7 Common Home Safety Hazards That Homeowners Often Overlook

As homeowners, we have a general understanding of things we can do in our home to make it safer, such as having working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. We know to keep the cleaning products on high shelves or locked in cupboards that kids can’t reach. We know not to put knives in the sink when we’re cleaning dishes, and we know to never leave a child unsupervised in a pool.

But there are other areas in your home that can pose safety concerns that you might not know about. Here are common safety hazards that homeowners often overlook.

Incorrectly Built Decks

Decks can be costly when you hire a professional to build them. Many homeowners opt to have a few of their handy friends come over and spend an afternoon in the sun, drinking beers and building a deck. But, if that deck hasn’t been built properly, the homeowner is risking collapsing decks and railings. Do yourself a favour and leave the deck-building to the professionals.

If you move into a home and don’t know if your deck has been built safely, check to see if it’s a lagged deck or a free-standing deck. A lagged deck will rest on posts on one side and is connected to the house on the other side. Unfortunately, lagged decks are often not built properly and will collapse at the weakest point, which is where it attaches to the house. A free-standing deck has supporting posts which are sunk into concrete on all sides of the deck. If your deck is a lagging deck, call a professional to have them inspect the deck. They might need to secure it better to the home and install metal flashing to protect it from moisture.

Also, don’t forget to check the rails and make sure that they’re properly secured and are not loose.

Missing Or Loose Handrails

Falling has been the sauce of serious injuries and even fatalities when it comes to home accidents, so it’s important to eliminate the risks of falling. One common place where people slip and fall is the stairs. Always make sure that you have properly installed handrails that are not loose so that if someone slips, they have something to grip and catch themselves.

Bathroom Floors

Slipping and falling in the bathroom is one of the most common and serious home safety hazards. The flooring in bathrooms gets slippery when wet, so make sure that you have large bathmats outside of the tub and shower and consider having an anti-slip mat inside of your shower.

Cords From Blinds Or Drapes

Unfortunately, those long cords that hang down from window coverings can become lethal to small children who can easily become tangled up and strangled. Opt for newer window coverings that are cord-free or make sure to tie up the cords so that they’re far out of reach for small hands.

The Dryer

Lint builds up inside the dryer screens and even accumulates in the vents of the dryer. This build-up can lead to fires! Make sure to clean the screen trap after every use and to clean out the vents at least once a year to keep your home and family safe.

Stove

Lightweight stoves that are not installed properly have a tipping hazard. Little children can easily pull the stove onto themselves, getting trapped, injured, or worse. Make sure that if you have a lightweight stove that it has been installed correctly to be anchored.

On top of the lightweight appliance issues, stoves also are a burn hazard waiting to happen in a home with little children. Make sure to teach your children to stay away from stoves when you’re cooking, remember to keep handles pointed in, instead of hanging off the edge, and try to use the back two burners whenever possible.

Unanchored Furniture

That bookshelf that you decided was totally okay to not anchor to the wall might seem totally safe, but is actually a hazard, especially if you have pets or kids in the home. Even un-mounted big-screen TVs have been the cause of many accidents with little kids.