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Many people assume that their homes are safe havens. Unfortunately,
statistics don't bear this out. More accidents resulting in injury occur
on stairs than in automobiles. An estimated 100,000 house fires are
caused each year by faulty or overloaded wiring. The presence of 0.2%
carbon monoxide in household air can be lethal within two hours. Many
unexplained deaths, particularly those occurring at night, may be attributed
to this silent killer.
Other major home safety concerns include but are in no way limited to:
1) build-up of creosote in chimney flues, leading to fire
2) painted-shut windows or inside-locking deadbolts, which can prevent
escape from fire
3) unrated doors and gaps in firewalls and around plumbing pipes, which
can greatly promote the spread of fire
4) non-functional or improperly located smoke detectors
5) registers or wall heaters that are too close to combustibles. Certain
models are presently subject to recall due to overheating.
6) unapproved and unsafe electrical modifications made by prior homeowners
7) ungrounded electrical outlets in bathrooms, which pose a severe shock
hazard
8) poor home security involving weak or hollow-core entry doors, lack
of deadbolts, basement windows that are easily entered, or bushes that
conceal forced entry
9) mold in crawlspaces that causes or worsens respiratory problems
10) asbestos-containing duct tape or wrap.
Often the cure to an unsafe condition is simple and inexpensive. For
example, a $3 can of aluminum spray paint might effectively seal fraying
asbestos duct tape. A $15 GFCI outlet could virtually eliminate the
shock hazard in a bathroom. A dollar's worth of fiberglass insulation,
stuffed into gaps around vent pipes, could slow the spread of fire,
allowing time to escape. The problem is that many potential hazards
are not obvious to the untrained eye, while others require specialized
detection equipment. That's why we perform home safety inspections as
an important part of our service. At Accredited Home Inspection of Oregon,
LLC your safety is our number one concern.
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