Ultimate Guide to Home Repair and Improvement, Updated Edition E-Book

Editors of Creative Homeowner

• Herausgeber: Creative Homeowner
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019

Seitenzahl: 1256

Beschreibung

The most complete home improvement manual on the market, this book offers more than 2,300 photos, 800 drawings, and understandable, practical text. Readers will find essential instruction on plumbing and electrical repairs, heating and cooling, roofing and siding, cabinets and countertops, and more. Information is also provided on tools, materials, and basic skills, plus 325 step-by-step projects with how-to photo sequences. The Ultimate Guide to Home Repair & Improvement also includes a remodeling guide and a resource guide. Top to bottom, inside and out, this is the single, ultimate resource book for home projects and repairs."This manual is highly recommended"—Library Journal"The definitive 'how to' reference and instructional guide for anyone seeking to re-model, renovate, repair, or maintain any aspect of their residence"— Midwest Book Review 

Leseprobe

Safety

Though all the designs and methods in this book have been reviewed for safety, it is not possible to overstate the importance of using the safest construction methods you can. What follows are reminders—some do’s and don’ts of work safety. They are not substitutes for your own common sense.

♦ Always use caution, care, and good judgment when following the procedures described in this book.

♦ Always be sure that the electrical setup is safe, that no circuit is overloaded, and that all power tools and outlets are properly grounded. Do not use power tools in wet locations.

♦ Always read container labels on paints, solvents, and other products; provide ventilation; and observe all other warnings.

♦ Always read the manufacturer’s instructions for using a tool, especially the warnings.

♦ Use hold-downs and push sticks whenever possible when working on a table saw. Avoid working short pieces if you can.

♦ Always remove the key from any drill chuck (portable or press) before starting the drill.

♦ Always pay deliberate attention to how a tool works so that you can avoid being injured.

♦ Always know the limitations of your tools. Do not try to force them to do what they were not designed to do.

♦ Always make sure that any adjustment is locked before proceeding. For example, always check the rip fence on a table saw or the bevel adjustment on a portable saw before starting to work.

♦ Always clamp small pieces to a bench or other work surface when using a power tool on them.

♦ Always wear the appropriate rubber or work gloves when handling chemicals, moving or stacking lumber, or doing heavy construction.

♦ Always wear a disposable face mask when you create dust by sawing or sanding. Use a special filtering respirator when working with toxic substances and solvents.

♦ Always wear eye protection, especially when using power tools or striking metal on metal or concrete; a chip can fly off, for example, when chiseling concrete.

♦ Never work while wearing loose clothing, hanging hair, open cuffs, or jewelry.

♦ Always be aware that there is seldom enough time for your body’s reflexes to save you from injury from a power tool in a dangerous situation; everything happens too fast. Be alert!

♦ Always keep your hands away from the business ends of blades, cutters, and bits.

♦ Always hold a circular saw firmly, usually with both hands so that you know where they are.

♦ Always use a drill with an auxiliary handle to control the torque when large-size bits are used.

♦ Always check your local building codes when planning new construction. The codes are intended to protect public safety and should be observed to the letter.

♦ Never work with power tools when you are tired or under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

♦ Never cut tiny pieces of wood or pipe using a power saw. Always cut small pieces off larger pieces.

♦ Never change a saw blade or a drill or router bit unless the power cord is unplugged. Do not depend on the switch being off; you might accidentally hit it.

♦ Never work in insufficient lighting.

♦ Never work with dull tools. Have them sharpened, or learn how to sharpen them yourself.

♦ Never use a power tool on a workpiece—large or small—that is not firmly supported.

♦ Never saw a workpiece that spans a large distance between sawhorses without close support on each side of the cut; the piece can bend, closing on and jamming the blade, causing saw kickback.

♦ Never support a workpiece from underneath with your leg or other part of your body when sawing.

♦ Never carry sharp or pointed tools, such as utility knives, awls, or chisels, in your pocket. If you want to carry such tools, use a special-purpose tool belt with leather pockets and holders.

Table of Contents

About this Book

1 HOME EMERGENCIES

Weather-Related Emergencies

Emergencies Around the House

2 SAFETY & SECURITY

Security Basics

Door & Window Locks

Strengthening Doors

Security Systems

Fire Safety

Childproofing

Environmental Hazards

Universal Design

3 REMODELING GUIDE

Planning

Hiring

Making Contracts

Supervising

Dealing with Disputes

4 TOOLS

Basic Power Tools

Basic Hand Tools

5 FASTENERS & ADHESIVES

Nails

Screws

Bolts

Fasteners

Framing Hardware

Adhesives & Caulk

6 MASONRY

Tools & Materials

Concrete

Formwork

Block

Brick

Stone

Masonry Repairs

7 ELECTRICAL

Power Distribution

Wiring Systems

Safety Measures

Circuit Breakers

Boxes & Connectors

Conduit

Wiring Basics

Wiring Paths

Adding a New Circuit

Wiring Receptacles

Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters

Wiring Switches

Lighting Fixtures

Specialty Wiring

Phone Wiring

Wiring Appliances

Safety Devices

Outdoor Lighting

8 PLUMBING

Basics

Tools

Working with Pipe

Sinks & Faucets

Faucet Repairs

Installing Sinks & Faucets

Toilets

Tubs & Showers

Water Heaters

Pumps

Appliances

Water & Waste Treatment

Sump Pumps & Wells

Fixture Improvements

Solving Problems

9 INSULATION

Thermal Protection

Types & Applications

Installation

Blown-in

Cold Spots

10 HEATING

Basic Systems

Basic Installation

Basic Maintenance

Space Heaters

Stoves & Fireplaces

Humidifying

11 COOLING

Systems

Window Units

In-Wall Units

Maintenance

Indoor Air Quality

Dehumidifiers & Thermostats

12 VENTILATION

Foundations

Baths

Kitchen & Laundry

Whole-House Ventilation

Roofing

13 FLOORS & STAIRS

Preparing Old Floors

Solid Wood

Engineered-Wood Flooring

Wood-Floor Repairs

Refinishing

Resilient Flooring

Tile Floors

Finishing & Trim

Carpet

Stairs

14 WALLS & CEILINGS

Materials

Paneling

Drywall

Painting

Wallpaper

Wall Tile

Glass & Mirrors

Soundproofing

Ceilings

15 TRIMWORK

Basics

Crown Molding

Base Trim

Window & Door Casings

Wall Frames

Wainscoting

Chair Rails & Plate Rails

16 CABINETS & COUNTERS

Tools & Materials

Basic Techniques

Cabinet Construction

Installing Cabinets

Doors

Drawers

Laminate Counters

Solid Counters

Finishing

Resurfacing Cabinets

Cabinet Repairs

Cabinet Specialties

17 SHELVING & STORAGE

Basic Assembly

Shelf Supports

Basic Built-Ins

Closets

Utility Storage

Storage Options

18 ROOFING

Tools & Equipment

Design Options

Flat Roofs

Asphalt Shingles

Slate

Masonry

Wood Shingles & Shakes

Metal

Skylights & Roof Windows

Flashing

Climate Control

Gutters & Leaders

19 SIDING

Tools & Materials

Panel Siding

Clapboard Siding

Shingles & Shakes

Wood-Siding Repairs

Brick & Stone

Stucco

Masonry-Siding Repairs

Vinyl & Metal

Vinyl & Metal Repairs

Re-siding

Finishing New Siding

Fixing Paint Problems

Repainting

20 WINDOWS & DOORS

Window Basics

Energy Efficiency

Installing New Windows

Window Trim

Replacement Windows

Basic Repairs & Improvement

Storms & Screens

Door Basics

Installing Doors

Weatherproofing

Interior Doors

Door Repairs

Door Hardware

Garage Doors

21 DECKS, PATIOS & WALKS

Decks

Walk Design & Layout

Concrete Walks

Bricks & Pavers

Stone & Interlocking Systems

Gravel & Surface Systems

Drives

22 UNFINISHED SPACE

Attics

Basements

Garages

Small Spaces

23 CANADIAN CODE

Plumbing & Electrical

General Construction

Glossary

Index

Photo Credits

Metric Conversion

To find over 300 how-to projects, turn the page.

Table of Projects

MONEY-SAVING PROJECTS ARE IN BLUE.ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY PROJECTS ARE LISTED IN GREEN.

2 SAFETY & SECURITY

Fixing Common Lock Problems

Installing a Peephole

Strengthening Frames

Installing a Dead Bolt

Hard-Wiring a Detector

5 FASTENERS & ADHESIVES

Toenailing

One-Hand Nailing

Cat’s Paw Pulling

Adding Wood Bracing

Adding Metal Bracing

6 MASONRY

Pouring a Patio

Testing Concrete

Forming a Curved Corner

Repairing Cracks

Building Formless Piers

Building Formed Footings

Cutting Block

Laying Block

Patching Block

Buttering Blocks

Replacing Block

Cutting Brick

Mortaring Bricks

Laying Brick

Laying Face Stone

Shaping Stone

Laying Full Stone

Patching Steps

Patching Stucco

7 ELECTRICAL

Cutting off Power

Fixing a Cord

Testing Fuses

Stripping Cable Sheathing

Fastening Cable

Attaching Wires

Capping Wires

Fishing Connections

Installing Surface Wiring

Fishing Cable from Below the Floor

Fishing Cable Across a Ceiling

Installing an Outlet

Wiring a GFCI Outlet

Wiring a Three-Way Switch

Single-Pole Switch

Wiring a Single-Pole Dimmer Switch

Installing a Ceiling Box

Installing a Fluorescent Fixture

Installing a Ceiling-Mounted Fixture

Installing Track-Mounted Lighting

Installing a Chandelier

Installing Vanity Lighting

Installing a Recessed Light Fixture

Installing a Transformer

Fixing a Doorbell

Replacing a Thermostat

Wiring a Telephone Jack

Direct-Wiring a Dishwasher

Wiring a Waste-Disposal Unit

Ceiling Fan or Light

Ducted Range Hood

Radiant Floor Heating

Installing a Dryer Receptacle

Wiring Smoke Detectors

Hardwiring Carbon Monoxide (CO) Detectors

Installing a Floodlight

Extending Power Outdoors

Installing UF Cable

Installing an Outdoor Receptacle

Installing Low-Voltage Wiring

8 PLUMBING

Installing Pipe through Joists

Running Pipe

Connecting Plastic

Connecting Copper

Making Flared Fittings

Tying Into Old Cast Iron

Unblocking a Cleanout

Installing a Sink

Fixing a Seat Washer

Replacing an O-Ring

Repairing a Packing Washer

Repairing Ball-Type Faucets

Repairing a Kitchen Cartridge Faucet

Repairing a Two-Handle Cartridge Faucet

Repairing a Single-Handle Cartridge Faucet

Fixing a Leak in a Ceramic-Disk Faucet

Repairing a Two-Handle Ceramic-Disk Faucet

Replacing a Spray Attachment

Repairing a Two-Handle Faucet Spout

Repairing a Single-Handle Faucet Spout

Reaching Recessed Faucets

Fixing Single-Handle Tub & Shower Faucets

Removing the Drain

Installing a New Bathroom Faucet & Drain

Removing the Wall-Hung Bathroom Sink

Installing the Cabinet & Top

Installing a Sink in a Plywood Top

Attaching Drain Fittings to the New Sink

Installing a Metal-Rim Sink

Attaching the Faucet

Installing a Freestanding Laundry Sink

Connecting the Water

Upgrading a Water Closet

Fixing a Running Pressure-Assisted Toilet

Cleaning a Bacteria-Clogged Toilet

Removing Grit from the Diaphragm

Replacing a Tank Ball

Replacing a Flapper

Replacing a Flush Valve

Replacing a Fill Valve

Flush-Valve Cartridge

Taking Up and Resetting a Toilet

Installing a New Toilet

Fixing a Faucet

Replacing a Tub Drain Assembly

Replacing a Tub-Shower Faucet

Installing a Cast-Iron Tub

Installing a Shower Stall

Installing an Instant Hot-Water Dispenser

Changing an Anode Rod

Maintaining the Burner & Thermocouple

Troubleshooting the Wiring & Thermostat

Replacing a Gas-Fired

Water Heater

Installing an Electric Water Heater

Installing a Recirculating System

Removing an Old Dishwasher

Installing a New Dishwasher

Installing a Sediment Filter

Removing a Waste-Disposal Unit

Installing a Waste-Disposal Unit

Restarting a Jammed Waste-Disposal Unit

Installing a Sump Pump

Installing a Water Softener

Replacing a Leaking Pressure Tank

Replacing a Showerhead

Reglazing a Tub

Tub Surrounds

Relining a Tub

Anti-Scald Faucets

Installing an Anti-Freeze Faucet

Temporary Repairs

Quieting Noisy Pipes

Clearing a Waste-Line Clog

Clearing a Tub Clog

9 INSULATION

Insulating Foundation Exteriors

Insulating Foundation Interiors

Insulating Crawl Spaces

Insulating Walls

Insulating Ceilings

Insulating Roofs

Insulating Existing Walls

Insulating Attics

10 HEATING

Baseboard Convectors

Furnace Maintenance

Installing Toe-Space Heaters

Installing Wall Heaters

Installing a Masonry Fireplace

Installing a Humidifier

11 COOLING

Installing a Window Unit

Installing an In-Wall Unit

Basic Cleaning

Cleaning Ducts

Servicing a Dehumidifier

12 VENTILATION

Installing Foundation Vents

Installing Bath Vents

Installing Timer Switches

Installing Dryer Vents

Installing Whole-House Fans

Installing Ceiling Fans

Installing Strip-Grille Vents

Installing Roof Vents

Installing Gable Vents

Installing Ridge Vents

13 FLOORS & STAIRS

Removing Old Trim

Installing Solid-Wood Flooring

Preparing Floors

Installing Floating Floors

Laying Parquet Floors

Removing Stains

Replacing Boards

Six Ways to Stop Squeaks

Plugging

Refinishing Wood Floors

Installing Sheet Flooring

Repairing Tile Floors

Installing Tile

Replacing Tiles

Installing Baseboards

Installing Carpet

Patching Carpet

Spot Patching

Tuft Patching

Adding Pull-Down Stairs

Carpeting Stairs

Tightening Balusters

Replacing Balusters

14 WALLS & CEILINGS

Installing Panels

Replacing an Interlocked Plank

Patching Paneling

Scribing Joints

Installing Drywall

Cutting for Outlets

Finishing Panel Seams

Finishing Corners

Fixing Small Holes

Fixing Large Holes

Fixing Corners

Preparing Walls

Painting Walls

Repainting Trim

Spot-Painting Patches

Making Spot Repairs

Stripping Old Wallpaper

Hanging Wallpaper

Installing Tile

Replacing Tile

Restoring Bath Tile

Installing Glass Blocks

Mounting Mirrors

Making Sound-Absorbing Walls

Installing a False Beam

Installing a Suspended Ceiling

15 TRIMWORK

Biscuit Joinery

Back-Cutting Joints

Coping Joints

Installing Molded Trim

Installing Crown Molding

Installing Three-Piece Base Trim

Making a Scarf Joint

Assembling a Jamb

Installing Simple Colonial Casing

Installing Wall Frames

Installing Sheet Paneling

Installing Wainscoting

Milling and Installing a Plate Rail

Installing a Chair Rail

16 CABINETS & COUNTERS

Cutting & Edging Plywood

Doweling

Cutting Dadoes

Making Biscuit Joints

Wall Preparation

Installing Wall Cabinets

Installing Base Cabinets

Installing Metal Guides

Cutting Dovetails

Installing Wood Guides

Installing Post-Form Counters

Installing Sinks

Installing Laminate

Installing Tile

Retrimming Bases

Refacing Cabinets

Installing a Pullout Platform

17 SHELVING & STORAGE

Making Wide Plywood Shelves

Reinforcing Shelves

Hanging Wood-Framed Standards

Plugging

Filling Holes

Constructing a Built-In Shelving Unit

Framing a Closet

Attaching Casters

Assembling a Wall System

18 ROOFING

Repairing a Flat Roof

Installing Asphalt Shingles

Shingle Repair

Preparing for Reroofing

Installing Double-Layer Roll Roofing

Working with Slate

Repairing Slate

Repairing Clay Tile

Repairing Concrete Tile

Installing Wood Roofing

Repairing Shingles & Shakes

Two Ways to Repair Metal Roofs

Installing a Skylight

Installing Step Flashing

Flashing Repairs

Repairing Gutters

19 SIDING

Installing Panels

Installing Clapboard

Installing Shingles

Repairing Bows

Replacing Shingles

Repairing Panels

Repairing Clapboards

Setting Veneer Stone

Setting Face Brick

Installing Stucco

Replacing Brick

Repairing Stucco

Installing Vinyl

Repairing Vinyl

Repairing Aluminum

Painting Aluminum

Re-siding over Existing Siding

Flashing Windows

Finishing New Siding

Repainting

20 WINDOWS & DOORS

Installing a Window in New Construction

Installing Window Trim

Installing an Upgraded Replacement Window

Cutting Glass & Plexiglas

Replacing Glass

Removing an Old Sash

Improving Windows by Using Friction Channels

Installing Heat-Shrink Plastic

Replacing Screens

Screening Frames

Installing a Prehung Door

Installing a Door Shoe

Replacing a Threshold

Installing an Interior Door

Repairing a Slider

Adjusting a Closet Door

Refinishing Metal

Installing a Privacy Lock

Installing a Garage-Door Opener

21 DECKS, PATIOS & WALKS

Installing Girders

Setting Joist Hangers

Installing Stairs

Installing Railings

Forming Curves

Forming Walks

Finishing Concrete

Edges & Joints

Cracks & Breaks

Installing a Paver Patio

Laying Stone Pavers

Forming a Gravel Walk

Building a Boardwalk

Installing In-Ground Steps

Replacing Expansion Joints

Cleaning Concrete

Repairing Asphalt

Sealing Asphalt

22 UNFINISHED SPACE

Strengthening Attic Floor Joists

Sealing a Floor

Covering Basement Walls

Fixing Water Leaks

Installing a Garage Entry Door

Patching & Leveling Floors

About this Book

Think of the Ultimate Guide: Home Repair and Improvement as an owner’s manual for your house—a comprehensive guide that you can turn to any time to help you with day-to-day home repair and maintenance. It is also a valuable source for information on larger, more involved home improvements, such as kitchen and bathroom upgrades.

Inside, you’ll find 600 pages of helpful information that covers your house from top to bottom, inside and out. We’ve laid out the full spectrum of home repair and improvement in 23 chapters that cover tools and materials, home remodeling, outdoor living areas, and every part of the building, including the foundation, the framing, the mechanical systems—the works.

Home improvement is a big subject, and experienced do-it-yourselfers know it can sometimes be complicated. Ultimate Guide: Home Repair and Improvement helps seasoned homeowners make sense of the subject and further their skills, but you don’t need to be an accomplished do-it-yourselfer to use it. You’ll find the information you need in sensible text that takes the time to cover the basics. It also offers money- and time-saving tips, explains your options, and shows you what to do using more than 3,300 photographs and illustrations.

There are 325 step-by-step projects that run the gamut from simple repairs, such as fixing a stuck window, to major improvements, such as installing replacement windows. In addition, you’ll find help with plumbing, heating, cooling, and electrical systems with how-to photo sequences that focus in on the information you need. This latest edition includes updated information on energy-efficient products and building techniques as well as updates on plumbing and electrical work.

Ultimate Guide: Home Repair and Improvement conveys all of this information in a number of informative and entertaining ways—many of which are shown below—including step-by-step projects, detailed drawings, and informative photographs.

Throughout the book you will find “Green Solutions,” which are tips and projects to help you make earth-friendly choices when selecting products and using techniques to improve your home. “Money Savers” alert you to the opportunity to make a repair or improvement that will save you money in the long run—even if a pro does the work for you. For example, repairing a few damaged roofing shingles to stop a leak is a lot cheaper, and quicker, than a total reroofing project. You will find both highlighted in either green type for “Green Solutions” or blue type for “Money Savers” in the “Table of Projects,” pages 6–7 and at the beginning of each chapter.

You will also find a few special sections that you won’t find in most home how-to books, but which cover important aspects of owning a home. One is the “Remodeling Guide,” beginning on page 34, a special photo-illustrated section that covers the ins and outs of contracts, contractors, building codes, payment schedules—everything you need to know to successfully manage your own remodeling project.

Throughout the book you’ll also find reminders on working safely—a key part of any project. A glossary on page 582 helps explain terms used in repair and remodeling.

All in all, the Ultimate Guide: Home Repair and Improvement is about how a house works, what you can do to improve it, what can go wrong, and what you can do about fixing it. You’re sure to find yourself turning to it again and again as you make your house a home. Best of luck with your projects!

Main Features and Other Elements

1Home Emergencies

WEATHER-RELATED EMERGENCIES

♦ Preparedness

♦ Severe Weather

♦ No Power, No Problem?

♦ Water, Water Everywhere

EMERGENCIES AROUND THE HOUSE

♦ Fire! Are You Safe?

♦ Making Accidents Preventable

♦ Making Wiring Safer

♦ Dealing with the Aftermath

WEATHER-RELATED EMERGENCIES

Preparedness

Not every emergency can be prepared for, but if you live in an area prone to hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, or tornadoes, you should have basic emergency supplies on hand, and your family should be aware of what steps to take when disaster strikes.

Hurricanes. The National Hurricane Center recommends that those living in low-lying areas have an evacuation plan. Find out about the best routes from your local police or Red Cross chapter. Also plan for emergency communication, such as contacting a friend out of the storm area, in case family members are separated. Listen to the radio or TV for warnings, check your emergency supplies, and fuel the car. Bring in outdoor objects such as lawn furniture, and close shutters or install plywood before the storm arrives. Unplug appliances, cut off the main circuit breaker, and turn off the main water-supply valve. If time permits, elevate furniture to protect it against flooding.

Tornadoes. Have a place ready where you can take shelter—if you don’t have a basement, find a windowless spot on the ground floor, such as a bathroom or a closet under stairs. As tornadoes usually happen with little warning, each family member should know the danger signs, where your emergency supplies are, and what to do in case of a power outage or gas leak.

Earthquakes. If you live in an earthquake zone, have all shelves fastened securely to your walls, and store heavy or breakable items close to the floor. During an earth-quake, the safest place in your home (according to FEMA) is under a piece of heavy furniture or against an inside wall, away from windows or furniture that may topple.

Survival Tips. If you plan to ride out a storm, have basic emergency supplies on hand, including flashlights and extra batteries, a battery-operated radio, first-aid kit, extra nonperishable food and water, essential medicines, and a cell phone. Turn the refrigerator to its coldest setting, and open and close it only when necessary. Store drinking water in jugs and bottles—and in clean bathtubs.

Your basic emergency kit should include a first-aid kit, flashlights and extra batteries, bottled water, and a portable radio.

Severe Weather

Severe storms are quantified by their power and the damage they do—like the Richter scale for the force of an earthquake. Hurricanes, for example, are measured according to the Saffir-Simpson scale, which predicts five levels of damage you can expect as storm winds rise from 74 miles per hour (when hurricane warnings are issued) to over 155 mph. Often, it’s a combination of wind and rain that causes damage, particularly to roofs.

Temporary Roof Repairs. It’s natural to try to patch an active leak but unwise to work on a wet roof in bad weather. There are exceptions: mainly, if the house has a low-sloped or flat roof that you wouldn’t roll off even if you slipped. When you can work safely, temporarily stem roof leaks with roof cement (not roof coating). On standard shingles, flashing, roll roofing, and even built-up flat roofs, pry apart the leaking seam, and fill the opening with the thick tar. Then, push the shingle seam or flashing edge back in place, and add another thick layer of tar on top. If a shingle tab (the exposed section) has blown off, cover the area with tar, particularly exposed nailheads on the shingle layers below, and weave in a cover layer—if you don’t have spare shingles, a piece of tarpaper or even a plastic bag will work—to maintain the system of overlapping edges that shed water.

Clearing Bottlenecks. To help prevent damage, it pays to regularly check and clear gutters and downspouts, particularly the S-shaped offset fitting that directs water from roof overhangs back toward the building leader board. These fittings typically are held in place with sheet-metal screws, which you need to remove to gain access for cleaning.

De-icing. To prevent gutters and drains from becoming laden with ice during a winter storm, you can install UL-approved electric heat cables equipped with built-in thermostats that trigger a power flow when temperatures drop to the freezing point. Once the drainage system freezes, ice dams can form on the roof edge.

An early storm warning can allow time to pack up essentials and batten down the house with plywood or boards.

No Power, No Problem?

The best way to know what you’ll need is to remember what you most missed last time there was an outage. For example, in a house with a well and only a small holding tank, you might miss water more than lights, which can be replaced temporarily by candles.

Conserving Heat. In winter, conserve heat during an outage by making only the quickest entries and exits through exterior doors and opening drapes and blinds to winter sun for solar heat gain during the day. If power goes out at night, drape blankets over windows to provide more insulation. Stay in the warmest room, normally on the south side of the house, and insulate the space from colder areas by hanging blankets over hallways.

Automatic Lighting. To avoid a maddening search for a flashlight with good batteries, use a recharging flashlight. Leave it plugged into an outlet, and when the power goes off, the light will turn on automatically so that you can see where it is. Remove the unit, and use it as a portable flashlight.

Portable Generators. A home generator is handy for an area with frequent power outages or for anyone who relies on electricity for their water or heat. To prepare a generator to run your lights and outlets, have an electrician install a transfer panel at your main service panel (the main circuit-breaker box where electricity enters the house). With this kind of hookup, you can supply limited power through your normal house wiring. Without a transfer panel, you need to string extension cords from the generator and plug the refrigerator, well pump, and a few lights directly into the unit. Remember, never run a gas-powered generator in the house or garage. Its exhaust fumes can be lethal.

Restarts. Before you resume the normal operation of appliances after a power outage has ended, check the manufacturer’s restart instructions. Some, particularly older furnaces and water heaters, may require a specific sequence in order to restart safely.

Install a battery-powered flashlight at stairwells. It charges when power is on and lights automatically when power fails.

Water, Water Everywhere

The natural impulse after your house is flooded is to remove as much water as quickly as you can. But after a major flood, you should resist the impulse, and drain the water slowly.

Pumping Out Water. The hidden danger is that the ground outside the foundation wall is saturated and pressing against the masonry with the potential force of a mudslide. In extreme cases, several feet of water inside the wall pressing in the opposite direction may be the only thing preventing a collapse. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), you should wait until water on the ground outside begins to drain away before pumping out the basement. Even then, you should reduce the level only 2 or 3 feet the first day. Remember, don’t use a gasoline-powered generator or pump inside the house because it releases deadly carbon monoxide fumes.

Sump Pumps. Check your sump pump; it can prevent major damage from flooding. Many models turn on when a float rises along a wire as water rises in the sump hole. If the sump hasn’t kicked in recently, the float can seize in place. Run it up and down a few times to make sure that the sump, and everything else in the basement, won’t wind up submerged.

Foundation Repairs. Interior surface patches won’t work on foundations because leaks have a wall of water behind them—sometimes massive hydrostatic pressure from a yard of compacted dirt that has turned to mud. But there is one material, hydraulic cement, which has the potential to stem an active leak through masonry. The dense cement mix should be forced into wet cracks, packed in layer after layer, and held in place with a cover board. Even if water continues to flow, the mix will harden and swell as it sets up. If you pack the crack tightly, the swelling mix fills nooks and crannies and can stop the leak.

On many building sites, flood waters from heavy rains can fill basements and rise close to window height.

EMERGENCIES AROUND THE HOUSE

Fire! Are You Safe?

The most important fire protection is a working smoke detector. Next is a fully charged ABC-rated extinguisher you can use against any type of home fire. For fireplaces and stoves, use a special chimney extinguisher. Most look like a road flare. You remove a striking cap, ignite the stick, and toss it into the fireplace or wood stove. It can suppress a fire in the chimney by displacing oxygen needed for combustion with a large volume of noncombustible gas.

Smoke Detectors. If your smoke detectors are battery-powered, change the batteries on a set schedule. There are also hard-wired smoke detectors that run off house current (with battery back-ups). Many building codes require hard-wired detectors. Install at least one smoke detector on every level of the home, and one in an open area near bedrooms.

Chimneys. Have a chimney sweep inspect chimneys, even if you use a fireplace only occasionally. Sweeps have the tools to dislodge hardened creosote, a by-product of incomplete combustion that can reignite and start fires. You can make an unlined flue safer with one of the proprietary masonry mix systems that forms a fire-safe shell inside the flue or by running code-approved stainless steel exhaust duct through the chimney.

Extinguishers. Mount extinguishers near points where fires may start—say, one in the kitchen and one at the entrance to the utility room that houses a gas-fired furnace, water heater, and clothes dryer. Check the pressure dials to make sure extinguishers are fully charged.

Escape Routes. For maximum safety, particularly with children in the house, make sure you establish an evacuation plan with two ways out of every room, and walk children through the routes so they know what to do in an emergency.

Emergency Numbers. Post telephone numbers of local fire, police, and emergency services. Use an extinguisher against small, spot fires, but don’t try to fight large, developing fires; leave the house, and call the fire department.

Your best protection against property loss and injury from fire is a smoke detector. Push the test button to check it.

Making Accidents Preventable

Every year, 18,000 people are killed by poisonings, falls, and other common household accidents. More than 13 million others are seriously injured at home in preventable accidents. “Preventable” means that you can correct the conditions that lead to accidents—for instance, by storing chemicals, medicines, and other potentially hazardous products in locked cabinets where children can’t reach them. One million children under five years old are injured by unintentional poisoning every year. You can also prevent the most dire consequences of threats that you can’t eliminate—for example, reducing the possibility of being injured in one of the 800,500 reportable home fires every year by installing smoke alarms.

Falling Hazards. Reduce the chance of falling by improving visibility at night with low-wattage night lights near bedrooms, baths, and stairs. Eliminate dark paths to exterior lights with fixtures triggered by timers or motion sensors. Install nonslip mats or tack strips in bathtubs to provide better footing; also install grab bars and handrails. Sand-finish polyurethanes are available for traction on wooden stairs. Brush-finishing concrete improves traction on exterior walks.

Safety Glazing. Be sure that shower doors and all large glass panels in the home are made of safety glass, which pebbles when broken. A safety-glass mark is permanently etched into the lower corner of every panel.

Cutoff Valves. Locate and check the operation of the cutoff valves that control the flow of natural gas or propane to appliances such as furnaces and stoves.

Gas and CO Detectors. As a backup to regular maintenance, install both natural gas and carbon monoxide detectors that can detect leaks of methane and propane. If you smell gas, the safest course is to leave the house immediately and report the leak. All gas utilities provide a 24-hour emergency number.

One easy way to ensure a supply of clean indoor air is to periodically clean heating and cooling equipment.

Making Wiring Safer

There are two basic ways to reduce risks when you work on wiring. First, make a circuit map and post it at the main service panel so that you know which breaker to trip. Second, double-check wires and outlets with a neon tester. If the power is off, the tester bulb won’t light.

Built-in Shock Protection. Safety is provided from the point where electricity enters the house and through the network of wiring to appliances it powers. At the service panel, there is a main cutoff, usually a double toggle at the top of the box, that shuts off all power. Next in line are individual circuit breakers in rows beneath the main cut-off. Each controls a loop of wiring that services a specific part of the house. Some circuits feed several lights and outlets, while others only a single appliance that uses a lot of electricity like a kitchen range.

GFCIs. More protection against electrical shock is provided by ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) at electrical outlets that are close to sources of water because they are most likely to produce a shock. GFCI outlets are more sensitive than standard circuit breakers and trip instantaneously. GFCIs are required by the National Electrical Code in all new baths, kitchens, laundries, and exterior outlets. Some electrical appliances, including hair dryers manufactured since 1991, are equipped with appliance leakage current interrupters (ALCIs) or immersion detection circuit interrupters (IDCIs), which give extra protection against shock when an appliance is accidentally dropped in water.

Extension Cords. Permanent wiring systems have many built-in safety features, but extension cords, which are widely used, do not. Check the UL label, and you’ll find that there are different types (for inside versus outside use) and different wattage ratings. A standard cord is fine for a lamp with a 100-watt bulb. But plug in a room heater, and the cord can heat up and start a fire. To be safe, the extension cord wattage rating should be 1.25 times the rating of the appliance.

Circuit breakers trip automatically when there is a problem. Reset them once, but if they trip again, call in an electrician.

Dealing with the Aftermath

When a severe storm causes damage to your house, you may have to make many temporary fixes, such as covering a leaking roof with a tarp, before the weather improves and you or your contractor can work safely to make permanent repairs.

Temporary Roof Repairs. When you can work safely, use roof cement to stem leaks. It has a thick consistency and won’t run on sloped roofs. Use it to fill punctures from tree limbs and to cover nailheads and exposed courses where shingle tabs have been damaged or blown away.

Releasing Leak Reservoirs. To safely release leak reservoirs in a ceiling, put a big basin under the area, and pop the bulge with one small hole away from the center of the bulge. As that hole drains, make another hole closer to the center to release the water gradually.

Clearing Iced Gutters. A propane torch or a heat gun will melt small blockages in frozen gutters. The most drastic solution is to pull frozen downspouts off the wall. Remember, if gutters and leaders are filled with ice, they will be extremely heavy. Once you pry the downspout loose, stand clear, and let it fall to the ground like a tree. That way, water trapped on the roof and in the gutter can begin to drain away without waiting for the giant icicle in the downspout to melt.

After a Storm. If you return to a damaged home after a storm, enter with caution; beware of animals that were driven to higher ground by flooding. If you smell gas, open a window, leave immediately, and report the leak. If you see sparks or broken electrical wires in a flooded house, do not enter; have the problems fixed by an electrician. Be wary picking through a structurally damaged building. FEMA reports that after one of the most devastating hurricanes of the 1990s (Hurricane Andrew), 18 of the 54 deaths attributed to the storm occurred after the weather cleared, when some people fell in unsafe buildings or were struck by falling debris.

Sometimes a simple job such as heating a frozen water pipe is all you need to do to restore essential services.

2Safety & Security

SECURITY BASICS

♦ A Sense of Security

♦ Keys & Combinations

♦ Key Locks

♦ Fixing Lock Problems

♦ Security Programs

♦ Vacation Security

DOOR & WINDOW LOCKS

♦ Door Locks

♦ Installing a Peephole

♦ Window Locks

♦ Sliding-Door Locks

STRENGTHENING DOORS

♦ Doors & Jambs

♦ Strengthening Frames

♦ Security Hardware

♦ Installing a Dead Bolt

SECURITY SYSTEMS

♦ System Layout

♦ Common Components

♦ Auto-Dialers

♦ Remote Sensors

FIRE SAFETY

♦ Preventing & Detecting

♦ Battery-Powered Detectors

♦ Typical Detector Locations

♦ Hard-Wiring a Detector

♦ Home Fire Extinguishers

♦ Safety Checklist

CHILDPROOFING

♦ Dangers at Knee Level

♦ Built-In Features

♦ Openings

♦ Soft Surfaces

♦ Hazardous Materials

♦ Electricity

ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS

♦ Bad Air & More

▪ LEAD PAINT

▪ LEAD IN WATER

▪ RADON

▪ ASBESTOS

▪ GAS

UNIVERSAL DESIGN

♦ Access

♦ Kitchens

♦ Baths

♦ Special Fixtures

SECURITY BASICS

A SENSE OF SECURITY

No home can ever be made absolutely burglar-proof: if a burglar really wants to get in, even elaborate electronic security systems probably won’t stop him. It’s a question of degree: not enough protection can be foolhardy, while too much can be overbearing. What makes one person feel safe at home may leave another fearful.

You can achieve a comfortable level of security in many ways, ranging from taking such commonsense precautions as not advertising your absence, to installing expensive electronic alarms linked to a security station that monitors them. But some of the most beneficial security measures are relatively simple. Begin by strengthening the most basic defenses you already have, including door locks, window latches, and lights, before adding to your home security arsenal. That way you can make your home more secure without disrupting your day-to-day life—or denting your checkbook.

Locking Up

There’s a reason castles were built with moats around them: limiting intruders to one point of entry makes a building easier to defend. The average home, however, provides a dozen or so points of entry: all your doors and windows.

You need a good lock on the front door, of course, but no burglar will waste time on double dead bolts if you’ve left a first-floor or basement window open a crack for ventilation. It makes more sense to build in a reasonable amount of protection at every point of entry. Windows need locks, and you have to remember to use them when you go out for the evening. If you want to leave a window open a crack for ventilation in hot weather—just install a second lock in the cracked-open position as detailed under “Locking an Open Window,” p. 20.

Basement windows are especially easy targets for burglars; they are so low to the ground it’s hard to see anyone breaking in. To make them more secure, you can install scissor-type gates and a lock on the inside of the window or custom-made iron grilles on the outside. A less prison-like solution would be to use glass blocks to replace the windows—you’d lose the ventilation, but not the light. (See “Glass & Mirrors,” pp. 374–375, for installation information.)

Keys & Combinations

While a standard lockset is relatively easy to break through, the dead bolt above is not because it locks the door to the frame.

This type of keyless lock has a combination cylinder on the dead bolt, and a regular key-lock in case you forget the combination.

Many people enter through the garage, where computer chips in modern remotes can set new code combinations every day.

Key-Lock Cutaway

The cylinders of most locks have the same basic design. Two opposing rows of spring-loaded pins are cut at different lengths so that they align (and you can open the door) only when the pins are shifted into position by a particular key. The system provides reasonable security and convenience. Unfortunately, many burglaries today are kick-ins where the door and jamb are smashed. Long screws that join jamb and house frame will help; so will a dead bolt. Some codes may not allow dead bolts with an inside key (instead of a thumb latch) because you may have to search for the key in a fire emergency.

Fixing Common Lock Problems

When a lock sticks or is slow in responding, it may be clogged with dirt. Lubricate the cylinder with penetrating oil.

If you can’t push in a key because of ice in the lock, thaw it out with a hair dryer, or heat the key with a match and work it in.

When a key breaks inside a lock, lift up the broken end with a narrow piece of metal, and remove the stub with pliers.

Security Programs

In some areas, there are so many false alarms from security systems that police reduce their level of response—or stop responding altogether. Electronic systems are a deterrent, but there is no substitute for high-quality locks on windows and doors, good exterior lighting so that burglars can’t conceal themselves, and good neighbors who watch out for each other.

A crime watch program, like a security company sticker, may not stop a determined thief but may deter a casual one.

Vacation Security

If your cache is like most people's— TVs, stereos, and such—most burglars are likely to break in only if they’re sure you’re not there. Below are several ways to make your home look like a bad risk by simulating normal activity with light timers and other devices—even if you’re away on vacation.

A stuffed mailbox and a pile of news-papers is a clear signal no one’s home— have deliveries held while you’re away.

VACATION CHECKLIST

▸Don’t close up

Leave signs of normal activity, like a rake on the front lawn

▸Stop deliveries

Don’t let mail or newspapers accumulate while you’re gone

▸Phone calls

Leave your answering machine on (and clear the messages from your vacation spot) or have your calls forwarded

▸Outside lights

Put outdoor lights on a timer, photoelectric switch, or motion-sensor switch

▸Inside lights

Mimic your normal schedule by putting upstairs and downstairs lights on automatic timers

▸Trigger activity

Put some indoor lights on special switches that turn on when they detect noise or motion—a good idea for lamps located near your front porch

DOOR & WINDOW LOCKS

WHAT LOCKS DO

Good locks help keep the honest people honest and provide you with a sense of security on a dark and rainy night. Of course, burglars know plenty of ways to defeat even the best locks. But jimmying a locked door or smashing a window can be noisy or take too long to do—either of which may convince an intruder to look elsewhere for a less risky target.

Door Locks

The easiest type of standard door lock for a burglar to open is a key-in-knob lock. These are the locks that can be opened with a credit card: just slip the card between the strikeplate and the spring latch to pop it open. Some of these locks have a separate tongue on the latch that makes this more difficult. But the lock can still be easily stripped out with a screwdriver, or simply removed from the door.

To give would-be intruders more trouble, attach a separate dead-bolt latch above the existing lockset, or remove the old knob and reinstall a stronger lockset, one with a full mortise dead bolt or spring-latch rim lock. The rim lock is easier to install than a dead bolt and somewhat stronger but has a clunky appearance. The dead bolt is hidden from view.

Locking an Open Window

On windows, permanent locking clips and screws are no help if you want an occasional breath of fresh air; window locks need to be secure yet allow at least some ventilation. You can solve this problem with proprietary hardware or some do-it-yourself installations.

On a double-hung window, the plan is to lock the two sashes together in a partly opened position—say, with the upper sash cracked 2 inches. To make your own lock, set the sash in a vented position, then drill a hole through the frame of the inner sash and three-fourths of the way into the outer sash where they overlap. The two frames then can be joined solidly but temporarily by a dowel or a common nail.

Several manufacturers also offer more attractive alternatives, such as elegant brasscapped sash bolts. A small, threaded receptacle fits into, but not through, the outer sash. It accepts a 2¼-inch-long threaded bolt that slips through a corresponding hole in the inner sash.

Basic Door Locks

Passage locksets that have no key are commonly used on interior doors where there is no need for security.

Standard keyed locksets used on exterior doors have a key cylinder on the outside and a thumb latch inside.

Combination locksets may have a separate latchset and dead bolt, or they can be connected on the same face hardware.

Dead-bolt locks make any key-lock door more secure by connecting the door to the frame with a long-throw bolt.

Exterior keyed locks come with many types of handles, including lever types that are easier to use for people with disabilities.

Installing a Peephole

USE:▸ power drill/driver ▸ peephole

1Use a sharp bit to drill a centered, eye-level hole the same diameter as the cylinder of the peephole.

2A typical peephole has an eyepiece attached to a cylinder that goes through the door and screws to a cover plate.

Sliding-Door Locks

The typical in-line hook lock on sliding doors can’t offer the degree of security that a lockset provides on a swinging door. The best bet is a bar lock. One end is hinged to the far jamb and can fold down out of the way when you’re using the door. The other side folds down into a U-shaped bracket on the sliding panel and is pinned there with a small key. You can also install a sliding bolt lock that ties the movable panel to the fixed panel. Fixed panels should be permanently clipped to the door frame.

Window Locks

This rotating lever lock slides under the adjacent housing on the outer sash to join the two sections together.

This rotating cam lock is harder to pick from the outside because it clips around the housing on the outer sash.

Keyed window locks are secure, but can be inconvenient if you need to find and use a key every time you want some ventilation.

This window lock increases security with a small stop that prevents the lock from turning unless you squeeze the handle.

This sash lock has a stub that travels in a slotted bracket. In this position, the stub is out of the way so the sash opens.

STRENGTHENING DOORS

DOORS & JAMBS

A good place to start making your home more secure is the point that a burglar is most likely to attack: the door. Invest in strong locks, but remember that locks only make a connection between exterior doors, which are pretty solid, and doorjambs, which aren’t. An intruder may not bother to pick or drill through an expensive dead-bolt lock when one swift kick can break loose the doorjamb that holds the dead bolt keeper. The entire assembly may stay securely locked while swinging into the room with the jamb. You can fix this weak link in your household security by making the door frame part of the building frame, as shown at right in “Strengthening Frames.”

Sliding Glass Doors

This method of strengthening the jamb won’t work on a sliding glass door, and their locks tend to be very small. Here’s what you can do to beef up sliding-door security. First, replace the screws that came with the door with ones that reach several inches into the structural house framing. Then, install a special dead-bolt lock or commercial security bar (as described in “Sliding-Door Locks,” on the previous page). You could also cut a piece of broomstick or a 2x4 to place in the track between the door and the side jamb instead. Then your door is secure, short of someone smashing the glass—a step many intruders won’t take because it makes such a racket.

Strengthening Frames

USE:▸ pry bar • power drill/driver ▸ shims • wood screws

1Prevent kick-in entries where burglars crash in the door and jamb with the lock intact. First, remove the trim.

2Insert blocks of wood at several points into the gaps between the door casing and the house wall framing.

3Remove the stop or weatherstripping so you can drive screws through the door casing and blocks into the house frame.

4Use screws long enough to reach at least 1 in. into the nearest wall stud. Replace the stop to conceal screwheads.

Security Hardware

Installing a Dead Bolt

USE:▸ power drill/driver • hole saw • spade bit • wood chisel • utility knife • screwdriver • pencil or scratch awl ▸ dead-bolt kit

1Use the paper template provided with the dead bolt to mark the center point of the holes you will need to drill.

2Bore a hole in the door face using a hole saw. When the tip breaks through, drill from the other side to prevent tearout.

3Bore a hole in the door edge for the latch bolt. To keep the drill (and the hole) level, it helps to sight along the drill.

4Set the latch bolt in its hole, and make a tracing of the latch plate on the door edge with a utility knife.

5Chisel out a mortise to match the size and depth of the latch plate. Turn the chisel over to clean the bottom of the mortise.

6Insert the latch bolt (this one being for a new dead bolt) on the door edge, and fasten it in place with the screws.

7Install the lock cylinder by sliding its metal extension bar, called a tang, through the latch mechanism.

8To line up the bolt keeper on the jamb, color or chalk the end of the bolt, close the door, and turn the lock to make an imprint.

9For maximum security, install a heavy-gauge keeper using screws long enough to reach into the house framing.

SECURITY SYSTEMS

WIRED FOR SECURITY

For most people, alarm systems should be considered only a last resort. A good system is very expensive, often requiring monthly monitoring fees, and you will still need other security measures, such as window locks.

Too often, elaborate alarms have also one of two undesirable by-products: they either produce a false sense of security because no single system can keep out a determined burglar, or they become a nuisance—because of all the arming, disarming, and false alarms. That only makes you overly security-conscious and more fearful than you reasonably need to be.

Types of Alarm Systems

Alarm systems are either wired directly into your house’s electrical system or are radio-controlled. A radio system uses battery-powered transmitters to send alarm signals to the master control unit. For a wired system, you need to loop wiring to and from each component of the system. A radio-controlled system is much easier to install but more expensive, and the batteries must be checked periodically.

Sensors installed at entry points in your home feed signals to the master control panel. Typical sensors are magnetic switches set on door-jambs or first-floor window sashes; trap switches that string across an air-conditioner or casement window; metal-foil alarm tape that detects movement in a window, motion sensors, and sensors that can detect the sound of breaking glass.

Basic System Layout

A complete home alarm system can combine many different security functions: monitoring entry at windows and doors, sensing motion inside rooms, and reacting to signals from a variety of sensors such as smoke alarms.

Auto-Dialers

Some security systems offer off-site monitoring or some other way to respond to an emergency, even if you’re not home. When an alarm is triggered at your house, it shows up at the security company’s monitoring station. One alternative to this is an auto-dialer. When a security system sensor is triggered, the auto-dialer automatically calls the telephone numbers that you programmed it to call. Any auto-dialer that uses regular phone lines (that is, nonwireless) won’t work when lines are down.

Some security systems tie the entry sensors and other components in your house to a central monitoring location.

CAUTION

▸ Before investing in an expensive security system that automatically reports trouble to local authorities, check with local police about their policy on false alarms. In some areas, the police may not have the manpower or the budget to cover every alarm. There may be a penalty for repeated violations. In some cases, police may not respond at all after there have been a certain number of false alarms from the same address.

Remote Sensors

Remote sensors are like wireless phones. They do the same job as standard security-system components, but they broadcast trouble to the central control panel instead of relaying it by wires strung through your house. Remote sensors make installation easy in an existing home where it may be difficult to conceal wiring. Most types of sensors are available as remote units, including motion detectors and sensors that monitor glass breakage and basement flooding.

A remote sensor has circuitry to monitor entry at windows and doors, for example, and battery power to signal the entry.

Many remote sensors are barely noticeable (only twice the size of a quarter) and do not require hard-wire connections.

Common Components

A whole-house security system may include dozens of components, including inside and outside sensors and alarms.

Sensor packages at a window can be wired or remote. When a connection between units is broken, the alarm sounds.

Remote sensors also work on doors. A wired alternative, a plunger switch in the jamb, releases when the door is opened.

Many whole-house systems include a remote trouble switch—a panic button— that can trigger an alarm from any room.

One economical alternative to a detector at every window is a centrally located audio unit that detects glass breaks.

Motion detectors are installed inside to signal movement in rooms and outside to trigger lights. Their range is adjustable.

FIRE SAFETY

PREVENTING & DETECTING

Many house-fire tragedies that make the news could have been prevented. But because the possibility of one’s own house burning down seems so remote, many homeowners don’t take even the most basic preventive measures. Many are surprisingly simple and inexpensive, yet very effective at saving both lives and property.

Smoke Detectors

Smoke detectors may be the most cost-effective consumer product on the market. Just consider what it costs (about $25 for a battery model) and what it can do (provide a warning in enough time to save lives). Detectors should be installed on every level of a home, high on the walls or on ceilings in open areas like hallways. Because deaths are most likely from fires that start at night when everyone is asleep, it’s important to install detectors in halls just outside bedrooms. Many building codes now require hardwired units (with battery backup) for new construction and major remodeling.

Heating Equipment

Regular checkups are the best preventive measure for your heating system. Annual tune-ups are recommended for oil-fired furnaces; once every 3 years for gas-fired units. Electric units, which do not produce any combustion by-products, normally do not need regular tune-ups.

If you burn wood or coal regularly, have the flue cleaned annually by a chimney sweep. Wood and coal combustion in a stove is dirtier than other types of heating—you need the sweep because the worst hazards are out of sight: creosote, a gummy and flammable product of wood combustion that collects inside the chimney, and cracks in the chimney liner or bricks, which could let smoke and fire escape.

Escape Routes

Fire departments call it an alternative means of egress—a second way out of a room. On the first floor you could climb out a window. On second stories, you may need a portable safety ladder with metal arms that hang on the window sill and steps that unroll to the ground below. It’s important to go over escape routes with children and practice using the escape routes.

Battery-Powered Detectors

Each year, more than 3,700 people die in over 400,000 residential fires. The best way to prevent property damage and injury is to install smoke detectors. About 90 percent of U.S. households have at least one, but up to 16 million detectors don’t work, due mainly to dead or missing batteries. You should test battery-powered units monthly, and replace batteries that are low on power. Many building codes require hardwired units that are equipped with battery backup.

Most safety organizations recommend that you change the batteries in your smoke detector at least once a year.

Typical Detector Locations

Home Fire Extinguishers

Most homes need at least two extinguishers: a small unit in the kitchen and a larger, wall-mounted unit (generally installed in a closet) to use elsewhere. To avoid confusion in an emergency, choose A-B-C-rated units, which work on all types of fires. To use an extinguisher effectively, remember the acronym P A S S—Pull (the pin), Aim, Squeeze, and Sweep.

Use an all-purpose A-B-C extinguisher against paper, grease, and electrical fires. Aim at the base of the fire.

Typical Clearance Codes

SAFETY CHECKLIST

▸Don’t overload: Do not plug more than one heat-producing device into an outlet.

▸Maintain smoke detector: Replace battery and vacuum the unit annually; test a detector monthly, and replace it every 10 years.

▸Provide safe egress: Have two ways out of every room—a door and a code-compliant egress window—including rooms in finished basements.

▸Fire-safe security: Don’t use security locks, bars, or devices that make it difficult to escape a fire.

▸Clean your chimney: Have wood-burning chimneys inspected annually and cleaned as needed.

▸Store inflammables safely: Store inflammable liquids in original containers with tight-fitting lids. Keep them away from heat sources or flames, preferably in a shed.

▸Be prepared: Keep an extinguisher handy to stop a small fire from spreading. In other cases, call 911.

Hard-Wiring a Detector

USE:▸ circuit tester • combination tool • screwdriver • drywall saw • pliers ▸ hard-wired smoke detector • cable • wire connectors

1The most convenient power source is a junction box mounted to a ceiling joist. Cut power to the box before opening it.

2Check your local codes before running a new supply line from connectors in the junction box to the detector mounting box.

3Most hard-wired detectors have a surface mounting plate that attaches to the electrical box above the drywall.

4Following the instructions supplied by the manufacturer, join the detector leads to the power-supply cable.

5The leads are attached to a harness that plugs into a receptacle on the detector. Twist the detector onto the mounting plate.

CHILDPROOFING

DANGERS AT KNEE LEVEL

Don’t put off babyproofing your house until the little one can walk—a fast-crawling baby can find plenty of trouble. Crawl around your house yourself, and you’ll discover many dangerous things at infant eye level: outlets, rickety TV stands, appetizing potted plants. And when a toddler learns to stand, he or she will hold onto anything to get upright, including the tablecloth dangling from a table full of bone china.

Storing Hazardous Items Safely

Any potentially harmful item should be either locked away or kept in cabinets and drawers with childproof safety latches. This includes knives and the obvious poisons such as medicine and cleaning products, but also mouth-wash, shaving cream, perfume, and deodorant, which can be harmful to curious toddlers who like to put things in their mouths. Even high counters are not necessarily safe places; you need to put away that decorative knife rack because toddlers will figure a way to get up on a counter well before you think they can. It’s a good idea to have one cupboard or drawer full of safe distractions, such as plastic containers or wooden bowls, that a toddler can get to.

Leave small appliances unplugged, and store them as far out of reach as possible. Plastic bags and plastic wrap also need to be kept in a high place. When discarding plastic bags from dry cleaning, recycle them at the dry cleaner’s or tie them into knots before tossing. Buy garbage cans with secure lids that kids can’t open.

Keeping Rooms Safe

Get safety gates to close off stairs or any room where you don’t want the baby to go and you don’t have a door to lock. Guards or gates are also needed to keep them away from fireplaces, wood-burning stoves, or space heaters.

One door lock that kids figure out quickly is the push button on bedroom and bathroom doors. For bathrooms, an adult-height bolt would be a better option for a house with young children. You won’t have time to look for a bobby pin to unlock the door if your child slips in the bathtub.

Built-in Features

Remove one source of accidents on decks (raised nails) with hardware that allows you to fasten boards from below.

Codes control spacing (often only 4 in.) between parts of stairs and railings so that children can’t get caught between them.

Unlike standard sheet glass that breaks into razor-sharp shards, tempered safety glass breaks into pebble-like pieces.

Openings

Safety grates can prevent falls. Building codes will not allow locks if the window is a potential fire-escape route.

Safety gates can prevent accidents on stairs and wall off rooms. This model has mesh panels that won’t trap children.

Reduce the risk of accidents with landscaping tools and materials by walling them off with a hinged lattice gate.

Soft Surfaces

To reduce noise transmission through the floor and take the edge out of falls, install wall-to-wall carpet over a thick pad.

This cushioned chair rail for a child’s room has thick foam stapled around a strip of plywood and covered with fabric.

On furniture where you can’t create cushioned surfaces, you can at least reduce hard edges using a roundover bit and router.

Hazardous Materials

When you can’t remove all hazardous materials from children’s reach, lock up the cabinets that contain them.

There are locks to fit every type of door and cabinet combination, including hasp locks that can’t be opened without a key.

Where only minimal security is needed, this under-counter spring lock will keep a door from opening fully.

Electricity

Short cords are inconvenient on counter-top appliances, but they keep the wires from hanging within the reach of children.

To eliminate shock hazards when an electrical outlet is not in use, plug a plastic insulator cap into the receptacle.

Required by code in many locations, circuit-breaker outlets (ground-fault circuit interrupters) reduce shock hazards.

ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS

BAD AIR & MORE