Home Safety Checklist For Utica

Being safe in your house should be your number one concern. But are you overlooking a few useful safety components? Use this home safety checklist for Utica and see where your living space needs some work.

This guide starts with five whole-house safety ideas, and then we delve down room-by-room. Then, you can call (315) 367-2727 or send in the form below to speak to a security expert.

General Home Safety Checklist for Utica

While you may want to use a individual room approach to home safety, there are some items that work for all of your rooms. These devices can link with one another through a smart hub, and often can respond to other things. You might also manage each of your home safety equipment through a mobile app, like ADT Control:

Monitored Home Security System: Each one of your doors and windows should employ a sensor that alerts you and your family to intrusion. After the alarm goes off, your monitoring agent answers the call and quickly calls a first responder.

Smart Lights For Most Rooms: Of course, you can set your smart lighting to make your home more eco-conscience. But they can also help you stay safe in an emergency. Have your smart bulbs flash on when a sensor trips to scare off intruders or light a path to a secure location.

Smart Thermostat: Likewise, a smart thermostat in Utica can save you up to 15% in utility costs. But it also can turn on your exhaust fan during a fire.

Monitored Fire Detectors: At the very least, you need to have a smoke detector on each level of your house. You can improve your fire game by utilizing a monitored fire alarm that detects unusual heat and smoke, and notifies your round-the-clock monitoring experts when it thinks that there’s a fire.

Smart Locks: Every doorway that uses a deadbolt can upgrade to a smart lock. Now you may set codes to family and friends and get texts to your phone when your locks are unlocked. Your smart lock can even automatically unlock, letting you quickly get out during a fire or dangerous situation.

Living Room/Family Room Safety Checklist For Utica

You’ll hang out most in your living room, so it’s the best place to optimize your home safety. Popular items, like a big screen or video game console, usually reside in your family room, making it a popular area for robbers. Begin with placing a motion sensor or indoor security camera in there, then take a look at the following ideas:

Motion Detectors: By putting in motion detectors, you’ll hear a loud noise if they detect unexpected motion in your living room. The best devices are motion detectors that filter out a dog or cat or you’ll see your sirens go off each time your dog comes in for a bite of food.
Security Camera: An indoor security camera gives you an eye on your living room. View live feeds of everything so you can find out what’s happening without leaving your bed. Or chat with family members in the living room by using the two-way talk feature.
Surge Protector/Cord Maintenance: Make sure you protect all your electronics and stop overburdening your circuits with a surge protector. For additional energy-efficiency, use a smart plug with surge protection in the unit.
Furniture Secured To The Wall: If you have any small children, you’ll want to bolt your heavy furniture and entertainment center to a wall. This is extra crucial if your family room uses carpet that could make furniture extra wobbly.
Special Locks For Glass Doors: If your living room uses a sliding door that opens to a backyard, deck, or screened-in porch, you already get that the lock is pretty worthless. Install a special lock, like a cross bar or small locks that are located on the bottom and top of the door frame.

Kitchen Safety Checklist For Utica

Your kitchen has plenty of items that should bring safety and security to your home. Some of these items are also a snap to add and can be purchased from the grocery store:

Fire Extinguisher: Fire can happen from an overfilled frying pan or a faulty burner. Always store a fire extinguisher in close reach for any kitchen mishaps.
Circuit Interrupter Box On Each Outlet: A circuit interrupter outlet should be installed anywhere they’re by running water to ward off electrocution. That includes the plugs by your sink and kitchen counter. For 30 years, it’s been code to have one GFCI per dedicated circuit. But for simplicity’s sake, try to install a single GFCI on each outlet.

Monitored Carbon Monoxide Detector: A CO detector is needed in the kitchen if you employ gas for the oven and range. If your gas lines spring a leak, the CO detector will play a loud sound and call your monitoring professional.
Cleaning Wipes Or Spray: The biggest safety hazard in the kitchen is the viruses, bacteria, and cross-contamination that comes with blood from meat and vegetables. Always have cleaning wipes or spray to sanitize your counters when preparing food.
Refrigerator Alarm: The milk, meat, and perishables in your fridge need to remain at a chilly temperature to be safe to eat. If you leave the freezer or refrigerator door open, then an alarm beep will remind you to check the seal. Some appliances come with an alarm, older models don’t, and you’ll have to pick up a refrigerator alarm from the hardware store.

Bathroom Safety Checklist For Utica

Just because you don’t a bunch of space in your bathroom doesn’t mean that there aren’t safety hazards. From flood prevention to anti-surge outlets, here are five safety ideas for your bathroom:

Flood Sensors: A leaking toilet or tub can create a whole lot of damage. Discover water problems early with a flood detector and save yourself from redoing the whole bathroom.
No-slip Bathroom Mats: A slip in the bathroom can be painful, causing bumps, gashed heads, or trips to the hospital. You can prevent these hazards with a non-slip bath mat for after your bath or shower.

No-slip Bathtub Strips: Like a tiled floor, a tub basin can be a slick surface to stand in. Make sure each has some non-slip strips so your feet have a bumpy patch to grip.

Medicine Door Latch: If you have curious children or anyone with memory lapses, you have to take additional attention regarding prescription medicine. Hide away your bottles by getting a medicine cabinet with a latch that locks.

GFCI Circuits: Similarly to the kitchen, you will have to also put in a surge protecting GFCI outlet on each bathroom outlet. This will shut off the current if water splashes on them or you have a harmful jolt from a hair dryer or curling iron.

Kid’s Bedroom Safety Checklist For Utica

Your kid’s bedroom should counterbalance safety with simplicity. If their window treatments or other things are safe but difficult to manage, then your children may get around the device with unsafe activities -- like scale a dresser -- to use them. Here are 5 easy, yet safe, ideas:

Cord-Free Window Treatments: Safety experts have long called corded window treatments a hidden hazard for children and animals. Install motorized shades that kids can easily open and close through a remote. Or even better, connect your motorized coverings to your security system so they can raise on a schedule when the sun comes up, and go down at night for an easier sleep.

Indoor Security Camera: A security camera placed on your kid’s desk can double as an HD baby monitor that you can see with a smartphone. And if they want something, they can use the intercom talk feature on the camera.

Plug Covers: While every outlet should use covers on them to protect your small children, this is especially urgent in a child’s bedroom. It’s the main place in your home where your toddler will most likely play solo without consistent parental supervision.

Window Safety Ladder: If you have bedrooms on an upper floor, then you will want to put in a window escape ladder. These will help your children leave the house in case the hallway or downstairs are on fire. Remember to practice how to employ them at least twice a year.

Toy Box Or Low Shelves: It’s interesting to look at a toy box as a safety device, but you’ll get it if you’ve ever stepped on a building block in your bare feet. A clean floor let your child have a quick retreat during a fire or break-in.

Master Bedroom Safety Checklist For Utica

The bedroom should be an oasis, so let your safety items make you more responsive if you have an emergency. After all, being jerked awake by a high-decibel buzzer can be disorienting.

Smart Hub Touchscreen: Having a touchscreen on your bedside table helps you know what’s happening without jumping out of bed. You could alternatively log into your ADT phone app. However, the touchscreen is often better to use when you’re bleary-eyed and finding your bearings.

Phone Charging Station: We rely on our phones for almost everything now alarms, internet searches, game machines, and sometimes even phones. However, a depleted phone in the middle of the night cuts us off from communications if during an emergency. To keep it nice and ready, a charging cord or station is an important part of your nightstand.

Nightlight/Smart Lights: A tiny light can be a beacon when you’re bolted awake from an alarm or other noises. If you can’t fall asleep with a nightlight, install smart bulbs in your bedroom. Then you can have light on-demand with a mobile device or voice direction.
Fireproof Lockbox: Keep your vital papers like insurance cards, stock certificates, or banking information in a fireproof lockbox. This can be a large one that is located in a corner or a slender handheld lockbox that you can snatch when you leave during a fire or break-in.

Temperature Sensor: The issue with most bedrooms is that they tend to run too stuffy or be chilly since they sit far from the thermostat. A heat sensor will talk to your smart thermostat so you should have a nice, relaxing sleep at the perfect temperature.

Garage/Basement Safety Checklist For Utica

Most safety issues in the basement or garage are with your water or HVAC system. Finding hazards at the source can stave away more devastating problems in the future. So, as you take a look around your basement or garage, take note of these safety items:

Water Sensor Or Sump Pump Alarm: Installing a flood sensor in back of your water heater and sump pump can save you from wading into a mess when you step into your garage or basement. Do you really want to spend your night drying the floor?

Carbon Monoxide Detector: It’s nice to install a carbon monoxide detector in areas where a CO leak can spring up. If you have gas heating, you should hang a detector in the same place as your HVAC unit.
Remote Water Shutoff Valve: If your water sensor finds a hot water heater leak or a busted pipe, then you will have to shut off the primary water line quickly. With a wireless shutoff valve, you can turn off your water flow from your phone. That’s perfect when you’re on vacation and receive a flood sensor alert on your mobile device.
Garage Door Sensor: Leaving the garage door up brings about all sorts of issues. You can waste heat through that gaping hole, and critters or lurkers can just wander in. A sensor will notify you about a forgotten garage door and lets you lower it with your phone.
Heat Sensor: A temperature alarm in your garage or basement is a definite if you wonder about your pipes freezing. The temperature in these rooms can be wildly different than the main part of the house, so you may need to have a constant look on the temp with the ADT mobile app.

Outside Perimeter Safety Checklist for Utica

Your foliage, drive, and front step are just as imperative to secure as the interior of your house. Try the items on this checklist to create a safe outside:

Doorbell Security Camera: See who’s at the front door before you answer it and chat with guests. View packages and look at video clips if they disappear.

Outdoor Security Camera: You can place outdoor cameras to notify you about suspicious movement in your yard. These cameras are nice in places where you might not have a view -- like around a cellar or by the driveway.

Window Height Shrubs: High foliage can give you some serenity, but they also hinder your line of sight of the yard and curb. Don’t provide potential burglars an area to hide. Plus, large shrubs or foliage too close to your home can obstruct gutters and invite bugs.
ADT Signs And Decals: One of the most popular discouragements for a thief is telling aspiring burglars that you have an updated home security system. An ADT yard stick by the front door and a window sticker will alert lurkers that they ought to move on to an easier target.

Motion Triggered Flood Lighting: Light is the largest obstacle to those who skulk in the shadows. Motion-triggered flood lights on your porch, garage, or deck can frighten possible intruders away. They also help you work the locks when you get back home late after work.

Use Secure24 Alarm Systems To Help Complete Your Home Safety Checklist for Utica

While Secure24 Alarm Systems can’t install each household item on your Utica home safety checklist, we can offer a powerful home security system. With easy-to-use devices and ADT monitoring, we can install the ideal system for your family’s needs. Just contact (315) 367-2727 and talk to a professional or send in the form below. Or personalize your own system with our Security System Designer.