Do you have fire escape ladders in your house?

[EldonAve]

Do you have fire escape ladders in your house?

Just wondering as a house down the street caught fire this week

If you do where did you buy them?

You can get special hammers for double glazing. It's easier to break the glass.

double glazing is a mare to break.

you need sharp pointy and hard, so I keep a girly hammer (tis pink and tiny), along with a seam-un-picker (very sharp), upstairs now.

seam-un-picker against window, hit hard with hammer, will shatter the inside glazing, then do the outside, and that is windows sorted.

clear all glass before jumping tho. you do not want cuts added to smoke/fire/broken bones damage!

EldonAve said:

"I appreciate the mattress idea but would you really have time"

No from my family experience, my aunt, uncle and cousin died in a house fire, all due to smoke inhalation. As described by younger cousin who was the only one to survive, they all got to one room where the could escape, daddy broke the window, then daddy fell down, mummy went to help daddy and she fell down, his brother went to help and he fell down and my younger cousin just jumped. Bruises, glass cuts from the broken glass etc but I'd rather have that or broken bones etc than faff on with a mattress. If your house is higher than two stories have ladders.

There was a fire that gutted a flat across the road a few months ago. The firemen cam to all of the local houses a few days later to give advice and install smoke detectors etc.. We are extremely lucky as we live in an ex Hotel and have kept the emergency lighting, fire alarm (we have the little red smash window in event of fire things on each floor), fire doors, fire extinguishers and even doors through to next door as escape routes.

So whacking window with a drawer isn't going to work.

Can you buy special hammer from B&Q?

Ironically, in our previous house, the window woudn't close properly and we held it closed with a hammer hooked through the handle. It meant we always knew where the hammer was!

Seam picker surely wouldn't stand up to being hit with a hammer would it???

my seam picker was my grandmothers,

things were made to last back then, itis strong!!

not tested i on the window tho I must admit, so I might need to re-think my options.......

you can buy those hammers. I remember sales went up by loads after the hatfield rail crash

You would need and emergency hammer like these, normal hammers will not work, and modern seem unpickers would not be strong enoug even though they are sharp.

skramble, mine was made back in the 1930's if I am right.

mine was built to last......

and break windows

Ok Kerry, point taken, will get some tomorrow...

Another idea for window keys is to put a small cup hook into the wooden surround or wall behind the curtains high up and hook key on.

Also door keys keep than handy too, my MIL amazes me bu never being able to find hte door key when I knock her front door. She locks it then takes it out and then god knows where she puts it. I leave mine in the door, but you can't see it from outside.

psychomum5 I remember those kind, nothing like todays rubbish ones.

skramble

'Also door keys keep than handy too, my MIL amazes me bu never being able to find hte door key when I knock her front door. She locks it then takes it out and then god knows where she puts it. I leave mine in the door, but you can't see it from outside.'

same here

ah......door keys.......ours are on a hook above the door (for the back door), and next to the door for the front door.

mind you, I am forever losing my keys. good job we have many!

skramble, mine has a woodn handle, and thick metal shaft going down to the pointy bits for the un-picker part.

no breaking that sucker!!

((well, unless I use it on a window of course))

I asked MIL what would you do if there wa a fire, she says don't worry we would get out, .

Neither her or FIL could get out the windows, so they would have to run down stairs and get out front door, but would have to faff about with keys. Even if keys are on the key hook near the door they have those big rings of about 25 keys and take ages to find the right one.

I have a single keyring with house key on it it stays in front door when locked, same at back door, key stays in the lock. But as I said not visibe from outside or reachable through letterbox.

Thanks Skramble.

I'll do B&Q on Saturday.

DH being sceptical that a normal hammer wouldn't do and why don't we just have the pick axe under the bed

Please feel free to come back and check I've done it.

We have an escape ladder - it fits into a little box attached to the wall, the girls don't even know what it is so haven't mucked around with it. I wasn't sleeping well for worry and particularly as didn't feel confident chucking two small girls out of the window onto a mattress. It was about £80 and it has really put my mind at ease. I have to say I probably ought to but haven't talked about fire to the girlies, mainly as they dd1 is a real worrier and has nightmares about all sorts of things. I don't want her to worry about fire as well.

I might measure height from window and ledge to ground and go to the local adventure playground and practice dropping that height, and how to turn around and hangdown, just for a laugh. Climbing frame where the firemans pole is should be about right I think.

ClaireDeLeon how awful for your poor cousin.

I have a flat roof accessible from my bedroom which is next to a lower sloping roof so easy to get to and get out safely - no duvet covers or jumping required.

We had a talk from the fire brigade at my post natal group and they said you should always shut all the internal doors when you go to bed as they can help slow down the spread of fire and smoke. I've always done that too. Keys to front and back doors are next to doors but not accessible from outside (not since neighbour left key in door and burglar hooked it and opened door whilst the family were in bed).

ClareDeLoon that is so awful, I was so sorry to read that about your family.
Funnily this has been on my mind too and will ask for a safety check too. Also was going to buy a small extinguisher for the kitchen or fire blanket; firemen will advise hopefully.