Household Safety

Household safety should be given as much attention as any home improvement or decorating scheme. Learn about general household safety and home security.

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If you own a home, or contemplate owning one, just the mention of termites probably sends chills down your spine. Because of this, builders are getting creative with ways to keep them out.

By Sara Elliott

Nobody ever expects accidents to happen, but a slip down the stairs or a kitchen grease fire can occur in the blink of an eye -- even with careful homeowners. So where are you most likely to get hurt?

By Emilie Sennebogen

Floods are the most common natural disaster in the United States. But with a little foresight and planning, you can safeguard your home against floodwaters.

By Cristen Conger

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Your body treats lead like the poisonous invader it is. So if you've got it in your home, get it out! But what's the most effective way to test for it?

By Cristen Conger

With the Internet as our guide, it seems as though no job is too large for our capable hands. But there are five jobs you should step away from and call a professional.

By Emilie Sennebogen

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, tasteless, odorless gas — and it can kill you. A carbon monoxide detector can help protect your family, but how does it know when CO is in the air?

By Angela Black

They're supposed to make your home smell like a spring day. But there's nothing fresh about low-grade pollutants. Do air fresheners lighten the scent in the air, or do their cancer-causing chemicals bog down people?

By Cristen Conger

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Formaldehyde, PCB, asbestos: You don't want these words associated with your living space. So open the windows and get a breath of fresh air before reading this article.

By Jennifer Horton

You don't have to buy an alarm system to prevent burglaries. If your home looks lived-in and if your neighbors seem nosy, you're preventing crime.

By Cristen Conger

Think your home is a safe haven? Think again. With all the hazardous chemicals people use in their homes, it may be more polluted indoors than outdoors.

By Cristen Conger

There's a reason a natural gas leak has a rotten egg odor. That stink is meant to signal danger. Any spark — a match or even a light switch — could cause a serious explosion.

By Cristen Conger

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Insulation might look like cotton candy, but it's a little more practical. It's great for keeping your house warm, but some say it's just as bad as asbestos for your health.

By John Fuller

Asbestos can be hazardous to your health, but removing it from your home can expose you and your family to the material. What's the safest way to deal with asbestos?

By Josh Clark

Locking your doors with deadbolts should be your first line of defense against home invasion. But what if that isn't enough? How can you keep your home safe?

By Josh Clark

Overloaded outlets and poorly made power strips can cause an electrical overload that can ruin your holiday plans. How many plugs does it take to start a fire?

By Josh Clark

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There are a number of potential dangers in every home. Learn which dangers lurk in your home, and the simple precautions you can take to make your home a safer place.

By the American Institute for Preventive Medicine

While it's difficult to protect your home from professional thieves, most home burglaries are done by amateurs. These thieves are more easily thwarted if you employ some of the following security precautions.

By Editors of Consumer Guide

Performing quick fixes around your home should be satisfying and safe. Learn how to choose safe tools and ladders, how to use them correctly, and how to avoid common injuries.

By Fix-It Club

Some home security systems are complex and should be installed by a professional. However, there are good home security systems sold in kit forms that you can install yourself. Learn instructions for this project.

By Fix-It Club

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New doors need a lockset. Some doors come predrilled for standard-size locksets, others will require drilling. Mortises also need to be cut for the lockset and strike plate. Learn the details to install a lockset.

By Walter Curtis

They keep the contents of your school locker safe. They secure precious documents and monetary instruments. Some of them can even take a bullet. Learn about what's going on inside combination locks.

By Robert Valdes

This set of articles includes explanations of lockpicking and safecracking, as well as the mechanical workings of many of the most common types of locks.

By Marshall Brain

While there's a good chance that your fire extinguisher will sit on the wall for years, collecting dust, it could end up saving your property and even your life. Learn the correct way to use an extinguisher and see what sort of fire suppressant works best on different types of fires.

By Tom Harris

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The super of our apartment building is always going into everyone's apartment when something needs to be fixed. There must be a hundred apartments, but he only carries one key around with him. How does he get into all those apartments?

Security systems can range from do-it-yourself kits for $10 to sophisticated whole-house networks installed by professionals. But most alarm systems are actually built around the same basic design concepts.

By Tom Harris