Ellicott City Realtor Catonsville Realtor

We Love Local - Service Directory of Local Businesses for Howard County, Carroll County and Batimore County.

Maryland Home Painter:  Catonsville Paint Works

At a Glance:
Owner:  Steve Combs
In business since:  2003
Phone:  443-463-4472
Email:  info@catonsvillepaintworks.com
On the Web:  www.catonsvillepaintworks.com

With more than 15 years of experience as a Maryland Home Painter, Steve Combs started Catonsville Paint Works in 2003 and has seen his business grow and thrive through word of mouth referrals.  Steve is not only a top expert in his field, he gives great care and attention to the finished product.

Having used Steve's services, I am happy to include Catonsville Paint Works in my service directory.

Recently I got an email from a friend that told the sad story of a couple whose home had burned down.  The fire investigator, according to the email, was able to determine that the fire had been caused by a Glade plug in air freshener.

Since October is National Fire Prevention Month, I thought this would be good information to share with you.  My first step, though, was to check to make sure that the story was true.  There is a great website for that, www.snopes.com.

As I suspected, according to snopes, plug in air fresheners pose no greater fire hazard than any other household electrical appliance.  Although some fires may be attributed to the plug ins, they are far more likely to be caused by faulty wiring, than by the unit.

There are two take-aways from this:  first, don't believe everything you get in your inbox.  I think we all know this is true for the outrageous claims we sometimes receive.  It's always good to check even the ones that sound like they could be true.

The second take-away is that any appliance in your home can be cause for fire, whether through the wiring in your home, or through the defective appliance.  The best thing to do is to simply be prepared:

• Test your smoke detectors and change the batteries.
• Have an exit plan for your home, and an emergency preparedness kit.  Plan and practice your escape routes.
• Inspect your chimney regularly.
• Inspect and clean dryer filters and exhaust frequently.

For more fire safety information, visit www.nfpa.org.