Window and Door Safety Tips Everyone Should Know
Window and door safety tips are important to know in advance to keep you and your family safe. Your home should be a safe place and having issues with unsafe windows and doors can interrupt that. Being proactive about window and door safety is a first step to being safe. Here is a list of the top window and door safety tips for your home.
Window Safety Tips
Lock Your Windows
In the summer months, many people forget to lock their windows after closing them. Window security is important to keep everyone safe. With the summer nights being breezy and cool, people want to leave their windows open. In these cases, it is important to have interior locks on the window. Many windows now have security latches at two different levels to allow for the window to stay open for ventilation in a safe way. This allows for fresh air as well as the safety of having your window locked.
Window Safety for Children
Keeping children safe around windows is a top priority. Here are a few key safety tips to keep children safe around windows.
First, keep all furniture away from open windows. Children are full of energy and if they are playing on the furniture near an open window it increases the likelihood of an accident happening. Make sure all furniture is a good distance away from the window so that a child could not easily access it.
Second, if you have a double hung window make sure to open the top sash instead of the bottom sash. This will still allow for ventilation but it makes sure the window is out of reach of children to keep them safe.
Third, make sure to read the labels on the screens. Screens have a label stating, “WARNING: Screen will not stop child from falling out window”. This is not a warning to take lightly. Most screens are insect protector screens. They are designed to keep insects out of the house, not to keep children inside the house. So please remember to read all warning labels and follow them to make sure you and your loved ones are safe!
Windows and Fire Safety
Windows can be life saving in the event of a fire. Test your windows each month to make sure that they are safe and open easily. If not, it may be time for new windows. Thinking about buying new windows for your home may make you a little nervous, but you shouldn’t worry! There are plenty of affordable options to complement your home that will make you feel secure in your decision for new windows. You don’t want to risk it when the time comes and your windows won’t open. Be proactive with your windows and you could end up saving a life.
Door Safety Tips
Along with making sure your doors are always locked, below are some door safety tips to keep you and your family safe.
Make Sure Your Doors are Well Lit
Walking up to a door that is surrounded by complete darkness would give most of us the chills. That is why having a well lit door is a key tip to keeping you safe. If there is no light at your door there are a few easy fixes for that. The simplest and cheapest fix could be getting a strand of decorative lights and hanging them up around your door or porch. This will give off enough light to brighten up the door space as well as the simplicity of small lights that can be easily removed. If you want a more permanent fix, there are outdoor lights available at most hardware stores that can be bought.
Is Your Door Solid?
Another door safety tip is making sure you have a solid door on your house. Most of us have seen those movies where a bad guy kicks in a door to gain access somewhere. This could be a reality if there is not a safe door on a house. Some options for new solid doors are fiberglass, solid wood, or a door with a solid wood core and a metal door. This allows for maximum security while still looking aesthetically pleasing to the eye
Replace Glass with More Solid Options
Glass doors and glass inlays on doors are nice to look at but could also pose a danger if hit. Glass can be a pain to clean up and could also result in injury. Try replacing the glass with tempered glass or finding a door with fiberglass inlays to decrease the dangers of broken glass.
These are just a few important door safety tips. Always make sure to be proactive about window and door safety. It may not seem like much but it could end up saving a life one day!
Additional Window and Door Safety Tips
Windows and Doors with Built in Blinds are Safer
The invention of shades or blinds inside the glass panes within doors and windows was not only a smart idea but also a safe one. Dangling cords from window and door shades pose a great danger to children. As said above, children are full of energy and will play with anything they can get their hands on. Most of those cords are at eye level for them to grab and it can be a safety hazard if they get tangled up in it. If you do have shades with cords that dangle to the floor, make sure you find a way to place them higher so they are out of reach of any child’s hands to keep them safe.
Tempered Glass
Tempered glass is something that everyone should be aware of. You might not even know that there is tempered glass all around you. Hockey rink boards as well as car windshields are both made of tempered glass for example. It is much stronger and is more heat resistant than regular glass.
The best part of tempered glass is the clean up. It falls apart into small pieces rather than large shards with sharp edges making it much easier and safer of a clean up. Since it is stronger than regular glass it is safe in areas of high traffic. Tempered glass is great in any window or door for the increased safety benefits it provides.
Window and door safety is important in all homes. As you can tell window and door safety ranges from fire safety to child safety and everything in-between. Your home is supposed to be a safe space for everyone to enjoy. Having an unsafe part of your home, like your windows and doors, disrupts that safe space. By following the above window and door safety tips and you will be on your way to creating that safe space for you and your family!
