If you are thinking about hiring a general contractor, you should read my blog before you pick up the phone or send that email. I am not a general contractor myself, but I have just finished restoring my home. It was a big project that involved working with multiple contractors over an extended period of time. Although I am not a professional, I learnt an awful lot about how to get the most out of a team of contractors and how to keep a project on schedule and under budget. I also learnt a thing or two about the work they were carrying out.
If you're building your new home, you have two options for the finish work. When it comes to the finish w
Renovating a small kitchen can be challenging. However, you can formulate a design that makes the area ap
The moment the exterior of your house starts to look worse for wear, it is time to call in a general cont
Indeed, almost all freestanding closets have space limitations and are probably unfit for your room. Howe
One way to upgrade your yard is to install a retaining wall. Bringing structural and aesthetic benefits,
As a homeowner, you may already know that most areas require you to have at least one fire extinguisher in the home. In many cases, you may have to have several in the home depending on the size of the home. You will also want to have certain pieces of fire equipment if you will be entertaining outdoors during the fall and winter months as well. All of these items need to be maintained and checked on a routine basis. Here are some tips and tricks to help you with these fire equipment maintenance tasks.
Know the Type of Fire Equipment
The first thing you need to know before performing any sort of DIY home fire equipment maintenance is that fire extinguishers come in several types. You need to know what type of extinguisher you have and what that means. For example, some types are only good for a certain type of fire, like oil fires.
These need to be placed in the areas where those are more likely to happen. You also need to know how far the extinguisher will reach and what to do to dispose of used equipment. This is all vital, since different types and ratings of fire equipment must be maintained differently.
Checking Pressure
Most people will check for damage of the fire equipment and the valves for leaks and other issues. What you may overlook is checking for the pressure. Most fire equipment in the home, such as extinguishers, will have a gauge attached to the device. The gauge should be fairly easy to read and show you what the normal amount of pressure is.
This is usually indicated by a green line on the gauge. If the pressure is below this, you may need to have it replaced. In contrast, if the needle is well above the green line, then you need to have it properly checked and disposed of as well.
Documentation of Maintenance
You may think to check all the valves, expiration dates and pressure, but what you may fail to do is record the maintenance that you have done. This is important for many homes that are under strict municipality guidelines for fire equipment in the home. This shows the last time certain checks were done, if replacements needed to be done or if there was anything noted.
This is something fire inspectors will check during home inspections. It is also something your insurance company may require if there is an issue in the home where an insurance payment is requested for damages.
Remember, you can do these tasks on your own, but you may still have to have a professional inspection done on certain equipment like extinguishers. When the time comes for those inspections, contact your local fire team to get your areas list of requirements and schedule an inspection.
Share