Austin Real Estate

Preparing for a fire emergency cost you almost nothing and can save your life and property with a safety game plan motion. Too often fires are started by careless behavior, unsafe flame conditions or a chaotic exit plan once the tragedy has struck. To protect your home and loved ones, a few simple rules and low cost alarms can mean the difference between life and death.

1. Smoke Alarms.

Smoke detectors are mandatory in many states and must be placed in each bedroom and near to the kitchen area. Placement of the smoke alarms is critical to their proper functioning, as smoke rises to the ceiling and creates heat. The alarm should be mounted above the door jams and always be mindful to keep the batteries in good working condition.

2. Cigarettes.

Smoking in the home is safe and legal, but be prepared to be on high alert should hot cinders escape the ashtray. The best way to ensure your cigarette is fully extinguished is to douse the butt in water and throw it away. Overflowing ashtrays can ignite the filter tips and create a firestorm in minutes, so keep your ashtrays clean or fill a tin can with sand. In addition, smoking while fatigued in a reclining position in never a good idea in any room of the home. Enjoy your smoke, but with the utmost discipline and awareness.

3. Cooking.

Fire accidents in the kitchen can happen to anyone, so be sure you take all the necessary safety precautions so they don’t happen to you. To prevent an accidental ignition, you will want to steer clear of wide sleeves and flowing clothing that could swing by the stove and catch a flame. In addition, keep your cloth oven mitts away from the flames, or better yet, try the silicon mitts which are flame retardant. In the case of a grease fire in a pan, never apply water to the fire as it will add fuel to the greasy flames. Instead, use flour to smother the flames and call your fire department immediately if the pan continues to burn.

4. Electrical Fires.

One of the least expected home fires comes from faulty electrical wiring that ignites inside the drywall. This type of home fire may not be detected until the smoke creeps through the walls, and that is often too late to snuff it out yourself. Yank the cord from the outlet and call 911 immediately. Old electrical cords are suspect, especially Christmas tree cords and other seasonal equipment.

5. Have An Escape Plan.

Every member of the household needs to know how to exit in an emergency and you must establish a safe place to meet after the ordeal. Perhaps a neighbor’s porch or the grassy knoll on the corner, just as long as the destination is quick and easy to get there. Children must be instructed on how to open a window or use a tool to smash the glass. Fires can sweep through a home in a matter of minutes, so don’t be concerned about your belongings or family treasures. Do be mindful of your pets and see to it that they are carted off to safety or directed to an exit. If you cannot find your pet, be sure to leave the doors and windows opened to give them a chance of escape.

Joe Cline writes articles for Austin REALTORS. Other articles written by the author related to Round Rock homes for sale and Austin Texas homes can be found on the net.

Interested in creating a safe room? While having a full fledged safe room built can be an expensive and difficult process, turning one of the existing rooms of your house into something that will serve essentially the same function is actually pretty simple to do. With a few supplies and a good plan, you can use an existing room in your house as a functional safe room for emergency situations.

Choosing Your Room

One of the first things to consider when choosing a safe room is which room you want to use. Look for an interior room of your home that is quick and easy for anyone in the house to reach. Frequently the best option is either a bathroom or walk in closet. If you don’t have an interior room available, look for an exterior bathroom or closet with either no windows or one small window and work with that.

Making It Safe

To turn your room into a safe room, the first thing to do is replace your door with one that has a solid core. A cheap door that is easy to kick through will not be able to protect you and your family from much of anything. Installing a solid core door with strong hinges and a good lock is frequently all you need to do to keep an intruder at bay until you call the police. For a lock, a sliding bolt on the inside will work best, but only if you don’t have children young enough that locking themselves in may be a danger. In that case, get the best lock you can find that can be unlocked from either side with your key in case of a child emergency.

Communication

The most important thing for any safe room to have is a method to communicate with authorities in case of an emergency. A cell phone will work fine as long as you make sure it is always charged and can get a signal inside the room. If you know how to use one, something like a CB or Ham radio makes a great choice. If your room has power outlets, make sure you keep the power cord or charger for whatever you are using available as well. If not, an extra battery is always a good idea.

Other Equipment

If your room does not have running water, make sure you store about a gallon of water per person. Make sure any first aid supplies your family may need are accessible in the panic room, and keep at least a day of any important medication available if it isn’t already being stored in a medicine cabinet in the room. Items like a battery operated radio and flashlight plus extra batteries can be great to have in an emergency, as well as something like books to keep everyone entertained through a long wait.

The government suggests keeping duct tape and plastic on hand for sealing off air vents and windows in case of a chemical weapons attack as well. If you do end up sealing off the room, keep in mind that you can only stay in a sealed room for about 5 hours per square foot before the air becomes dangerous. Usually, the wind will blow away any potential threat long before that much time has elapsed.

Joe Cline writes articles for Austin TX realtor. Other articles written by the author related to Austin Texas commercial real estate and Pflugerville real estate can be found on the net.

Interested in finding a good vacation spot or idea for your family? Choosing a vacation that is safe and fun for children without being boring for adults can be a difficult proposition. Here are five ideas for family travel destinations that will keep children busy and entertained all day while still providing a relaxing or entertaining vacation experience for their parents.

1. Try A Cruise

Many cruise ships offer basic amenities that children will enjoy, but some cruises are designed specifically for providing something for the whole family. A cruise vacation will let your family explore many of the cruise ship’s destination, while allowing you to relax and enjoy your vacation without wondering where your kids are going to wander to. Look into the Royal Caribbean Voyager class cruise ships to get something with stuff for the whole family like rock climbing, ice skating, and a wide variety of programs that will encourage children and teens to meet other kids and hang out.

2. Williamsburg, Virginia

If you are trying to work a little bit of education into your vacation plans, Williamsburg is a great place to go to combine historical interest and fun. The area has a colonial recreation that you can take your children through to find out what life in the 1770’s was like from actors pretending to live it. Williamsburg also has a great theme park, a water park, and a wide variety of nearby historical sites and museums to keep a family busy for days.

3. Family Oriented U.S. All-Inclusive Resorts

Many areas in the U.S. have all inclusive family resorts that provide activities for children as well as a great vacation experience for adults. Smuggler’s Notch in Vermont offers a great mix of outdoor camp style activities for kids and teens that will suit any temperament, as well as childcare for younger kids so adults can get some time to themselves. The Hyatt Regency resort near Scottsdale, Arizona also has a great program for keeping kids entertained while teaching them about the area and culture, as well as a wide variety of great family activities the hotel will arrange to help everybody have a great time.

4. Southern California

The area around L.A. and San Diego offers one of the best sets of family parks and vacation destinations in the country. Popular destinations like Lego Land near San Diego and the movie themed Disneyland and Universal Studios parks in L.A. are some of the great theme parks grouped reasonably close together, and the family has the option of doing something lower key like going to San Diego’s Apple Hill or simply visiting the beach when the lure of the parks starts to fade.

5. Caribbean Resorts

It can be difficult to find a good place for children abroad, but with the right research it is quite possible. There are a wide variety of all inclusive family centric resorts in the Caribbean that can keep kids entertained with water sports and fun programs while allowing their parents to enjoy a relaxing vacation on the beach. These resort packages are designed to appeal to all budget levels and vacation ideas, so finding one that will suit your family and your budget shouldn’t be hard.

Joe Cline writes articles for Austin real estate. Other articles written by the author related to Lakeway real estate and Austin TX realtor can be found on the net.

It is generally considered common knowledge that being underground is the best bet you can make when a tornado strikes, but what happens when you don’t have a tornado or cellar available, and what do you do once you’re in your safe area? If you live in a tornado prone area, it is very important to know what you should do when you hear a warning siren. Read on for some simple things that you can do to make it much more likely that you will survive if a tornado strikes.

Find The Right Shelter

The best place to be during a tornado is a basement or cellar. If you don’t have a basement, go to an interior room of your home like a bathroom or hallway. Stay away from any windows, and if all you have is a bathroom get in the tub. Try to stay underneath a solid structure, like a staircase or large table. If nothing like this is available, pull a mattress over your head. Falling and flying debris can be a danger during a tornado, so coverage over your head and around you is ideal. Cover yourself with heavy blankets and sleeping bags for added protection.

Never stay in a car or mobile home during a tornado. The wind will make your car a very dangerous place, and mobile homes do not offer the protection of a home with a foundation. If you are caught outdoors in a tornado and can’t find anywhere safe to get inside, try laying in a ditch or other low lying patch of land. The point is getting out of the path of wind and flying debris, so get as low as possible. Cover the back of your head with your arms and keep your face pointed down. Follow any official drill procedures if you are in a public area, since the primary objective will be getting you to the safest place in the area.

What To Have

Once you have decide where the safe area of your house is located, it is important to make sure there are a few necessities available if you and your family are there when a tornado strikes. Always make sure your safe area has a first aid kit and three gallons of water per person available in case part of the area collapses and you get stuck there for awhile. A radio and a charged cell phone are good things to have, as well as a flashlight and batteries for everything that needs them.

What Not To Do

Several myths about tornado safety are wrong and may get you killed if a tornado actually strikes. Never park and hide under an overpass during a tornado. The opening can act as a wind tunnel, making it more dangerous than the surrounding land. Never light any candles in your safe area while you wait for a possible tornado. If the disaster hits your home, your gas lines may rupture and ignite the flame. Don’t waste time opening windows when a tornado is approaching. A tornado will break windows when it hits, and you don’t want to be standing in front of them when it happens.

Joe Cline writes articles for Austin Real Estate. Other articles written by the author related to Cedar Park real estate and Austin Texas real estate can be found on the net.

Every home should have a well stocked first aid kit. It is frequently too late to get a necessary item once an emergency has actually happened, so being prepared in advance can be really important. While you can’t prepare for every emergency, keeping a good stock of general first aid supplies on hand can do quite a bit to help when something does go wrong. Here are some things to include and consider when you stock a good first aid kit for your home.

Start With Instructions

Begin a first aid kit for your home with a good book on what to do for different emergencies and injuries. Look for a general book that is approved by a major hospital or first aid organization, like the Red Cross. Make sure everyone in the family who is capable of doing so skims through the book at least once to get comfortable with how it is organized and how to find instructions for specific first aid situations. The middle of an emergency is not the best time to find out that the instructions in your first aid book are hard to find or difficult to understand, so get familiar with the book in advance.

Get Every Item On The List

Frequently, the book you choose will have a list of items that they will use for emergencies in that specific book. If you have the list, stock every item listed. Alternatively, check online for a list of specific things that every first aid kit needs and stock those. The list will usually include things like bandages, cleaning items, surgical gloves, a needle, and sugar packets. Stocking your first aid kit includes replacing items you have already stocked once they are used, so make sure that you check the kit for missing items often enough to replace anything that is missing.

Remember Emergencies Specific To Your Family

Many people have specific types of emergencies that are based on allergies and medical conditions. If you have a medical condition that requires medicine to be quickly administered like diabetes or some heart conditions, make sure you stock an extra supply of the medication or emergency items your specific medical situation requires if at all possible. If someone in your household has severe allergies, get emergency allergy medication from a doctor and stock an over the counter antihistamine.

Keep Your First Aid Kit Stocked And Accessible

Remember to always make sure your home first aid kit is fully stocked and in an easy to access location. Everyone in your household who is old enough to react should know where the first aid kit is located and how to follow the included instructions and use it. To make a first aid kit as useful as possible, enroll everyone old enough to attend in a local first aid and CPR class. This will make sure that the effort you take in making sure first aid items are accessible doesn’t get put to waste because no one in the house is capable of using them in an emergency.

Joe Cline writes articles for Lakeway real estate. Other articles written by the author related to Austin real estate and Austin Realtor blog can be found on the net.

Construction is a dangerous industry, and many accidents happen every day on construction sites around the world. Whether you are working on a large scale construction site or simply doing simple repairs at home there are some basic safety precautions you can take that will lower the risk of a dangerous accident dramatically. With a few simple precautions and safe practices, doing construction work can be much safer for everyone involved.

Wear The Right Equipment

Wearing the right safety equipment can mean the difference between safely completing a project and ending up in the hospital. If a construction site requires a hard hat it is important to keep the hat on the entire time you are there. Wear any safety equipment a job requires the entire time you are doing it, and never try to fit in small tasks after the equipment is off or before it is put on. While it may seem frustrating to spend longer putting safety equipment on than doing the task it is required for, the potential for an accident does not go down because something is supposed to be simple.

Assume Anything Electrical Is On

Construction sites are frequently full of powered equipment and open wiring that is still being worked on. Approach anything that uses electricity with the assumption that it does have power and can go on at any time. Electricity is one of the most dangerous hazards on a construction site because it is so easy to assume something is not powered and start working on it without physically checking. If your construction site has a lock down or tag out plan in place, always follow the proper procedures before working on anything electrical.

Care With Heights

It is always important to make sure ladders and scaffolding are functional and properly maintained before attempting to use them. Make sure to follow all site procedures before setting up anything to use for scaling, and wear a harness whenever it is required. Never set up and use scaffolding or ladders alone, and always make sure the equipment being used has been fully checked out before setting it up.

Movement And Cleanup

Never leave equipment or materials lying in open spaces where people may walk. Be careful to avoid setting up anything in a way that may present a trip hazard without marking the area to protect people walking through. When you move through a construction site, make sure you are always aware of what is at your feet and in your way to avoid a fall. Look at where you are going before you start walking and make sure there are no hazards blocking your path.

Care In Enclosed Spaces

Never work in an enclosed space alone. There always needs to be someone standing by to make sure that the person in the enclosed space can get out quickly in case of emergency. Tight spaces always need to have adequate lighting, and make sure the person working in the enclosed space and the spotter both have an exit strategy in place in case there is an emergency or problem.

Joe Cline writes articles for Austin homes. Other articles written by the author related to Round Rock real estate and Austin new home builder can be found on the net.

Thinking about buying a home? Many of the cost cutting tricks used in construction are not visible to the naked eye. Unfortunately, cheap construction can cost a great deal more in the future, when low quality materials start to wear out and fail. Luckily, there are a few things a potential home buyer can see that may be a signal that the rest of the house is poorly constructed.

Check The Flooring

One of the first and most obvious signs of problems with a new or older home is issues with the flooring. Look carefully for an uneven flooring surface in areas like the kitchen and the entrance between rooms. An uneven flooring surface is both annoying to live with and an indicator of possible problems with the way the foundation and underground areas were built. Check wood floors and carpeting for gaps near walls and entrances that may indicate a sloppy or cheap installation as well.

Windows And Doors

Many things can be inferred about a home’s construction by the choice of windows and construction of window and door frames. Be certain that all external and internal doors open, close, and latch without any sign of hitting the frame. Look at the paint around the door frames in an older home for signs that the door might be hitting the frame in other seasons when the wood expands or contracts due to seasonal climate variations and humidity. Make sure windows close with a solid seal, and check for double paned glass in newer homes and cold climates. While there is much more to a home than the windows and doors, a builder who skimped in these important areas is likely to have cut other corners as well.

Water Damage

Look carefully throughout a home for any signs of water damage or mold. Stains on the walls or ceiling should always be closely inspected for these issues, even if you are planning to repaint the home later. Make sure the areas in the bathroom where water will go, like the walls around a tub or shower, are well tiled or otherwise waterproofed. Examine the area around the bottom of the toilet for signs of water damage or leaking, and make sure the bathroom floor is not rotting or coming loose near the tub, toilet, or sink. If the home has a basement, check the basement area for signs of water staining on the wall, floors, and near the sump pump.

Research The Builder

One of the simplest and most important things a potential home buyer can do to avoid low quality construction is simply researching the home’s builder before making a purchase. If a home is new, it is simple to check with the better business bureau and online for a solid reputation. For older homes, it may be necessary to find out if other similar homes in the area that have probably been built by the same company have any common problems. Ask local contractors if there are any known issues with homes in an area before buying and be sure to get a home inspection from a qualified professional.

Joe Cline writes articles for Austin real estate. Other articles written by the author related to Austin Texas homes and Lakeway Neighborhoods can be found on the net.

The home security market has something for everyone with security options from shoe string budget burglar alarms to sophisticated surveillance systems. Choose from a simple do-it-yourself set up or a professionally installed system, complete with monthly monitoring devices. The amount you wish to spend on your security system is determined by your needs, and the home market security suppliers have created devices to cover the entire property or individual doors and windows as they are needed.

Outdoor Systems.

The outdoor security systems are designed to cover the exterior of the home and may also be used to cover the property grounds. The most popular device is an automatic outdoor lighting system, which can be programmed to register and alert with a motion sensor component. You will program the unit to identify a certain height, thus eliminating a false alarm when your dog or cats struts through the yard.

The advantage to the outdoor sensor lights is to stop the burglary attempt before the criminal has a chance to get near the doors and windows. The flood lights will illuminate when alerted, and in most cases, drive away the intruder before he makes contact with the house. However, remember that many burglaries occur during the daytime hours when the thieves know the occupants will be away. So the flood light system should be reinforced with a secondary alarm, especially in the backyard or other areas of the property that cannot be seen from the street.

In addition to the flood light security system, you may wish to be alerted with sound. Doorway chimes are a cost efficient means to send an audible signal when someone approaches your driveway, backyard or stands in the doorway. You may program this annunciation system to send you a sound or voice signal when motion is detected, and this easy to use system may be placed anywhere on the property to do its job.

Indoor Systems.

The complete home monitoring devices are linked to a live desk with 24/7 response units ready to assist you with a security breach or medical emergency. And although the monitoring systems are comprehensive and keep you connected with help, they can be costly with the monthly monitoring fees. Before signing up with a monitoring company, be sure you have read the fine print and are comfortable with the minimum contractual agreement. The home security centers are effective, but not without flaw. Your monitoring service may be interrupted with a power outage or temporary disconnection from the telephone lines.

Home owners located in regions where weather conditions such as high winds or thunder storms may interfere with an electric security system may opt for the battery powered units. These easy to install individual pieces are applied to doors and windows as needed and deliver a powerful alert signal when the motion sensor is triggered. And with no monthly fees or professional installation charges, the battery operated security device remains one of the most cost effective and easy to use home security systems on the market.

Joe Cline writes articles for Austin real estate. Other articles written by the author related to Lakeway real estate and Austin Texas real estate can be found on the net.

Good home security does not always come with a hefty price tag, but rather good common sense. And although investing in a state-of-the-art security system is a wise thing to do, remember to apply some basic principals to keep your home safe and sound. Burglary is often the criminal’s full time job and many are well-qualified for their work. So to stay a step ahead of the bad guys, you will want to cover all your bases and apply some practical applications to keep the criminals away.

1. Participate in a neighborhood watch. This basic principal simply means to take notice of who comes and goes on your block and be on the watch for suspicious cars and strangers approaching your neighbor’s doors. You look out for them and they will do the same for you.

2. Change your locks if you have lost your keys, even if you are uncertain if they were lost inside or outside of the home.

3. Cut your mail service off when you will be away for more than two days. And if your neighborhood is subject to flyers being placed on the doors, ask a neighbor to come daily and remove them along with any newspapers lying in your driveway. The accumulation of junk mail is a tell tale sign that nobody is home.

4. Use shatterproof glass on windows occupying an obscure position on the property. This extra strength glass cannot be hammered and smashed for a quick entry when nobody is home. Yet the glass is perfectly safe for an emergency exit as it can be opened with a lock as any other type of window. The extra strength glass can be costly, but if you keep your investment limited to the problem areas, the deterrent has done its job.

5. Sensor outdoor lighting is a cost effective way to illuminate only when its necessary. The sensor tracks may be programmed to recognize certain heights to detect a human rather than a small animal. No crook wants to take center stage with the spotlight, and a outdoor lighting system is just the trick to stop them cold in their tracks.

6. When allowing so-called inspectors or hired help into your home, be sure you look out the window for a company vehicle. Just because someone is wearing an official looking jumpsuit with a name tag does not mean he was truly sent by the city to enter your back gate. This same principal also applies to those with a police uniform; make sure you see the squad car parked outside.

7. To make your property less attractive to sneaky thieves, be sure you remove excess bushes from the prime hiding areas. This includes below the window frames and close proximity to the points of entry. You do not want to be fumbling with your house keys at night and be taken by surprise by the bogey man in the bushes.

8. When hiring a cleaning service, be sure you go with a reputable agency that affirms that their workers are bonded. This will cut down on the opportunity for latent crime, even if the cleaner has not been to your home for a year. The bonded employees undergo a background check and are fingerprinted for security reasons.

9. Never hand your house keys over to a parking valet service, but rather remove them when you give him your car keys. It takes only minutes to create a new key or duplicate with a plastic mold, and you never want a stranger to have access to the keys to your kingdom.

10. And most importantly, never open your door to a stranger, no matter how innocuous they may seem. Crooks will often work in teams with a shy and demure female as the bait. If they ask for a drink of water or to use the phone, you may count this as a home invasion team trying to gain access through an opened front door. Get their license number if you can and report the incident immediately to your sheriff.

Joe Cline writes articles for Austin Texas real estate. Other articles written by the author related to Cedar Park real estate and Austin real estate can be found on the net.