The Most Common Home Disasters & How To Prevent Them

We love our home’s; they’re our safe havens. Despite the numerous stories on the news about household disasters, we never think that it will happen to us. The sad truth is, that just like every other homeowner you’re at risk of household disasters. This might be a scary thought, but home disasters can happen to anyone, anywhere. While we can’t stop them altogether, what we can do is find ways to lower the risk of a home disaster occurring.

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Here’s a list of the most common home disasters and how to prevent them, or at least, make them less likely.

Household blazes

Without a doubt, one of the scariest household disasters has to be fires. This is because of how deadly and instantly destroying they can be. Most properties that fall victim to fires require a full renovation afterward. While this is covered under home insurance, the repairs from a house fire can take months to complete, sometimes longer.

The good news is that there are plenty of ways you can prevent your home falling victim to a household fire. First and foremost, it’s essential to install a fire alarm. Although this won’t prevent a fire, it can help you to limit the damage should a fire break out. It’s also important to get your electrics checked on an annual basis by a qualified electrician. If your home runs on gas, it’s essential that you have your boiler checked at least once a year. Leaking gas is a common cause of household fires as it’s extremely flammable.

Flooding

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There are two types of flooding; external and internal flooding. External flooding is flooding that’s cause by an external source like a river that’s burst its banks. While internal flooding is caused by something inside the home, such as a burst or cracked water pipe. Of course, sometimes external flood water can enter the home via an internal source, such as a water pipe or toilet.

External flooding is harder to prevent than internal flooding, as you can’t control the weather. However, using a flood defense system, like sandbags, can help to protect your home from rising water. Another way that water can get into your home when there’s external flooding is through water pipes that lead to toilets, sinks, and baths. The good news is that you can stop this from happening by adding stoppers to your pipes. These only allow the water to flow one way – out, which means that flood water would be unable to enter your home through the pipework.

When it comes to internal flooding, the best way to prevent it is to ensure your home’s water system is in good order. This means having it regularly checked by a plumber or using a water damage company to learn the best ways to prevent water damage in your home. Most water damage services will also be able to advise you about mold. As well as how, after a flood, you can ensure that your home doesn’t end up with a damp or mold problem. These can have serious effects on your health, so it’s essential that you know how to stop them occurring.

Break-ins

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Last but not least, break-ins are one of the most common home disasters. On average, over half of all homes will be burgled at some point or another. That means that one in two families will have an intruder enter their home. Home invasions can be scary as you never know what the intruder is after. Do they want to harm you and your family or are they simply looking to make a quick buck? It can be impossible to tell. That’s why it’s so essential to know how to prevent break-ins.

Of course, having a home that’s well secured is the key. This means that all doors and windows have secure locks and are always kept locked. That there’s security lighting dotted around your home’s exterior – this is a great deterrent. Having CCTV cameras and a security alarm are also fantastic deterrents. Even if the CCTV isn’t functional, no one knows that. Having a security alarm that links instantly to the police is essential. As should someone break in, they shouldn’t be able to do too much damage before the police arrive.

So there you have it, the most common home disasters and how to prevent them from occurring. Home disasters can be terrifying, but the good news is they can be made less likely. It’s just a case of being smart about being prepared.

 

Comments

  1. Cheryl Grandy says

    The thought of having a home disaster is frightening. Other than minor flooding, we’ve been fortunate not to have experienced any.

  2. It’s so sad and upsetting when something bad happens, our basement flooded awhile back, and we lost so much, I just cried!!

  3. Our house was broken into when I was a child, when we were away. If I can remember correctly they enter through a window that wasn’t securely lock. The only reason my parents notice, they found burn matches everywhere. They mainly stole jewellery. But the idea of having an intruder in your house and going through your stuff is very scary and you feel violated.

  4. Yes home disasters can be terrifying. But prevention and preparation (as much as possible) can make a difference. But when any of these things happen there is tremendous emotional upheaval.

  5. Having good insurance is super important too. At least you have recourse and back up when bad things happen.

  6. We’ve been fortunate not to have experienced any kind of problems in 30 years being home owners.

  7. Debbie W says

    We had a fire at our home just over a year ago. Yes, we had insurance, but honestly it is the most helpless feeling a person could ever experience. You have not control over the disaster, and I had nightmares for weeks.

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