Before The Guests Arrive — A Holiday Home Safety Check For Chesapeake Homeowners

In a few weeks, your house in Chesapeake is going to work harder than it has all year. The heat will be running. The oven will be on for six hours straight. There will be more people sleeping under your roof, more things plugged into your outlets, and — if you have one — a fire in the fireplace for the first time since last winter.

Most of the time, a house handles all of that without complaint. But the holidays are when small problems find an audience.

That is why the week or two before Thanksgiving is the right time for a quick home safety check. Nothing here takes more than an afternoon, and every item on the list is easier to handle now than with a house full of guests.

Why Do The Holidays Put Extra Strain On A Chesapeake Home?

Because everything happens at once, right as the cold weather arrives.

In Hampton Roads, the first real cold snaps tend to line up with the holiday season. That means your heating system, your fireplace, and your electrical system all get pushed at the same moment your household doubles in size. Add travel, and you have homes sitting empty during some of the coldest nights of the year.

The fix isn’t complicated. It’s just knowing where to look before the doorbell starts ringing.

Is Your Fireplace Ready For Its First Fire Of The Season?

Don’t assume it is. A fireplace that sat unused since last winter needs a look before you light it.

The National Fire Protection Association recommends having chimneys, fireplaces, and vents inspected once a year. If you can’t remember the last time yours was checked, this is the month to call a chimney professional.

Before the first fire, check the basics yourself:

• Open the damper and confirm it moves freely and stays open.
• Look up the flue with a flashlight for obvious blockages — nests and debris are common after a quiet summer.
• Check the firebox for cracked or missing mortar and loose bricks.
• Look at the chimney cap from the ground. A missing or damaged cap lets in rain and animals.
• Keep the hearth clear — no decorations, stockings, or gift wrap within reach of sparks.
• Have a metal container with a lid ready for ashes, and keep it outside, away from the house.

Are Your Smoke And Carbon Monoxide Alarms Actually Working?

Pressing the test button is step one. There are three more.

Check the coverage. You want smoke alarms inside each bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and on every level of the home. If your home has any fuel-burning appliance — a gas furnace, gas water heater, gas range, or fireplace — or an attached garage, you also need carbon monoxide alarms near sleeping areas.

Think about where guests will sleep. A relative on the pull-out sofa in the basement or bonus room is sleeping somewhere your alarm layout may not have planned for.

Check the date. Alarms don’t last forever. Look on the back of each unit for the manufacture date and replace any that are past the replacement point the manufacturer lists.

Replace batteries in any alarm that isn’t hardwired with a sealed battery.

Heating season is exactly when carbon monoxide risk rises. This is not the item to skip.

How Much Can Your Electrical System Really Handle?

More than you’d think — until the lights, the space heater, and the extra slow cooker all land on the same circuit.

• Plug space heaters directly into a wall outlet. Never use an extension cord or power strip for one, and give it clear space on every side.
• Use outdoor-rated cords and GFCI-protected outlets for exterior holiday lights.
• Don’t run cords under rugs or pinch them in doors and windows.
• Pay attention to warning signs. An outlet or switch plate that feels warm, lights that flicker when something turns on, or a breaker that keeps tripping all mean it’s time to call a qualified electrician — not to add another power strip.

What About Stairs, Railings, And Guest Rooms?

Holiday guests often include grandparents, small children, and people who don’t know your house in the dark.

Walk your home the way a guest would. Make sure stair handrails are solid and continuous. Replace burned-out bulbs in stairwells and hallways, and consider a few night-lights along the path from the guest room to the bathroom. Clear walkways of shoes, bags, and boxes. And confirm that guest-room windows open — a bedroom window that is painted or stuck shut is a way out that won’t work when it’s needed.

Traveling Instead Of Hosting? Here’s How To Leave The House Ready

If you’re the one heading out of town, set the house up so it can take care of itself.

• Keep the heat on at a moderate setting — don’t shut it off to save money while you’re away.
• Know exactly where your main water shut-off is. For a longer trip, consider shutting it off.
• On nights when a hard freeze is forecast, open the cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls so warm air can reach the pipes.
• Check that crawl space vents and the access door are closed up and the pipe insulation you checked in October is still in place.
• Ask a neighbor to walk through if you’ll be gone for more than a few days.