Visions of Sugar Plums and Holiday Safety by Wally Conway

Visions of Sugar Plums and Holiday Safety by Wally Conway

Ho, Ho, Ho, Holiday greetings to you!

Every year at this time I can't help but notice the beautiful holiday lighting and adornment. It's great to see that even homes with a "For Sale" sign on the front lawn have been bedazzled with lights! But this good deed seldom goes without also decking the halls with many holiday hazards.

You may be feeling happy for the holidays, but you'll be roasting more than chestnuts if you lose respect for the dangers inherent in the season! It is sad to say, but more homes burn during December than any other month. And electricity is not the only hazard contributing to the risk.

Candles! Gosh they look so good and the scent can set the perfect holiday mood. But always remember this about candles - they are on fire! Seasonal candles on windowsills near your beautiful curtains and shears is a perfect blend for combustion. Please be sure candles are always attended when lighted, shielded by a glass enclosure, and located so the cat doesn't knock them over. And put out all candles before snuggling in for the night!

And what about space heaters! These little gems can put just the right amount of heat right where you need it. But, they can also burn the house down. Space heaters need to be in a clear space! That might even be why they call them "space" heaters, cause if they are too close to bedding, curtains, or clothing there is a fair chance of fire. Many a home has burned even with the heater in clear space. Please be careful about flinging a towel, shirt, or sheet as you climb under the covers. Any article landing on the heater is certain to burn.

While we are thinking about space heaters, be especially cautious about the misuse of kerosene-fired space heaters. These babies can really put out the heat! But please, read the directions and follow them like your life depended on it. Of special concern is ventilation. If your space heater's directions require outside air for ventilation, crack a window or what ever it takes to be compliant. The risk of death from carbon monoxide poisoning is far greater than fire. Carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless ensuring a sound sleep for all eternity.

Gotta love stockings hung by the fire - but gotta also be sure they are removed before the fire is a blazing! Maybe back in the day when wool stockings hung by the fire, it was not so risky, but these days those fuzzy fake flannel stockings burn better than fat lighter. So choose your effect - either stockings hung by the fireplace, or a fire in the fireplace, but certainly not both at the same time!

For some strange reason, otherwise sane and contentious homeowners decide to do their most creative electrical lighting, decorating, and wiring this time of year. Some of the more festive observations have been:

Twelve indoor extension cords lying in a garden fountain
Eleven lighted candles each behind a curtain
Ten cracked cords in a single outlet
Nine rocking reindeer sparking on a rooftop
Eight unattended potpourri pots a bubbling and a boiling
Seven realtors cell phones charging near a wet counter
Six spliced wires wrapped with duct tape
Five frosty snowmen hanging by frayed wires
Four flood lights on a single broken fixture
Three space heaters blowing on a Christmas tree
Two light bulbs covered with red plastic bags
One extension cord draped over a chimney while the fire's a blazing
Okay, I confess! I took some liberties in putting this list together. But keep in mind that electrical hazards know no season! Our friends at the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSO) estimate that about 4,000 injuries associated with electric extension cords are treated in hospital emergency rooms each year. They also estimate that each year, about 3,300 residential fires originate in extension cords, killing 50 people and injuring about 270 others. The most frequent causes of such fires are short circuits, overloading, damage, and/or misuse of extension cords.

The real point is, be it in our own homes, homes we visit, or homes we list, keep an eye out for the hazards that need to be addressed. Lives depend on it. Plus, if one of your property listings burn to the ground, it makes for some very difficult disclosures!

Be safe and enjoy the holidays! ...more information...

CopyrightFlorida HomePro, Inc. and Wallace J. Conway. All rights in all media reserved.


About the Author
Wally Conway is President of Florida HomePro Inspections, and has recently written a book entitled "Secrets of the Happy Home Inspector", available at GoHomePro.com. As a speaker, writer,and instructor,blends the right amount of up-to-date information with just the right amount of humor, insight, motivation, and real-world application. Visit WallyConway.com for more information!

Catching Crooked Contractors by Wally Conway

Catching Crooked Contractors by Wally Conway

Few times in the life of a homeowner can be more challenging than when significant repairs are needed. The number of issues, options and decisions seems endless, the most daunting of which is contractor selection.

When choosing a contractor for a repair or renovation the most fundamental of screening techniques is the assurance that the contractor is properly licensed. The tales of tragedy brought about by the illegal actions of unlicensed contactors are enough to scare us into never making repairs! Thankfully, it is free and easy to eliminate these thieves from our lives if we do some simple research.

The State of Florida requires that all contractors be properly licensed under the auspices of The Construction Industry Licensing Board. Each licensed contractor or company qualified to conduct business in the state has a license number. The license number makes it easy to know what a particular contractor or company is licensed to do, but only if we know the code!

Fortunately the code is easy to break. Nearly every license issued by the State of Florida is a combination of three letters and six numbers. The letters identify the type of work the contractor is licensed to perform and the numbers specify the individual contractor or company. At the top of the list are:

CGC
Certified General Contractor
(Builders of big buildings)

CBC
Certified Building Contractor
(Builders of small offices and stores)

CRC
Certified Residential Contractor
(Builders of homes)

It's starting to get simple! The licenses begin and end in the letter "C". A builder can build any building in or below the license level, so a General Contractor could build a home, but a Residential Contractor could not build a bank!

Every system in a home or building is also required to be installed or repaired by properly licensed people. The simple secret code on this is:

CCC Certified Roofing Contractor
CAC Certified Mechanical Contractor (Heating and Air)
CPC Certified Pool Contractor
CFC Certified Plumbing Contractor
EC Electrical Contractor

To help us even more in avoiding unlicensed contractors the state requires that a contractor display their license number on every vehicle, invoice, bid, business card and solicitation. So, you can tell if a person is licensed before you even speak to them!

Most people assume that the risk posed by unlicensed work is limited to poor quality or unfinished work. But it gets much worse! The homeowner who hires unlicensed contractors is responsible for all unpaid bills, fines, and worst of all, payment for any injury to the unlicensed contractor! It is illegal and ill-advised to hire these scoundrels!

A quick link to all this and more, including everything you ever wanted to know about permitting - but were afraid to ask - is at www.gohomepro.com. Forewarned is forearmed, so check it out and keep the risks of unlicensed and illegal work away from your home!

CopyrightFlorida HomePro, Inc. and Wallace J. Conway. All rights in all media reserved.

About the Author
Wally Conway is President of Florida HomePro Inspections, and has recently written a book entitled "Secrets of the Happy Home Inspector", available at GoHomePro.com. As a speaker, writer, and instructor,Wally blends the right amount of up-to-date information with just the right amount of humor, insight, motivation, and real-world application. Visit WallyConway.com for more information!