Safety tips from intelligent people for home renovation and repair - hiring, working, managing - for women, children and pets

In a fire, do not rely on your fire extinguisher to save your life. Get everyone out of the house and call the fire department. Use your extinguisher to save property only.

If you smell natural gas, do not stay in the house. Don't turn an electric switch on or off and don't use your own phone. Report the problem from the neighbor's phone. Open windows. If the meter is easily accessible, turn off the gas using a wrench to turn the rectangular knob to the horizontal-off position. If you use LP gas, the shut-off is usually on the top of the tank.

Fires extinguishers are classified as A, B, or C. Class A fire is from combustibles such as wood, paper, and fabric are burning. Class B fire involves flammable liquids like oil, gasoline, grease, and paint products. The class C fire is electrical in nature. Water puts out a class A fire, but could cause a class B fire is spread by splattering it. It could cause a class C fire to electrocute. There are fire extinguishers designated for each class of fire. There are also extinguishers rated ABC to fight all fires.

Have more than one fire extinguisher. Put them in the kitchen, garage, workshop and basement if that's where the heating system is. It should be placed where they are handy, but not so close to where the fire would be likely to start that you can't reach them.

To know if there was a power outage while you were on vacation affecting the food, place ice cubes in a jar. If they are still in cube form, there was no power failure.

The best way to test for a fresh Christmas tree is to reach to the main trunk and use your thumbnail to scratch the bark. If it's juicy and green where you scratch, then the tree is new. You might also test the branches for flexibility. As the tree dries out, the branches become stiff. The final test would be to pick the tree up and bring it down sharply against the ground. If a lot and needles fall off, you might want a fresher tree. The smell on a Christmas tree can have come from an aerosol can. It is also your responsibility to keep the tree fresh. When you get it home, keep the bottom of the trunk in a bucket of water until you bring it in the house. Then, be sure you have water in the tree stand at all times.

Spraying of silicone lubricant on the rubber weather-stripping at the bottom of the garage door will help prevent snow and ice from sticking to it.

To burglar proof your garage, unplug the automatic door opener and re-activate the manual lock on the door.

Attach a flasher to heat tape so if the temperature in the house falls below the setting, it will attract more attention.