Property Safety Tips for Holiday Season

Consolidated Management Group (CMG), one of  Connecticut's foremost full-service property management companies headquartered out of  Westport, offers some winter safety tips the upcoming winter holiday season. The holidays can be a hectic time, but it should not be a time to neglect our homes and properties.  If not properly cared for, serious injuries can result. 

Each year, fires and other hazards occurring during the holiday season claim the lives of people, injure many more, and cause millions in damage. CMG wants all of Connecticut’s residents to be free of any incidents.

 Here are some helpful tips to ensure safety in and around your home this holiday and winter season:

• If using a live holiday tree, keep it well watered, do not place to close to a heat source, including a fireplace or heat vent, and if the tree becomes dry, remove it from your home right away.

• Check holiday lights each year for wires that are worn out or coming apart, bare spots, gaps in the insulation, broken or cracked sockets, and a lot of bends or twists in the wire. Never overload outlets or extension cords. Connect strings of lights to an extension cord before plugging the cord into the outlet.

• Avoid using lit candles. If you do use them, make sure they are in stable holders and put them where they cannot be easily knocked over and start a fire.

• If you leave for vacation for an extended period of time, don’t turn off the heat. Frozen pipes can burst and cause serious water damage.

• Check your gutters and have them cleaned regularly. Blocked gutters can cause many different problems from roof issues to breaking under the weight of debris. Direct runoff away from structure.

• Remove snow from doors and windows. Windows facing the wind or snow drifts may be prone to damage. Also watch for snow-covered trees close to buildings, since branches can break and cause damage.

• Never place space heaters near young children. Don’t run heater cords under carpets, leave them unattended, or operate them while you sleep.

• Watch for ice on your property. Just as you normally remove snow you must remove ice, too. Have ice melting agents on hand at all times such a salt to avoid any injuries.

• Test smoke and carbon-monoxide detectors and replace batteries. You do not want a fire occurring in the middle of the night and the fire alarm not go off- the results could be devastating. Keep all your appliances and utilities maintained. Be sure to have your furnace chimney and fireplace chimney cleaned regularly.

• Icicles can indicate water drainage problems. They can also pose a hazard to anyone   working below them, so knock them down before working under or near them.

About Consolidated Management Group

Consolidated Management Group is a Connecticut based Property Management Company that specializes in Condominium Associations and Commercial Properties, as well as manages rental properties and private estates. CMG Group offers a full range of in-house professional management, financial, emergency and preventative maintenance services, while maintaining a diverse network of professional affiliations.  The company is headquartered in Westport, and has additional offices in Greenwich, Orange, and South Windsor. CMG currently manages properties in Fairfield, New Haven and Hartford Counties.