabinets to illuminate countertops, and installed in drawers and closets,” says Kiss

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2012/11/27/8-tips-for-supremely-organized-winter-garage/#ixzz2EmrY9jXh

Article source: http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2012/11/27/8-tips-for-supremely-organized-winter-garage/ 

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