6 Tips For Making Sure Your New Home Is Safe For Your Family

Many people trust that the houses they rent or buy are safe, but unfortunately that’s not always the case. After moving into a new home, you should always take steps to ensure it’s safe for your family. In fact, it’s better to check for safety before signing a contract. Whether you have already moved in or not, here are six tips for making sure the home is safe for your family:

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Check the Fire Detectors

Always check that the fire detectors are working correctly and don’t need new batteries or replacement when you move into a new home. To test the smoke detector, ask a family member to stand as far away from the alarm as they can while staying inside the home. Then, press and hold the smoke detector’s test button. Wait a few seconds for the alarm to sound, and ask your family member if they could hear it from their spot in the house. If they couldn’t hear it, you should install an additional fire detector in another area of the home. This is a great way to make sure that you can be alerted of a fire from anywhere in your home.

Change the Locks

Something that most families don’t consider after moving into a new home is how many copies of the key exist from the previous owners. Perhaps the neighbors or ex boyfriends of the prior tenant has a key to the house. Although it’s unlikely someone would break into your house with the old key, it is still possible. Keep your family safe by changing the locks immediately.

Check the Quality of the Floor Joists

Another area that many families don’t think about after buying a new home is the quality of the floor joists. People are used to the floor supporting them as they walk inside a building. However, the floor in your new home is not necessarily safe. You can check if your floor is safe by analyzing the quality of the floor joists. Look under your house at the joists for signs of rotting or sagging.

Consider Having Floor Trusses Installed

You may want to consider having floor trusses installed, by places such as Prefab Technology Pty Ltd, for better support. Floor trusses are superior to floor joists because they have longer lifespans, come in uniform sizes, and are engineered products.

Test for Radon

Radon is a radioactive gas that can cause lung cancer. 1 in 15 homes, apartments counting as homes, have dangerous levels of radon. Therefore, you should test your new home for radon by purchasing a radon testing kit. These testing kits are usually inexpensive.

Install a Carbon Monoxide Detector

Unless your fire detector has a carbon monoxide detector in it, you should install a carbon monoxide detector in your new home as well. Just like radon, carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas that can harm you and your family. Low to moderate levels can cause flu-like symptoms. High levels of carbon monoxide are deadly.

There can be unknown dangers in a new home, such as harmful levels of odorless gases, weak floors, and copies of keys from former tenants. By implementing all of the tips listed above, you will make your new house much safer for your family.