Properly installed smoke detectors—with fresh batteries—are your first defense in case of a fire. But if you’ve got little ones at home, they’re not enough.

Practice your escape plan with the whole family at least twice a year so everyone will know what to do during a fire.

Smoke alarms and fires can cause children to panic. You might not be at your child’s side when a fire occurs, so make sure everyone in your family knows how to escape from the house safely. Create a fire escape plan for every member of the family. Here are some tips:

Draw a map of the house’s floor plan and outline the best escape route. Teach your children what to do if a doorway is blocked by fire. Create an alternate route, especially from the child’s room or from areas of the house without easy access to the outdoors.

Agree on a meeting place outside of the house so the family will immediately know when everyone is safe.

Kids can memorize the familiar fire-safety drill: “Stop, drop and roll,” but words alone won’t keep them safe. Have children act out the moves. Then make a practice run through your escape routes and demonstrate to children how they should crawl and stay low to the ground to prevent smoke inhalation.

If you have a fire extinguisher in the house, show children how to use it. Still, remind them that their safest action is to escape as quickly as possible.

Keep a cell phone in a visible and easily accessible place in case of emergencies. That way, you can get out of the house and then call 911.

Don’t waste time grabbing documents or keepsakes. Keep important or irreplaceable items like birth certificates and photo negatives in a fire-proof box or a safe deposit box at the bank.

I’ll be talking more about fire safety and other home-improvement topics from 8 – 11 a.m. on Saturday on the Rosie on the House radio show on KNST. Tune me in!

’Til next week, pass yourself a good dose of joie de vivre!

Next week: All kinds of safety

An electric space heater can be just the thing to warm up a particularly cool spot in your home when it’s not quite cold enough to crank up the central heating system.

Keep space heaters far away from water and flammables like drapes.

Wherever you place it, though, use caution.

Space heaters are the culprits in around 25 percent of home-heating fires—and 74 percent of them kill someone, says the National Fire Protection Association.

Here are some space-heater safety tips:

• Buy a new one. Older models don’t have safety features that prevent them from tipping over and automatically turn themselves off if they do.
• Plug your bathroom space heater into a ground-fault circuit interrupter. Keep it as far away from the tub, toilet and sink as possible.
• Don’t hide the electric cord under a rug or carpet. The cord could overheat and cause a fire.
• Leave three feet of space between the heater and furniture and even walls. Keep it away from anything flammable—including the drapes.
• Never plug a space heater into an extension cord. It can overheat the cord.

Want to talk home improvement? Give me a call on the radio this Saturday between 8-11 a.m. The number is 888-ROSIE-4-U. Tune in to KNST to hear the Rosie on the House show.

’Til next time, pass yourself a good dose of joie de vivre!

Next blog: Escape!

If you’re sure you’ll shiver if you turn your thermostat down at night (OK, maybe not just yet!), your bed might need a boost.

Don't trust an older electric blanket to warm you safely. Buy a new one with built-in safety features.

Throw an electric blanket or mattress pad on your bed so you can reap the savings—about 3 percent on your energy bill for each degree you lower the thermostat—without feeling cold.

First, dig your grandmother’s heated blanket out from the back of the closet—and throw it away. Newer models have better warming technology and built-in safety features, and they come in hip fabrics, textures and colors.

Most new electric blankets come with temperature sensors that automatically warm the coldest parts of your body, and they prevent the blanket from overheating. Electric blankets and mattress pads are less bulky than they were in the past, and their wires are hidden.

When you buy electric bedding, look for a label from a trusted product safety testing organization like Underwriters Laboratories (UL). Don’t leave the bedding on overnight unless it is specifically designed for it. Instead, turn your blanket or pad on about 20 minutes before bed and turn it off when you get in.

Electric blankets can burn the sensitive skin of the elderly and infants, so never leave the devices unattended with the heat on. Buy a product with an auto-off feature, and check it for defects or damage before plugging it in. Electric blankets that are more than 10 years old are a fire hazard; do not use them.

I’ll be talking about preventing fires on the Rosie on the House show on Saturday. Tune in to KNST from 8-11 a.m.

’Til next time, pass yourself a good dose of joie de vivre!

Next blog: Space heater safety

You’re probably plenty careful to turn off the stove when you’re finished cooking and to douse your cigarette butts with water before you toss them in the trash. But it’s not just the obvious things that can catch your house on fire.  Do you:

Place your smoke alarm on the ceiling and change the batteries at least once a year.

• Use a charcoal grill indoors for heat? Even if your home doesn’t have central heat, leave your barbecue grill on the patio. Not only can sparks from the coals start a house fire, they emit deadly carbon monoxide, which can poison your family.
• Have security bars on your windows? If you feel you need them, leave them off of one window in each room or buy the kind that have a quick-release device that opens from the inside.
• Have exposed light bulbs in closets? Cleaning out your closet could help prevent a fire. Lots of closets have a single, exposed light bulb. If you cram enough clothes and boxes into a closet to touch that fixture, it could catch them on fire. In fact, 12 percent of house fires start in the closet. Likewise, if you have a skylight in a closet, the sun literally can scorch your clothes. Cover your skylights with UV film.
• Keep your smoke alarms low on the walls? Move them so they’re on or close to the ceiling. And add a few more so you have one in every bedroom. Install carbon monoxide alarms, too—but place them low on the wall. The best device won’t operate properly if you don’t install it right—or if the batteries aren’t fresh.
• Have pets? Your cat or dog can knock over candles and space heaters, swat flammables onto a hot stovetop, chew through wires or even accidentally turn on a stove. Create barriers between your pet and flames or hot surfaces.

Hey! Don’t miss the Rosie on the House show this Saturday from 8-11 a.m. on KNST. I’ll be talking about fire prevention—and lots of other home-improvement topics.

‘Til next time, pass yourself a good dose of joie de vivre!

Next blog: Security blanket?

If you’re building a new home or remodeling your existing place, the more you do to make your house fire-resistant, the better your chances of keeping an outdoor fire from coming indoors. Here are some ideas:

Choose fire-resistant building materials like stucco if you're building or remodeling a home.

• If you’re replacing your siding, consider stucco—a local favorite anyway—or fiber cement or another cement-based product. A non-combustible cladding material is designed to resist flames long enough for firefighters to arrive.
• You might be thinking about trading your leaky, old single-pane windows in for double- or triple-pane models to take advantage of the federal tax credit for energy-efficient home improvements that lasts until December 2010. That’s a great idea, and not just because it will save you money on your air conditioning and heating bills. An extremely hot fire can break your windows. The more layers of glass they’re made of, the less likely all panes will break.
• Choose roof shingles and tiles that are Class-A fire-rated, which makes them suitable for homes even in fire-prone areas. Treated shingles, stone-coated steel and concrete tiles are good choices. A tip: When you replace shingles with tile, you need to reinforce your roof so it can hold up the extra weight.
• Some steel entry doors are tested for fire resistance and are labeled so you’ll know they can hold off flames for times ranging from 20 minutes to 90 minutes.
• Paint additives designed to reduce flame spread come with fire ratings, and some manufacturers claim they double their effectiveness if you double the coating. These additives don’t change the paint’s color.
• For landscaping, choose low-growing, succulent plants that hold moisture. And don’t plant them too close to the house or too close to each other. In the event they do catch on fire, distance will prevent the flames from spreading.

I’ll be talking about this important topic on News-Talk 92.3 KNST from 8-11 a.m. this Saturday on the Rosie on the House show. Tune it in!

’Til next time, pass yourself a good dose of joie de vivre!

Next week: Indoor fire safety

Here are my Top 10 ways to prevent fires from spreading outdoors:

Prevent an outdoor fire from spreading to your house by removing flammable items that create a path for the flames.

1. Store firewood and any other flammable items a good distance away from your house.
2. Create a 30-foot perimeter around your home where nothing touches it. Keep wild grass mowed short, and trim trees away from your siding and roof so a fast-moving ground fire can’t climb up a tree and spill into your attic.
3. Examine your yard for fire hazards and for possible pathways that a flame could take to easily get from the shed where you keep your lawnmower into your house.
4. If your house is next to an alley, find a way to keep debris and overgrown weeds out of it so they don’t catch on fire and send flames your way.
5. Widen your driveway to at least 12 feet so firefighters can get their equipment through in case of a fire.
6. When you build a shed or other outbuilding on your property, locate it at least 30 feet away from your house.
7. Re-landscape your lawn so it’s covered with high-moisture, drought-resistant plants. Don’t plant them too close to the house.
8. Box in your roof deck—and if you’re adding one, don’t build it from wood. Open decks can trap embers.
9. If your house sits close to the one next door, replace your windows with double- or triple-panel models. Intense heat from a fire will break the windows and speed the fire to the house next door, so the more layers, the better. An aside: Those windows are more energy-efficient than your old single-pane windows, and if you replace them by December 2010, you could qualify for a federal tax credit.
10. Choose a non-combustible material like stone or brick for your outside fences.

What are your fire-safety tricks and tips? Give me a call on the radio on Saturday. The number is 888-ROSIE-4-U. Rosie on the House airs from 8 – 11 a.m. on News-Talk 92.3 KNST.

’Til next time, pass yourself a good dose of joie de vivre!

Next blog: Build with fire safety in mind

You can plan ahead to make sure firefighters have access to every part of your property. Here are two things you can do now to prevent problems if they have to show up later:

Don't let anything get in the way of the firefighters who come to save your home and family.

1. Expand your driveway so it’s 12 feet wide so firefighters can get their equipment through in case of a fire.
2. Locate trees, fences and retaining walls in places that will not get in the way of firefighters who try to get to the back of your house.

I’ll have more tips for you on this Saturday’s Rosie on the House show. It airs from 8 – 11 a.m. on News-Talk 92.3 KNST.

’Til next time, pass yourself a good dose of joie de vivre!

Next blog: Prevent flames from spreading

Unless you cover your yard with concrete, you can’t make it perfectly fireproof. But there’s plenty you can do make it more resistant to flames and slower to spread them, whether the fire started in your yard, in the one next door or even in a forest that is miles away.

Succulent plants that store moisture are slower to catch on fire and spread flames than others.

Here are some tips:

• Choose succulent plants and trees—those that store a lot of moisture. Two good choices are aspen and locust. Avoid conifers, like pines, firs, spruces, junipers, and Arizona cypress, as they’re more flammable, even when they’re well-watered.
• The same goes for grasses, bushes and even flowers. Plant greenery that grows low to the ground and holds water.
• Don’t plant anything too close to the house or too close to other plants. If a bush or tree does catch on fire, the flames will have a harder time spreading if nothing is nearby.
• Keep tall shrubs away from the house. Flames can climb them—all the way up to the eaves of the house.
• Create a perimeter around your house of at least 30 feet. Mow the grass sort and water it often.
• Thin out dense groups of trees or bushes to slow the spread of fire. Keep greenery pruned.
• Clean your yard and planting beds regularly to remove debris and fallen leaves that can act as kindling in case of a yard fire.
• Snip branches away from your home’s roof and soffits.

Catch me on the radio on Saturday! I’ll be talking about outdoor fire safety on the Rosie on the House show. It airs every Saturday from 8 – 11 a.m. on News-Talk 92.3 KNST.

’Til next time, pass yourself a good dose of joie de vivre!

Next blog: Make it easy for firefighters

I’ll be in Tucson on Saturday morning broadcasting the Rosie on the House show live from the Pella showroom on North Oracle Road. Please stop by!

My son Romey (left) and I will broadcast the Rosie on the House show live in Tucson on Saturday. Stop by and see us!

If you do, you can meet me and my co-host—my son Romey—and also all of my favorite Tucson home-improvement contractors. We’ll be airing the show from 8 a.m. – 11 a.m., and we’ll be sticking around until 1 p.m. to talk and to introduce you to these contractors, who are bringing discounts and ideas with them for your home projects.

Come on over for a cup of coffee and a doughnut, starting at 8 a.m. If you’re one of the first 100 people there, you can register for the grand-prize drawing: a $500 Visa gift card, compliments of Pella.

If you’re not an early bird, swing by for lunch at 11:30. We’re having sandwiches from eegee’s.

Here’s where to go:

What: The Party at Pella, a Mini Home Show
When: Saturday, Oct. 24
Time: 8 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Where: Pella Windows and Doors Showroom
               7780 N. Oracle Rd #130
               Tucson
               (520) 797-2554

Directions

We’ll see y’all there!

Can’t make it? Tune in to the Rosie on the House show from 8-11 a.m. on radio station KNST.

‘Til next time, pass yourself a good dose of joie de vivre!

Next week: Outdoor fire safety

Your septic tank and pipes are buried, but not too deep.So:

1.  Don’t drive or park your car over the septic system. It’s buried—but not deep. The weight of a car can damage pipes or the tank. It can also compact the soil in your drainfield, which can prevent water from leaching deep into the ground.
2. Locate new patios, driveways, carports and concrete pads away from the tank and the drainfield.
3. It’s OK to plant grass over and near your septic system, but that’s it. Plants, shrubs and trees with deep root systems literally chase the septic water for nutrition and can grow right into the pipes and even through the seams of the tank. That can cause never-ending trouble.

I’ll talk more about this on the Rosie on the House show this Saturday from 8-11 a.m on KNST radio. (Want to watch it in person? We’re broadcasting live from the Pella showroom at 7780 North Oracle Road this week! Come on over and say hello!)

’Til next time, pass yourself a good dose of joie de vivre!

Next blog: An invitation to my show