Holiday Decorating Safety
This is my favorite time of year. We finally get those few weeks(in Central Florida, it is WEEKS) of Fall weather, holidays and special events around every single corner, in every single part of our town. One of the best parts is seeing all the beautifully decorated homes in our great neighborhoods…there’s just nothing quite like
holiday season. We’ve got to make sure we do it safely, however…and Florida has a unique set of circumstances that cause us to take a few different steps than other parts of the country. Make sure you follow these few steps to make sure you have a safe and enjoyable Holiday Season!
Watch your electrical cords. Any string of lights that has damage should be immediately replaced. Also, make sure they stay away from your drapes, foliage, and your Christmas Tree. Don’t risk it. Same with your extension cords. When using cords on the outside, make sure they are rated for outdoor use.
Watch your outlets and circuits. Ever have this scenario happen to you? You go to plug something into one of your outlets, and you lose some or all your power in your home? If so, it is likely that you just overloaded one of your electrical circuits. Prior to putting your lights up, it is a wise idea to map out a location of what you want to plug in where. This will prevent certain parts of the electrical grid in your home from becoming overloaded.
Timers and switches. If you’re like me, you may forget from time to time to turn your lights out. Not only can this be a drain on your light bill at the end of the month, but it can also cause potential safety hazards. Installing a timer on your lighting system will help ease that stress.
Ladders. When putting up lights, make sure your ladders are free of obstruction from tree branches, power lines, etc. Also, make sure your ladders are firmly planted on the ground prior to you going up!
After the holidays the safety doesn’t stop! Got a big gift? New tv, for the family? New bike? What are you going to do with that giant box? Do NOT leave it at your curb. That’s one of the first things crooks look for after the holiday. Make sure to dispose of it in your neighborhood dumpster or break it into pieces, so that you don’t bait the wrong type of attention to your home.
Surely,
there’s many more things we can do to keep safe. Starting off with these five tips will give you a great head start into having an amazing and memorable holiday season!
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