Home Safety Tips for the Holiday Season

12/3/2020 (Permalink)

Thankfully, we are now officially finished with hurricane season. However, this time of year is almost just as busy for the insurance claims industry. While holiday decorations brighten our spirits, they are often the culprit of many home fires. Frozen temperatures lead to bursting water pipes. And not preparing your home before leaving for a holiday vacation sometimes makes for an unpleasant return.

SERVPRO of Greater Covington and Mandeville is here to help you before, during, and after a disaster occurs. Follow the home safety tips below to best prevent accidents and to be prepared in case one does happen. 

1. Use flameless or fire-retardant decorations
2. Blow out candles when exiting a room
3. Never leave food cooking on the stove unattended
4. Check Christmas lights for frays or hazards 
5. Water your Christmas tree frequently 
6. Test the batteries in your smoke alarm each month and change the batteries if necessary 
7. Clean leaves and debris from gutters and drain sprouts to ensure proper drainage
8. Only plug space heaters into wall outlets. DO NOT plug space heaters into surge protectors 
9. Turn your home's main water supply off and drain the lines when planning to vacation for more than a couple of days.  
10. Clean the lint from your dryer hose
11. Practice your home fire escape plan with your family

If a water or fire event does occur at your home, our emergency restoration team can be reached 24/7/365 by dialing 985-871-5375. For water damage mishaps, please locate the source of the loss first and shut it off. You may need to contact a local plumber for assistance. For responding to a home fire, please do not reenter your home until it is safe to do so. Our fire restoration team can help walk you through the claims process and make any size disaster seem "Like it never even happened."

For more home safety tips or to learn how to prepare your business for an emergency, send an email to Kayla@SERVPROofCovington.com.