Your home is perhaps one of your biggest financial investments, and the last thing you want is to see your money go up in smoke. That’s why it’s important to make sure that your everyday habits aren’t putting your home at risk of a fire. Avoid these three mistakes that could set your home ablaze.

 

Storing Batteries Haphazardly

 

Everyone has that one drawer in the kitchen. The one swimming with odds and ends—pens that have run out of ink, loose batteries, rubber bands, paperclips, a screw driver and a handful of screws, old mail, and keys that no longer unlock anything. Out of all of that disorder, the one thing that should concern you most is loose batteries. If you’ve got exposed 9-volt batteries making contact with other metals inside of the drawer, the batteries may short out and the heat they create can cause flammables inside of the drawer to catch fire. To avoid this, cover the exposed terminals of your loose 9-volt batteries with electrical tape. Better yet, return the batteries to their original packaging—if you can find it!

 

Dismissing Mice

 

Like the old adage goes: Guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days. But mice are uninvited houseguests that can do real damage. One of the dangers they pose is their tendency to chew on electrical wiring inside of your home. Their chewing may rip away sheathing and expose wires, allowing heat and sparks from electric current to make contact with the surrounding areas and possibly start a fire. If you’ve spotted these rodents inside of your home, or have seen evidence of their presence—like droppings or pantry items that have been punctured open, you should reach out to an exterminator right away.

 

Placing Furniture Too Closely to Extreme Heat

 

The way you arrange furniture inside of your home contributes to the look and feel of your spaces, and perhaps more importantly, their functionality. But when you’ve got wood-burning sources of heat, like a wood stove or a fireplace, you should be extra mindful of where you place your furnishings. Furniture is combustible, and if your pieces are situated too closely to a fireplace or a wood stove they could dry out over time in a process of chemical decomposition called pyrolysis. This can cause your furniture to ignite without even being exposed to a direct flame. Many homeowners are unaware that this is a leading cause of house fires.

 

Do You Need a Disaster Remediation Expert in Washtenaw County or Jackson County?

If your home has already been damaged, we can help. Check out our services and call 734-352-9183 for your free disaster remediation quote today. We offer: