Tips From The Building Department

Winter is approaching and the Holiday’s are just around the corner. While you are enjoying yourself inside or out, please take some time to keep your home safe. Here are some tips that could help. While inside, set aside time to inspect extension cords, not just the cords on your tree, but all the cords in your home. We forget about those cords behind beds, dressers and other furniture. Old cords can become brittle and crack or the plugs can wear out causing damage to your electronics, or worse, a house fire. Now is the time to inspect the batteries in your smoke detectors, or better yet, install some new ones. At the very least you should have a smoke detector on every level of your home. Inspect windows in all bedrooms to ensure they easily open for exit, in the event of a fire. Keep an up to date accessible fire extinguisher in the kitchen and garage.

On the outside, have someone inspect your roof for damaged shingles. Inspect chimneys and vents for bird nests and other debris. Install a chimney cap on your fireplace to prevent animals from building nests in your chimney. Clean out gutters and soffit vents to prevent ice from backing up under shingles causing water damage to walls, ceilings and soffits. Remove your hose from outside faucets. When you leave your hose connected to the faucet, the water trapped in the pipe can freeze and crack the pipe causing water damage in your home. It’s not unusual to see a thunderstorm in the middle of winter. Winter storms are sometimes more of a threat than summer storms. Because of ice, snow and frost in the ground, rainwater cannot soak into the ground as it does in summer, it can only travel overland to ditches and sewers. To help protect your home against winter floods, adopt a storm sewer in front or back of your home. Keep ice and snow away from sewers to prevent flooding. Also keep ice, snow and debris away from downspouts and especially, sump pump discharge outlets.

There have been complaints about residents warming up their cars in driveways between houses. If you are one of these residents, you are causing a potential threat to you and your neighbor. The noise and vibration from the engine is very irritating. Exhaust fumes can enter the home through windows and gaps in the walls, causing a dangerous and deadly situation. If you sit in your car and warm it up on those cold mornings, please have the courtesy to pull it away from your neighbors house. If you have any questions, call the building dept. @ 708.349.4887. Have a safe and happy holiday and enjoy your winter.