Holiday Decoration Safety

When the holidays roll around, you'll find yourself digging out those holiday lights and other décor to decorate your home and yard. You may be the type of person who likes to go all out, or you might be the type of person who just likes to do the bare minimum with regard to your holiday décor. No matter which type of person you are, you will still want to be sure you are being safe with regards to your décor and lighting. With regard to the lighting, follow the advice here to prevent electrical issues as well as other types of danger.

Check all of your cords.

You want to check all of the cords that go with your holiday lighting, including any extension cords that you will be using. Don't forget that many of your decorations may have lights inside of them. You should take a look at the lights in the decorations to make sure there are no signs of problems with those parts of the cords as well. Look at the cord itself, as well as the connections, the sockets, and the plug. If you see anything that looks excessively worn or problematic in any other way, it's better to not use that decoration and/or cord.

Buy a safe tree.

If you have chosen to use an artificial tree, then it is very important for you to make sure the tree that you buy is a flame-resistant one. If you don't make sure of this, then you will be increasing the chances of that tree catching on fire due to the lights and other light-up decorations that you put on the tree.

Don't leave the lights on.

When you leave your house or you go to bed for the night, you want to make sure you have turned off all of the holiday lights. This means turning off the lights on the inside of the house, as well as the ones on the outside. While many people like to leave their exterior holiday lights on for people to enjoy, it is just not worth the risk.

Don't keep a dead tree.

If you use a live tree, then you want to make sure you give it water. You can also help it to stay alive longer by adding a little bit of 7-Up to the water that you give it. When you have a dead tree, the branches will be dry, and this means they can easily catch on fire due to the heat of the lights you have on the tree.

Have smoke detectors installed.

If you are lacking a sufficient amount of smoke detectors, or you are going to be decorating a space that doesn't have one, then you should have smoke detectors installed in all areas where there are none. The smoke detectors will alert you to a fire.

If you suspect there are any issues with your home's electrical system, contact a professional for electrical repairs before the holiday season arrives.