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It’s the scariest night of the year, but with a little attention to safety, you can keep it fun and not frightful.
Halloween is one night of the year when your home may be most vulnerable to vandalism and property crime. Making sure your home is well-lit is one of the most important things you can do to protect it.
Here are a few tips for you to follow and a quiz to review safety with your kids. Boo!
Check outdoor lights and replace burned-out bulbs before Halloween night. You may also want to consider installing motion-sensor lights. Proper lighting not only discourages burglars and Halloween tricksters, it also helps to prevent falls and makes your home safer for everyone.
If you are putting up Halloween lights, make sure that all electric cables are safely out of the way. Also make sure that your lights are safe to use outside, and will not cause any problems should it happen to rain.
Since flickering lights and darkness are such a large part of Halloween, it could be difficult to see very clearly. Keep the area around your home clutter free. Put away any gardening implements or sharp tools that could cause a child, or even an adult to trip. Put away garden hoses, toys, and bikes. When putting out Halloween decorations for display, make sure to leave enough room for people to walk up to your door without bumping into them.
Avoid candles and live flames in your Halloween decorations. It is much simpler to replace them with LED or battery operated candles.
Remember that a lot of Halloween decorations are flammable. Make sure to keep your decorations away from all open flames. All heat sources such as light bulbs can also cause fires so exercise care.
If you are hosting a Halloween party for children inside your home, put away all the breakable stuff. Make sure there is sufficient light to see, as some children may not be familiar with the layout of your home.
If you’re not going to be home on Halloween night, turn off all lights to let trick-or-treaters know not to stop. Lock all doors and windows and set your home alarm system to make sure your home is safe.
Hugh Cairns welcomes your questions, comments and suggestions. Contact him through www.subject2homeinspections.com or interiorinfrared.com.
This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.
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