Holiday Safety Tips

Decorating your home for the upcoming holidays is always fun and exciting! Putting up your Christmas tree, wreaths, seasonal decor, and lights adds that special touch of holiday spirit for your family and friends. While most of you have done it a million times, we still compiled a list of some (hopefully) helpful safety tips so you can enjoy your holidays to the fullest and keep your family safe.

Step Up Safety

At some point, we’ve all used something to climb on that was less than….ideal to say the least, but in order to ensure that you’re home for the holidays, ladder safety should be a focus when decorating.

1. Always place your ladder on stable and even ground.

2. Don’t use a ladder that is broken, cracked, or shaky.

3. If you’re using an A-Frame ladder, be sure not to use the top two steps since this could potentially cause you to lose balance and fall.

4. Make sure to set your ladder at the correct angle. A good rule of thumb of follow is either 75 degrees or a 4:1 ratio.

5. Some ladders might be heavy so be sure to ask for help when setting it up and putting it away.

6. Lastly, the ladder that you use should be able to handle not only your weight but also any objects that you’re carrying.

Snap, crackle, pop, oh No!

We all know the old saying…‘snap, crackle, pop — wake up call to the world’ but in this case, it’s not something that we care to wake up too. To avoid your lights sparking instead of shining, make sure to follow these tips.

1. Do not use strands that have broken lights, frayed wires, or damaged light strings.

2. Steer clear of nails when hanging lights; instead use light clips.

3. Avoid hanging indoor lights outside.

4. Keep your light plugs off the ground.

5. Avoid running electric cords through doors or windows since this could damage the cord(s) and create a tripping hazard.

6. Keep in mind that using a GFCI outlet is recommended since this type of outlet will allow the circuit to shut down if it reaches an overcurrent level.

Tree and ornaments 101

Christmas trees adored in ornaments are a staple in most homes during the holiday season. A few simple precautions can help keep your family, friends, and house safer this season.

1. If you’ve decided to go with a real tree this year, make sure that the needles are not easily snapped off, the limbs are strong and do not lose needles when shaken, and the trunk is not sticky.

2. Keep your tree watered! Be sure to check the water level daily and keep it in a stand that allows your tree to stay adequately hydrated.

3. Both real and artificial trees can’t take the heat. Place them away from fireplaces, heating ducts, and radiators.

4. Hang non-toxic and non-breakable ornaments at the bottom to keep children and pets safe.

5. Replace medal hooks on your ornaments with ribbon or string to prevent injury or choking hazards.

6. It never hurts to choose flame resistant, flame-retardant, or non-combustible ornaments.

While safely decorating your home might require a little extra time, it’s worth the effort. As Clark Griswold says “we’re going to have the hap-hap-happiest Christmas!” 

Wishing you a (safe) and happy holiday season!

-The Holt Heam

About Holt Homes

For more than three decades, Holt Homes has built new construction homes for families in Oregon and Southwest Washington. The quality and experience of our people, the ease and efficiency of our approach, and the livability of our communities works hand-in-hand to make Holt Homes the largest locally-grown home builder in the region. For more information, live chat or call us at (971) 231-5560.