Home Safety Checklist For Sacramento

Keeping safe and secure in your residence should be your largest responsibility. But are you overlooking a few useful safety components? Look over this home safety checklist for Sacramento and discover where your house requires an update.

This guide begins with some whole-house safety items, and then we break it down room-by-room. Then, you can call (916) 407-0556 or fill out the form below for more information.

Whole Home Safety Checklist for Sacramento

While you should use a individual room method for home safety in Sacramento, there are some things that work for the whole-house approach. These items can talk together through a wireless hub, and oftentimes react to one another. You can also manage each of your home safety equipment with a smartphone app, such as ADT Control:

• Monitored Security System: Each one of your doors and windows should use a sensor that notifies your family to a break-in. When the alarm goes off, your monitoring agent answers the call and quickly calls emergency personnel.

• Smart Lights For Every Major Room: Of course, you can program your smart lighting so your home is more efficient. But smart lights can also allow you to stay safe in an emergency. Make your downstairs lights come on when a sensor goes off to scare off robbers or light a path to a secure place.

• Smart Thermostat: Likewise, a smart thermostat in Sacramento can save you 10%-15% in gas and electric costs. But it also can flip on your exhaust fan if you have a fire.

• Monitored Fire Detectors: It’s code that you need to have a fire alarm on every level. You can increase your fire readiness by hanging a monitored fire alarm that senses excessive heat and smoke, and notifies your 24-hour monitoring experts when it thinks that there’s a fire.

• Smart Lock For Every Door: Every door that uses a keyed lock can upgrade to a smart door lock. Now you can preset numbered codes to family and friends and get alerts to your phone when they are used. Your smart lock can even automatically turn off, allowing you to quickly leave if you have an emergency.

Family Room Safety Checklist For Sacramento

You’ll spend a lot of time in your family room, so it may be the perfect area to optimize your home safety. Highly sought after items, like a TV or video games, probably sit in your living room, making it a tempting room for thieves. Begin with placing a motion detector or security camera in there, then take a look at the following suggestions:

• Motion Sensors: By installing motion detectors, you’ll hear a loud siren whenever they sense suspicious movement within your family room. You’ll want motion detectors that ignore pets or you’ll get an alert every time your cat comes in for a bite of food.
  

• Security Camera: An indoor security camera gives you a constant watch on your living room. Watch live feeds of the area so you can know what’s going on from the mobile app. Or talk with your family in the living room using the two-way talk feature.
  

• Surge Protector/Outlet Maintenance: Make sure you protect expensive electronics and stop overburdening your electric system with a surge protector. For extra convenience, set up a smart plug with anti-surge functionality included.
  

• Entertainment Center Bolted To The Wall: If you have any small children, you’ll need to secure your heavy furniture and entertainment center to your wall. This is especially crucial if your family room has rugs or carpet that can make furniture extra unbalanced.
  

• Enhanced Locks For Sliding Doors: If your living room uses a glass door that slides out to a patio, deck, or porch, you already can see that the latch is usually thin. Install a custom lock, like a bottom bar or small locks that bolt to the top and bottom of the opening.

Kitchen Safety Checklist For Sacramento

Your kitchen has many items that should bring comfort and safety to your home. Most of these things are also simple to add and can be purchased from the Target or Walmart:

• Fire Extinguisher: A fire can spring up from a neglected frying pan or a towel that’s too close to a burner. Always keep a fire extinguisher at hand for any kitchen mishaps.
  

• GFCI Box On Every Outlet: A GFCI outlet should be installed on outlets where there’s nearby water to prevent an electric shock. That means the plugs around your kitchen counter and sink. Since the late ‘80s, it’s been standard to have one circuit interrupter outlet per circuit. But each one of your outlets will flip off if one outlet sees a surge, so you’ll want to have a single GFCI per outlet.

• Monitored Carbon Monoxide Detector: A CO detector is advised for kitchens that have a gas oven and range. If your gas appliances leak, the carbon monoxide detector will emit a high-decibel sound and ping your monitoring expert.
  

• Clorox Wipes Or Spray: The largest safety hazard in the kitchen is the viruses, bacteria, and contamination from uncooked meat and vegetables. Always store antiviral wipes or spray to clean your surfaces when making a meal.
  

• Freezer and Refrigerator Alarm: The food items in your fridge should stay at a constant temperature to stay healthy to eat. If you accidently leave the freezer or refrigerator door open, then an alarm beep will let you know so you can close the door. Some fridges already have a pre-installed alarm, some won’t, and you’ll have to get an external alarm from the hardware store.

Bathroom Safety Checklist For Sacramento

Just because you may not have a lot of space in your bathroom there’s still safety hazards. From flood detectors to anti-surge outlets, here are a few safety improvements for your bathroom:

• Flood Detectors: A leaking toilet or tub can cause an expensive amount of water damage. Deal with a leak with a flood detector before they bring about hundreds to thousands of dollars in ruined floors, walls, and fixtures.
  

• Textured Shower Mats: A fall in the bathroom can be devastating, causing cuts, sore joints, or broken bones. You can steer clear from these hazards with a textured bath mat for while you towel off.

• Non-slip Bathtub Strips: Another water hazard, a bathtub can be a slick area to move in. It’s a good idea that each tub has some no-slip stickers so your feet and toes have a bumpy patch for stability.

• Medicine Door Lock: If you have little children or a family member with memory complications, you should take additional care regarding medicine. Hide away your pills and syrups by getting a medicine cabinet with a child-proof lock.

• Circuit Interrupter Outlet: Similarly to the kitchen, you should also install a safer GFCI outlet on every bathroom receptacle. This will cut the electricity if water splashes on them or they experience an unusual surge from a curling iron or hair dryer.

Child’s Bedroom Safety Checklist For Sacramento

Your kid’s bedroom should counterbalance safety with manageability. If their window treatments or other items are safe but tricky to operate, then your kids may get around the device with risky methods -- like shimmying up a bookshelf -- to use them. Here are 5 straightforward, and safe, ideas:

• No Cord Window Treatments: Safety professionals have long called cords from shades and blinds a hidden hazard for children and animals. Put in motorized shades that kids can easily control via remote. Or go state-of-the-art and pair your shades to your ADT smart hub so they open without anyone’s help when it’s time to get up, and close at bedtime for added darkness.

• Tableside Security Camera: A security camera placed on your child’s desk can behave like an HD baby monitor that you can see from a mobile device. And when they need your help, they can push the intercom talk button included on the camera.

• Outlet Covers: While each outlet should have protective covers on them for your small children, this is doubly urgent in a child’s bedroom. It’s the one place in your house where your children will most likely play by themselves without additional supervision.

• Window Escape Ladder: If you have bedrooms on an upper floor, then you should install a window escape ladder. These can help a child get out of their room in case the stairway or ground floor are on fire. Remember to rehearse how to use the ladder a few times a year.

• Toy Chest Or Low Bookshelves: It’s weird 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 way out when there’s an emergency.

Main Bedroom Safety Checklist For Sacramento

Your master bedroom should be your calm space, so let your safety items make life easier when you have an emergency event. After all, being startled awake by a high-decibel siren can be quite a shock.

• Security System Touchscreen: Having a smart hub on your nightstand helps you know what’s what that noise was without leaving your bed. You could alternatively turn on your ADT smartphone app but, the touchscreen is often faster to use when you’re yawning and disoriented.

• Device Charging Stand: We rely on our phones for almost everything now alarms, news readers, social media, and sometimes even phones. However, a depleted phone will cut us off from the outside world if there’s a problem. To make sure your phone always works, a charging cord or station is should be used nightly.

• Nightlight/Smart Lights: A plug-in light helps ground you when you’re jolted awake from an alarm or other loud noises. If you have trouble falling asleep with a nightlight, install smart lights in your bedroom and hall. Then you can have light simply with a push of a button or voice command.
  

• Fireproof Lockbox: Store your essential documents like social security cards, medical information, or a bankbook in a fireproof safe. Your safe can be a big one that is located in a corner or a slender portable safe that you can carry on your way out during a fire or other emergency.

• Temperature Sensor: The drawback with bedrooms is that they tend to feel too hot or be cold since they are across the house from the thermostat. A heat sensor will communicate to your smart thermostat so you will have a nice, relaxing sleep at a wonderful temperature.

Basement/Garage Safety Checklist For Sacramento

Most safety issues in the basement or garage have to do with your water or heating system. Discovering problems early can stop bigger emergencies in the future. So, as you look around your garage or basement, take note of these crucial items:

• Flood Detector Or Sump Pump Alarm: Putting a flood sensor by your water heater and sump pump can stop you from finding a mess when you go into your garage or basement. It’s definitely better than sifting through a heap of destroyed storage boxes.

• Carbon Monoxide Alarm: It’s beneficial to install a carbon monoxide detector in areas where a CO leak can occur. If you employ gas heating, try to hang a detector in the same area as your HVAC unit.
  

• Remote Water Shutoff Valve: If your water sensor finds a hot water leak or a broken pipe, then you will have to cut off the main water pipe immediately. With a remote shutoff valve, you can turn off your water flow from your phone. That’s helpful when you’re on vacation and get a water leak notification on your smartphone.
  

• Garage Door Sensor: Leaving the garage open brings about all sorts of problems. You can waste heat or air through that gaping hole, and all sorts of animals or lurkers can just wander in. A sensor will text you about a neglected garage door and allow you to close it through the app.
  

• Temperature Sensor: A temperature sensor in your basement or garage is a definite if you fret about frozen pipes. The heat in these areas can be drastically different than the main part of the home, so you may want to keep a close look on the temp through the ADT mobile app.

Home Perimeter Safety Checklist for Sacramento

Your yard, drive, and front porch are just as imperative to secure as the interior of your home. Try the items on this checklist to make your outside safe:

• Doorbell Security Camera: See who’s at the front door before you answer it and welcome visitors. Get a visual on package deliveries and review video clips if they are taken.

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

• Low Bushes: Overgrown shrubs can offer some solitude, but they also obscure you seeing into the outside. Don’t provide potential intruders a dark shadow to hide. Plus, tall bushes, shrubs or foliage around your home can obstruct gutters and bring in bugs.
  

• ADT Signs And Decals: One of the biggest deterrents for home intrusion is telling potential rogues that you own a state-of-the-art home security system. An ADT yard stick by the stoop and a window sticker will show ne'er-do-wells that they should shove off to an easier house.

• Motion Controlled Porch Lighting: Light is the best obstacle to people who sneak around in the dark. Motion-controlled flood lights on your deck, porch, or garage can help scare lurkers away. Flood lights also help you work the locks when you come to the house late at night.

Call Secure24 Alarm Systems To Help You With Your Home Safety Checklist for Sacramento

While Secure24 Alarm Systems can’t deliver non-security devices on your Sacramento home safety checklist, we can install a customized home security system. With everything from alarms to thermostats, we can personalize the perfect system for your home’s needs. Just phone (916) 407-0556 to get started or complete the form below. Or customize your own solution with our Security System Designer.