By Joel Wensley
Is your home as safe as it can be? Sometimes in our own homes, we tend to focus more upon looks rather than comfort and safety.
Today’s average households are made up of many different age groups. For those of us who are a little older, having our parents staying with us at the same time the grandkids are over for the weekend is not an uncommon situation. Here are a few things to check to see that your home is safe for everyone.
• Put hand rails on all stairs. One side is crucial, both sides of the wall are even better.
• Secure all area rugs with double-sided tape. No matter what age you are, a slip and fall is no fun at all.
• Replace doorknobs with lever-style handles. For little hands or hands with arthritis, lever handles are so much easier to operate.
• Use brighter light bulbs. By all means, conserve on energy, but not to the point of making it hard to see or read something at night.
• Add nonslip tape on all noncarpeted stairs. Wood stairs in stocking feet are a sure fire way to take a tumble when you least expect it.
• Install night lights. A little path to see by is always helpful with those midnight trips to the bathroom.
• Place a bench or chair near entrances. This will keep you from doing the one-foot hop when you need to put your shoes on.
Creating a safer home begins with awareness. Take a look around your home and see what you can do to make things a little nicer and a whole lot safer for the whole family, yeahhh buddy.
Joel Wensley is a licensed mechanical contractor in the state of Michigan, a member of the Comfort Institute, and is also the president of Mechanical Heating & Cooling in Dearborn Heights.