There is nothing more important than making sure that your home and family are healthy, safe, and secure. This can be done in a great many numbers of ways. The way the house is set up has a great effect on mental and physical health, so neglecting the home can cause issues. So it is important that you ensure that you cover all the bases in terms of health and safety. Problems may not arise immediately; however, over time, you can start to see the detrimental effects of certain things you have overlooked. At times, this is not your fault, as many dangers are hidden, and you may need to do a bit of research. However, as we know that you are busy and have other things to deal with, we have come up with some home improvement tips and advice about safety to help you out.

Image from Pixabay

Natural light

If your home does not allow in much natural light, over time, it will start to have a negative effect on your mental health. Natural light is a mood enhancer and can ward off some mental health illnesses. If your home is quite dark, think about moving any bulky furniture away from the window, so the light you do have is able to travel into the house better. It may be an idea to put mirrors up strategically in the home so that the light can be reflected and rebounded around the home better. This will also give the impression of more space so that you feel less oppressed. Overall the more light you allow in, the better you will feel.

Safety and security

If you do not have any instruments in place to protect against intruders, you should do so. Not only will this protect you, but it will give you some much-needed peace of mind if you happen to go away and the children are at home, for example. Think about investing in security lights and a burglar alarm to deter anyone if they tried to break and enter. Also, do you secure your door with a deadbolt when you are inside if not, you should? It may be worth getting a video security having the ability to watch the safety of the house from your phone. Also, you definitely need insurance. It would help if you had this on your house, contents, and car, you may want to have a look at the auto insurance comparison, to get a better deal. 

Don’t allow dust to build-up

You may think of dust as just a harmless annoyance which every so often you have to wipe away with the polish cloth. And for the most part, that is true. However, dust can cause allergies, especially in young children, so it is not as harmless as you may think. Also, it may also contain some other nasty surprises that are best kept at bay. These include some toxic particles and some chemicals as well, including things such as lead, asbestos, other fire retardants, bits of plastic, and pesticides, along with a whole load of other things. Over the year, the house, especially if it is old, will have accumulated a lot of dust from various sources, and in the past, the rules were not as tight as they are now about things. Many of these harmful chemicals pose a significant threat to babies and young children due to the fact that they are still growing. It is in your best interest to consider removing carpets and having a non-carpet alternative laid down if your home does have a dust problem. Failing that, it is best to buy a state-of-the-art dust eliminating vacuum cleaner. 

Test what you don’t know

The good news is that in this day and age, there is a test for everything. So if you are concerned about toxins and chemicals, then you do have a line of defense. They are not particularly expensive, and you buy them at the local hardware store or on the internet. One of the main particles to look out for is lead. Prior to 1978, lead was used in paint, so houses renovated or made before this year may still have coats of lead paint. If you have any areas where the paint is thicker than usual, then old paint may have been painted over, and the under layer may contain lead. So it is best to check it out. As the paint ages, it will flake, and tiny pieces of dust-sized lead paint will merge with ordinary dust and be breathed in, etc. Lead is of particular danger to the unborn child of pregnant women. If the Mother inhales too much lead, the fetus may suffer some irreversible side effects, such as brain damage. Also, if young children are exposed to too much lead, they can develop developmental issues as well. If you think that lead may be an issue in your home, don’t think about it, get it tested, and get it removed. Another major concern is radon gas. This problem can affect any home of any age, size, etc., it is a very non-discriminatory poison. It is a colorless and odorless gas that can cancer and is the second-largest cause of lung cancer after smoking. It is a byproduct of certain geological processes that go on under the ground as soil and rock degrade. You can buy a test kit if you are worried. Another thing you should probably test is the water. Although water out of the tap does go through some filtration, if there is something in the old pipework, then you need to test at home. If you do discover something, maybe purchase a specialist water filter, or drink only bottled water. It may even be a good idea to test for asbestos on ceilings. If you know what is in the house, then you can make a well-informed decision about what to do going forward. The health and safety of everyone in the home should be your primary concern.