After a fire, you think of every little thing you could have done better. The tragedy is that most of the fire damage could have been prevented with modern methods of fire preparedness. When it comes to your home there is no reason to be caught unprepared. Protect your home and occupants by getting it right the first time.
1. Modernize. Replace your smoke alarms with the latest technology. The best alarms are both ionization sensing and photoelectric sensing so that they may detect both fast moving and smoldering fires. Switch out these alarms and add some carbon monoxide sensors while you’re at it. It also pays to invest in a fire sprinkler system.
2. Fireproof everything. Investing in modern fireproofing will keep a fire small. Refurbish the house with fireproofed furniture. Use fire retardant insulation that will keep the flames from spreading through your home. If you have time, you can even use retardant plasters on the walls. Also, make sure to keep your documents in a fireproofed safe strong enough to withstand an inferno.
3. Prepare for the worst. Keep an emergency kit handy that is stocked with supplies and create an escape plan that includes exit strategies for upstairs rooms. It is also a good idea to go through the drill will all the occupants of the house.
4. Keep Records. The thought of keeping records is all too often in hindsight of a disaster. If you are filing an insurance claim you want to be able to include anything and everything of value. Keep all receipts and records in your fireproofed safe. It may seem redundant at the time but keeping track of your home purchases is paramount to protecting your investments.
5. Consult an adjuster. Most policy owners don’t fully understand their insurance. Insurance brokers are trying to sell you a policy and even with the best intentions may not tell you everything you need to know. Adjusters are different. They are not trying to sell you anything and will give you advice to get a cheap insurance quote for your situation. Usually we meet adjusters after a disaster, which is a shame. If you want to save a little dough, meet with an adjuster about your insurance policy.
Fire preparedness in an investment in your investments. Follow these steps with the assurance that your home will be a little safer.
Matthew Sommer writes home tips and helps people to get home insurance quotes.
Glad to see the plug for fire sprinklers, but there importance should be emphasized more than anything! Fire sprinklers are the best way to keep your home safe from fires.
We designed this infographic that expands on the tips you wrote in this post:
http://www.kauffmanco.net/blog/residential-fire-protection-infographic/
All 5 of those tips are excellent. It’s amazing that people in general don’t invest (time and money) more on protecting their home from fire. Most people spend so much on their belongings from huge TVs to their iPad but they all of a sudden become cheap or uninterested when it comes to protecting their home and belongings from fire or any other home safety threat.
While I think these are very good tips for preventing a fire disaster aren’t they expensive? #1 and #2 could cost $20,000 or more to do correctly.
A great post outlining the importance of fire risk assessment.
Having a working fire alarm means that you are four times more likely to survive a domestic fire. Creating a fire escape plan can mean that you are mentally prepared to react to a fire if need be. A fire plan should always involve assessing fire escapes routes (particularly from rooms above ground floor) and with the intention to get out and stay out.