DIY Tips For Home Safety

Our staff and field editors tell of the DIY mistakes they've made and the lessons learned from ladders, electricity, roofs, power nailers,…

Failsafe ways to dispose of old batteries. Tape exposed contacts to prevent discharge or recycle them.

Store gasoline in approved containers and well away from ignition sources and where children can't reach it. Add a fuel stabilizer as well.

A retractable LED work light is safer than incandescent drop lights and a pocket LED puts light right where you need it in tight quarters.

Keep your Christmas tree fire-safe by keeping it watered. Buy it fresh, pull light plugs overnight, keep it well away from candles and…

Learn to meet home disasters—both big and small—head-on without panic. Take effective action on burst pipes, flooded basements,…

All GFCI outlets have one little-known flaw: their circuitry eventually wears out, usually after about 10 years, at which point they no longer…

Have your wood-burning fireplace chimney cleaned by a professional chimney sweep after about 50 fires. Check it for excess creosote build-up…

When it comes to home safety, plumbing and electrical problems do a lot more damage than crooks. Here are our top tips for what you can do to…

Prevent house fires. Clean the lint from inside your clothes dryer as well as lint caught in the exhaust vent. You can complete the cleaning in…

You can vastly cut down deadly fire risks by exercising good safety habits and simple prevention steps. This article lists the “Big…

Wiring problems and mistakes are all too common, and if left uncorrected have the potential to cause short circuits, shocks and even fires.…

Replace a wobbly old outdoor handrail with a rock solid one by using strong concrete anchors. We show you how to design and attach one to your…

Stabilize a wobbly bookcase on carpet by providing solid floor support, installing adjustable feet and by anchoring it to the wall studs.

Standard roof racks are not meant to carry heavy, wide loads, and can actually tear off at high speeds. Here's what you can do to prevent this…

Stiffen a wobbly deck railing by adding blocks along the rim joist. It's a quick and easy way to firm up the railing.

If you live in an older home, it's a good idea to check for lead paint, especially before remodeling. Start with an inexpensive DIY test,…

Prevent accidents and make your home safer by fixing these five common code violations—bad GFCIs, an improperly located smoke alarm, an…

Making your home safer (and avoiding red flags) makes your home a better risk, which can reduce your insurance premiums by 10 to 45 percent.

Learning to properly jack up and support your car or truck before you start doing your own oil changes or making repairs is vital to your…