Home Safety

Learn the proper way to trash those burnouts—some of which contain toxic components—to keep your family and the environment safe.

Installing a home security system doesn’t have to be a huge project. A DIY security system allows renters or homeowners to do their own design and installation so they can choose their preferred level of monitoring.

If you’re asking, “How safe is my neighborhood?” you can use these helpful tools to determine just how safe your surroundings are and learn what steps you can take to feel safer in your home.

Find out why this cleaning combo is a hazard waiting to happen—and how to avoid it while you sanitize and disinfect around the house.

A radon mitigation system costs between $771 to $1,185, with the national average at $978. Larger homes and those with a complex layout can cost up to $3,000.

Home has traditionally been viewed as a sanctuary, a place of refuge from the dangers and uncertainties lurking in the outside world. As safe and secure as we try to make our homes, hidden perils can sometimes still find their way inside. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, as many as 6 out of 10 homes and buildings are actually hazardous to human health. Consider also that, according to the Greenguard Environmental Institute, most people spend about 90 percent of their time indoors, where air pollution levels are typically two to five times higher than they are outdoors. The primary contributors to poor indoor air quality are furnishings and building materials, which release hundreds of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air. Because prevention is the first step toward a cure, here we highlight some of the most common sources of indoor health hazards and offer a few practical alternatives that can lessen your family’s exposure to household toxins.

Whether it’s a Category 5 hurricane or the coming of the zombie apocalypse, you never know exactly when a disaster might strike. Whatever the coming calamity may be, it’s crucial to your survival to always be prepared. In some scenarios, you may need to evacuate your home almost immediately, so it’s important to assemble your kit well in advance and keep it easily accessible. Get started by flipping through our gallery to confirm that you’re fully stocked with these Red Cross-approved essentials.

Whether it’s due to contamination or natural disaster, our water supply is sometimes declared unsafe to drink. Knowing how to sanitize water in an emergency prevents illness and provides peace of mind until the water advisory is lifted.

If you live in a home that was built in a previous century, or if you undertook a DIY renovation without acquiring a permit, there’s a good chance that you’re not in compliance with current building codes.

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that most people spend more than 90 percent of their time indoors. Could your living space be making you sick?