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Home Safety Tips

Protect your home & family with our safety tutorials on all things home safety.

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Firework Safety: 9 Tips for Safely Celebrating the Fourth of July at Home

In many areas of the country, some form of consumer fireworks are legal. Learn how to protect yourself and your family if you're planning your own festival of lights this holiday.
S21 E16, Ross Trethewey discusses indoor air quality with Kevin O'Connor
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Understanding IAQ Testing

Home technology expert Ross Trethewey teaches host Kevin O’Connor what he needs to know about indoor air quality testing.
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3 Questions to Ask Yourself About Your Smoke Alarms

The end of Daylight Saving Time (November 4, this year) serves as an informal reminder to replace smoke-alarm batteries. Changes to fire code mean now’s a good time to consider these Qs, too
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3 Things to Do Before a Storm

Do these simple tasks before severe weather hits to help minimize or even prevent costly damage to your home
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Keep Basements Mold-Free

Planning to create or redo a below-grade living space? Finished basements are vulnerable to damage from storm-water intrusions, leaking pipes and hot-water tanks, or simply high humidity. Lower the risk of mold or mildew taking hold by remodeling with materials made to shake off damp conditions
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How to Select and Use Hearing Protection

Ask This Old House host Kevin O’Connor discusses the importance of hearing protection when working around power tools
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Creating a Comfortable Home as You Age

This post originally appeared at mykukun.com
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Best Air Purifiers to Get You Through Allergy Season

Some people love the warm weather that comes with spring. But allergy sufferers dread this time of year. Here are a few doctor-approved home air purifiers to help you through the season
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Whole-House Battery Backup

Home battery backup systems could be part of our energy future. Learn more about how they work, their cost, and what benefits they bring.
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How to Prevent Holiday Fires

Ask This Old House host Kevin O’Connor travels to UL Laboratories to learn about preventing fires from holiday decorations.
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How to Build a Storm Shelter

This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows how to pour a massive concrete storm shelter. Read on to also learn more about design considerations and guidelines to keep you safe from the storm.
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How to Choose Hurricane Window Covers

This Old House general contractor Tom Silva shows a homeowner several ways to protect windows during a storm.
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7 Holiday Fire Hazards

Keep your home and family safe with these important tips
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How to Hack-Proof Your Smart Home

A senior security researcher at the risk management firm Tripwire gives his tips for protecting your router and Wi-Fi devices
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Deck Safety Checklist

7 signs that it's time to repair or replace your deck

How a House Fire Spreads

It only takes 30 seconds for a small flame to turn into a full-blown life-threatening fire. We break down the sequence of events in a typical kitchen fire to show how quickly the devastation can spread.
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Discover Your Home's Top 10 Danger Zones

Watch these common problem areas to help prevent costly household disasters
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How to Handle Household Products Safely

Learn the best way to reduce your use of certain household products, as well as the proper way to dispose of those you no longer need
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10 Ways Your Bathroom is Making You Sick

The bathroom may be all about cleaning, yet it's one of the worst places in your home for hiding nasty chemicals, allergens, and other toxins
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Beware of Hidden Home Fire Hazards

You may consider your home fire-safe, but dangers lurk around your workbench, behind your walls, and right on your kitchen counter. Here's how to extinguish them
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How to Prep Your Fireplace for the Cold Season

Before you spark up the logs, make a clean sweep using these seven crucial fireplace safety tips
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Surprising Sources of Radiation in Household Items

Many of us are unknowingly exposed to radioactive things everyday, here are 9 household materials and products that could be emitting low levels of radiation.
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Hurricane Prep: Storm Safety Checklist

Here's what you should do if a storm watch or warning is issued where you live.
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How to Remove a Dangerous Tree

This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook and arborist Matt Foti remove a badly decayed tree.
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9 Highly Toxic Old Household Products

If it's been a while since you cleaned out the basement or shed, watch out for these dangerous household chemicals hiding on the back shelves
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How to Remove and Contain Lead Paint

Lead paint abatement specialist Ron Peik shows the safe, proper way to dispose of lead paint.
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15 Ways Your Home Can Make You Infertile

Doctors can't explain what's wrong for about 10 percent of couples who can't conceive, and some experts suspect the culprit is where you'd least expect: in the home
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Cleaning Up Lead, Asbestos, and Other Hazards

When an inspection revealed a handful of household hazards, the owners of this TOH TV project house tackled the cleanup for a healthier home
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10 Ways Your House Can Kill You

Poisonous gases, electrical currents, rust, fires—there are many ways your house can take you down, if you're not vigilant about safety and codes. Check out these dangerous household conditions for a lesson in what not to do
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5 of the Best Nontoxic Cleaners You Aren't Using

From wine to grease stains, use these simple and nontoxic household cleaning solutions that are likely in your kitchen pantry.
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Child Safety in the Home

Thousands of kids go to emergency rooms every year as a result of preventable, accidental injuries. Here's how you can lower your youngster's chances of being one of them
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How to Test for Radon and Get Rid of It

Learn about DIY radon tests, hiring a mitigation contractor, and building a radon-resistant home.
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How to Flu-Proof Your Home

Show winter illnesses the door by keeping the house as germ-free as can be. This Old House has some time-honored tips for making your house a healthy home