Tips for Homeowners to Improve Safety and Sustainability


(StatePoint) The International Code Council’s 43rd annual Building Safety Month campaign has begun, and week one’s theme: “Building Safety Starts at Home” highlights how building safety impacts our everyday lives.

According to InjuryFacts.NSC.org, about 16 out of 100 people were injured in a home or community venue in 2021. The leading causes that contribute to these injuries, such as drowning, fire smoke, and general home maintenance, can be prevented by acting ahead of time.

As the leading global source of model codes, standards and building safety solutions, the Code Council is passionate about educating homeowners on fire safety, home maintenance and sustainability practices. Here are some safety tips from the Code Council to help prevent accidents and keep your family and community safe:

Fire Safety Tips:

• Put a smoke alarm on every level of your home, outside each sleeping area and inside every bedroom. Test each smoke alarm regularly and replace it every ten years.

• Install home fire sprinklers. They are relatively affordable and can increase property value and lower insurance rates.

• Make an escape plan with a meeting place outside so everyone knows how to get out fast.

• Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from portable heaters.

• Keep all items that can burn away from your home. Remember to clean leaves from your gutters and clear dead leaves and branches from shrubs and trees surrounding your home.

Home Maintenance Tips:

• Never overload electrical cords or power strips.

• Don’t use appliances that have damaged cords.

• For mold prevention, watch for leaky pipes, condensation and wet spots, and fix sources of moisture problems as soon as possible.

• Keep in mind that there are several materials and items that should never be flushed down the toilet, including medication, disposable wipes, coffee grounds and more.

• To prevent your pipes from freezing in the winter, drain water from the swimming pool and water sprinkler supply lines following the manufacturer’s or installer’s directions.

• Make sure all pedestrian gates in the barrier fence of your swimming pool are self-closing and self-latching.

According to the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, the average U.S. family can spend $2,000 a year on energy bills. This means that reducing your home energy use is the single most effective way to save money and reduce your home’s contribution to greenhouse gasses. The Code Council recognizes that for many people, it’s unclear where to start, and suggests the following tips to help communities forge a path forward.

Energy and Sustainability Tips:

• Install water-saving shower heads and low-flow faucet aerators and use your water meter to check for hidden water leaks. These steps can improve water conservation.

• To prevent stormwater runoff pollution, never dump anything down storm drains.

• Change the filters in your home’s heating and cooling system regularly to increase energy efficiency.

• Replace your light bulbs with LEDs, which use up to 90% less energy and last up to 25 times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs.

• Build green and design your home with materials that are easily recyclable, reusable, renewable, durable, affordable and low maintenance.

• Build a rain garden to capture roof drainage and divert it to your garden or landscaping to recycle non-potable water. Be sure to check your local rules on rainwater harvesting prior to installation.

For more information, check out the Code Council’s Safety Tool Kits and additional resources at iccsafe.org.

PHOTO SOURCE: (c) doble-d / iStock via Getty Images Plus


More Resources

How To Buy A Conservatory In The UK
The first question is, what is a conservatory?There is no standard definition of what constitutes a conservatory (apart from "greenhouse"). This is one reason why quotes vary so widely.
Different Materials Used for Roofing and Determining the Cost of Each One
There is never a structure you will find that lacks a roof; it is an essential part of the house or building. It plays a very important role of providing protection and shelter much like the walls.
Spring Chores at the Cabin
Whether you live in your cabin year round or it's been closed up for the winter, it's time for spring cleaning. It's hard to get motivated.
How To Ward Off House Thief
To most of us, security at home is very important. Ever experienced coming home one night and found your belongings scattered around? Or maybe you heard funny noises while you were sleeping and wondered if it was some thieves in your house? Would you like to worry less and enjoy your home better? Well, besides house alarm or sealing up your house with grills and locks, why not place an interesting home decor, which will help to ward off house thieves? Chinese culture believes that by placing umbrellas in the lobby or at the front of the house, your house can be prevented from being the thief's target.
"5 Fast Ideas to Freshen the Look of your Room
"Company's coming and my place doesn't look right?"You know how it goes, you have visitors coming tonight. You've cleaned every room in the house (well, maybe not the bedroom).
All You Need To Know About The Feng Shui Bagua Map
The feng shui bagua map is an octagonal shaped map which allows you to evaluate in feng shui terms any living or working space. The feng shui bagua is a very important feng shui tool and indispensable when we wish to harmonize a place and the elements in it.
Outdoor Decks - Understanding Seven Elements of Good Deck Design
You're all comfortable in your favorite lounge chair, reading your latest novel with a cool beverage nearby..
Feng Shui, Design Psychology and Bed Placement
I love Feng Shui! Whether you believe this ancient Asian design method is based on ancient wisdom or superstition, Feng Shui includes some valuable principles and is simply fun! Consider these Feng Shui rules:- Don't sleep with your feet facing the bedroom door.- Place head of bed so that you can see the doorway.
Useful Home Products Will Help Your House Sale Profits
Even if you've never been involved in the sale of house before and yours is about to go on the market, you probably know enough about the process to be able to repeat, like a litany: clean it; paint it; fix it. But do you find yourself asking: How clean does the house have to be and how do I tackle the job? Do I really have to paint? What are the best colors to choose? What do I need to repair?When considering these questions, it's good to remember that most prospective home buyers are an unimaginative lot.
Here Comes The Sun: Solar Energy is Becoming More Attractive for Mainstream Consumers
The price of a barrel of oil has never been higher ($62.00+ in summer 2005 even before the chaos caused by Katrina).
Reduce Your Heating Bills This Winter - Overlooked Sources of Heat Loss in the Home
Imagine leaving a window open all winter long - the heat loss, cold drafts, and wasted energy! Well if your home has a folding attic stair, a fireplace, and/or a clothes dryer, that may be just what is occurring in your home!These often overlooked sources of heat loss and air leakage can cause your heat pour out and the cold outside air pour in - costing you higher heating bills, causing cold drafts, and wasting energy.Air leaks are the largest source of heating and cooling loss in the home.
Buying Home Appliances The Smart Way
When you add up all the money that you can spend on home appliances and fixtures it becomes obvious that you need to spend wisely and carefully to keep costs under control. These items tend to be some of the larger ticket purchases around the home and lots of money can be wasted if buying isn't done properly.
How To Know If Interior Design Is Right for You
Have you ever seen a beautiful house or office building and wondered who did the work? Have you ever wished that you could do some of the work that you've seen elsewhere? Many people wonder what it would be like to be an Interior Designer, but they rarely ever go beyond thinking about it.If you really want to know if Interior Design is right for, this book will be your comprehensive guide to the ins and outs of the business.
The Benefits of Small Dehumidifiers
So it's too humid in your 10' X 10' bedroom. Or perhaps the steam in your bathroom is starting to make the wallpaper peel.
Concrete Cutting - Adding a Pre-Cast Concrete Stairway Bulkhead to Your Home
Installing a pre-cast concrete stairway to your home's basement is actually quite an easy project for the advanced do-it-yourselfer or anyone that can coordinate a couple of sub contractors. Doing so will add a water tight weather proof egress to your basement that, in many cases, is necessary to comply with local building codes during a remodel.
Be Cool and Comfortable While Saving Money
The cost of energy is on the rise, so if you want to have better air quality and feel more comfortable, you must be prepared to pay for it. People in homes and businesses are looking for ways to save money and still remain comfortably cool.
Architect or Building Designer - Who Do You Choose?
Thinking of building a new home or complex? Will you use an architect or a building designer?Both are involved in the design of buildings - their appearance, layout, structure, and so on. But what's the difference?The simplest difference is a legal one.
Planning Permission Tips UK - Illegal Building Works - Is there an Upside?
Many times throughout the year we are called in to assist people who have got into trouble by completing building works without Council permission. This can be either Planning or Building Regulations - often both.
Chester Conservatory Build Process
1. The site of the proposed conservatory.
Deck Decorating
On my blog, I once wrote about life on the Veranda - a favorite Southern, summer pastime.Picture a Charleston side-porch house, facing the obligatory magnolia tree, refreshing gin and tonics or the standard mint julep.

More Home Improvement Information:

Related Articles

Which Water Purification Systems Are Best? - A Comparison of the Three Most Common Technologies
Fresh water is essential to our health and comfort. Not only do we rely on it to stay hydrated, we use it in many other ways including bathing, cleaning and cooking food, and laundering our clothes.
Home Remodeling: Colors and Temperature Perception
Colors contain underlying psychological meanings and evoke particular feelings when we see them. All of us have preconceived notions, learned from childhood memories and family customs concerning colors.
Whats So Special About My Front Door?
"The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live."- Flora WhittemoreYour front door welcomes all to your home.
In The Mood
Creating a Designer Home With LightingTraditionally, spring is the time when many of us think about redecorating or remodelling a room in our home and we begin skimming through glossy magazines, or visiting showrooms for ideas. The results always look stunning, but how do you replicate 'that' look in your own home when your rooms are probably a fraction of the size of those featured in home interior publications? Even if you had the time, energy and resources to purchase exactly the same products that appear in a beautifully prepared photograph or showroom, somehow they never seem to look the same in your own home.
Securing Your Castle
In the world of today, we no longer employ the moat, drawbridge or 30 foot high walls as security devices. However, if we know the correct methods and devices to use, we can attain better security than those devices afforded.
Wallpaper Doesnt Just Cover...It Defines The Room
Wallpaper is often overlooked as a key part of an attractive home. The right wallpaper will add character to any room in the house, and will also allow a homeowner to cheaply and quickly change the look of their house.
Bathroom Remodeling Ideas
Bathroom remodeling is often a popular home improvement project for both new and old homeowners. This may include painting, using new countertops, vanities, windows, retiling, floors, appliances, vents or better lighting.
A Place For Everything And Everything In Its Place
Tax season is over..
Tips For Buying a Whirlpool Bath Online
So you're building the bath of your dreams but find the prices you have been quoted for the Whirlpool Bath way out of your budget.Don't despair and settle for a Whirlpool Bath you don't want!Go online and save by buying direct from a Whirlpool tub distributor.
Sparkling, Clean Lighting Will Add The Perfect Touch To Your Home
When one thinks of the many factors that affect the look of a room, most people think only of the paint and furniture. In doing so, they overlook the most important factor: Lighting.
Chairs, Rocking Chairs and Other Comfortable Places To Park It!
A chair is one of the best inventions ever made. If you've been standing a long time what can appeal more to the eye than a comfortable chair.
Interior Design For Bargain Hunters
Interior design for bargain hunters is the new fashionable item in the arena of interior design. Everyone is interested these days in making their money stretch as far as it possibly can.
Do You Make These Window Replacement Mistakes ?
Whether it's a misguided baseball, or storm damage, sooneror later most homeowners will have to deal with windowreplacement, a chore that is not high on any handyman'slist of things they want to do with their spare time.This could involve storm window replacement, replacement ofwindow screens, or installing an entire replacement window.
Home Automation Enhances Your Lifestyle and Saves Money - Exciting Home Automation Applications
Wouldn't it be nice to have your home take care of things for you, automatically, without you having to lift a finger? You bet it would. That is the promise of home automation.
Create a Joyful Home with Living Accessories: Houseplants
Houseplants can be soothing because of their visual impact. Besides being naturally appealing, interior plants can make you feel cooler on hot days, especially when they move softly in the breeze from a ceiling fan.
Research Concerning Color in Homes and Workplaces
Over the years, many studies have been done in countries around the world to try to discover how human color preferences affect the choices we make in decorating our homes and workplaces, and one dominant fact has consistently emerged: our choice of colors seems to be based largely on the intended use of the space, whether it's in our homes or at our places of business. Here are a few of the findings from various studies:A Japanese study found that people prefer warm colors in the interiors of their homes, which was mirrored by a study in England, although the English were a bit more eclectic, preferring warm colors in their bedrooms and neutral colors in their living rooms.
Reduce Noise to Reduce Stress: Sound Advice From the Rug Doctor
Maybe getting the silent treatment at home isn't a bad thing after all.With the constant barrage of leaf blowers, lawn mowers and loud appliances swirling around us, it's no wonder "I need some peace and quiet!" has become such a popular plea.
Outdoor Kitchens - Simple and Sophisticated
After September 11, many of us decided to stay closer to home. We are electing to remodel our existing homes instead of buying new and moving.
Where's the Care Label for my New Bedspread?
I love bedspreads, don't you? A comforter can be used for the winter months but the bedspread is brought out of the linen closet in the spring when it's warming up and the whole world is freshening and renewing itself outside. A bedspread is available in most any color, pattern or fabric and it can be one of the most expensive items you put in your bedroom.
Popular Trends in Home Technology
As a former home automation installer and a former manufactures rep, I have observed many trends. The following items are certainly the hotest trends this year in home technology.