Home Safety Checklist For Abilene

Being safe and secure in your house should be your number one priority. But are you forgetting a few key safety components? Use this home safety checklist for Abilene and discover where your house requires an update.

This guide starts with a few whole-house safety ideas, and then we whittle it down on a room level. Then, phone (325) 313-2016 or complete the form below to get your home safe and secure.

General Home Safety Checklist for Abilene

While you may want to employ a room-by-room approach to home safety in Abilene, there are a few items that work for the entire house approach. These devices can link with one another through a smart hub, and can even work off one another. You might also control every one of your home safety equipment with a smartphone app, like ADT Control:

Monitored Home Security System: Each one of your entryways should use a sensor that notifies you to intrusion. After your alarm trips, your monitoring agent answers the call and quickly calls the police or fire department.

Smart Lights For Most Rooms: Of course, you can schedule your smart bulbs to become more eco-conscience. But they can also allow you to remain safe during an emergency. Make your smart bulbs flash on when a security alarm goes off to frighten off robbers or brighten your way to a secure area.

Smart Thermostat: Likewise, a smart thermostat in Abilene can save you between 10%-15% in energy costs. It also can flip on your exhaust fan when your alarms senses a fire.

Monitored Fire Alarms: At the very least, you will have a smoke detector on each level of your house. You can improve your fire readiness by installing a monitored fire detector that looks for unusual heat and smoke, and pings your 24/7 monitoring team when it senses a fire.

Smart Locks: Every doorway that needs a deadbolt can use a smart door lock. Now you may program numbered codes to friends and family and get alerts to your phone when the locks are used. Your smart lock can even automatically turn off, letting you quickly leave if you have a fire or dangerous situation.

Living Room/Family Room Safety Checklist For Abilene

You’ll spend a lot of time in the living room, so it may be the perfect area to begin your home safety renovation. Electronics, like a TV or stereo system, probably sit in your living room, making it an alluring area for burglars. Start with placing a motion detector or indoor security camera by the doorway, then try some of these ideas:

Motion Detectors: By putting in motion sensors, you’ll hear a shrieking alarm if they sense unexpected movement within your living room. The best devices are motion sensors that ignore pets or you’ll see a tripped alarm every time your cat roams by for a bite of food.
Security Camera: An indoor security camera gives you a visual on your living room. View real-time streams of your room so you can find out what’s going on without leaving your bed. Or speak with your kids in the family room by using the two-way talk feature.
Surge Protector/Cord Maintenance: Protect all your electronics and quit overloading your outlets with a surge protector. For additional comfort, set up a smart plug with a surge protector included.
Entertainment Center Bolted To The Wall: If you have any small children, you’ll want to secure your heavy furniture and entertainment center to a wall. This is extra crucial if your living room has carpeting that can make heavy objects extra unbalanced.
Special Locks For Sliding Doors: If your family room has a glass door that slides out to a patio, deck, or porch, you already get that the lock is fairly thin. Install a custom lock, like a cross bar or locks that secures the door to the bottom and top of the frame.

Kitchen Safety Checklist For Abilene

The kitchen has room for items that should provide comfort and safety to your home. Many of these items should be a snap to add and should be bought from the Target or Walmart:

Fire Extinguisher: A fire can happen from a neglected skillet or a faulty burner. Always store a fire extinguisher in close reach for any stove or oven emergencies.
GFCI Box On Each Outlet: A circuit interrupter outlet should be used on outlets where there’s nearby water to ward off a deadly shock. That means the plug outlets close to your sink and kitchen counter. For 30 years, it’s been required to have one circuit interrupter outlet per circuit. But if you don’t want every outlet to flip off when one outlet flips, try to have a single GFCI per outlet.

Monitored Carbon Monoxide Detector: A CO detector is handy in spaces that have a gas oven and stove. If your gas burners leak, the carbon monoxide detector will emit a high-decibel siren and ping your monitoring expert.
Disinfectant Wipes Or Spray: The largest safety problem in the kitchen is the viruses, bacteria, and cross-contamination from uncooked meat and other foods. Always have antiviral wipes or spray to sanitize your counters when preparing food.
Refrigerator/Freezer Alarm: The items in your fridge have to remain at a chilly temperature to stay ready to consume. If you leave the freezer or refrigerator door ajar, then a small beep will remind you to close the door. Some refrigerators come with an alarm, some do not, and you’ll have to pick up an external alarm from online.

Bathroom Safety Checklist For Abilene

Just because you may not have a bunch of space in your bathroom, you will still have safety issues. From flood detectors to anti-surge outlets, here are some safety improvements for your bathroom:

Flood Detectors: A leaking sink or bathtub can cause an expensive amount of destruction. Find a leaking pipe with a flood detector before they generate hundreds to thousands of dollars in ruined floors, walls, and fixtures.
Non-slip Bath Mats: A fall in the bathroom can be a painful occurrence, causing pulled muscles, sore joints, or broken bones. You can avoid these issues with a non-slip bathroom mat for while you towel off.

Non-slip Bathtub Stickies: Another water hazard, a tub can be a slippery place to be on. Make sure every tub has some non-slip stickies so your feet have a textured patch for stability.

Medicine Door Latch: If you have curious kids or anyone with memory difficulties, you should take extra care regarding medicine. Secure your prescriptions by using a medicine cabinet with a locking latch.

GFCI Circuits: While installing better outlets in the kitchen, you will have to also use a grounded GFCI outlet on each bathroom receptacle. This will cut the current if water enters the outlet or they experience a harmful surge from a curling iron or hair dryer.

Child’s Bedroom Safety Checklist For Abilene

Your kid’s bedroom should pair safety with accessibility. If their window shades or other items are safe but tricky to use, then your children may try dangerous methods -- like scale a bookshelf -- to open them. Try these simple, and safe, ideas:

Cordless Window Treatments: Safety agencies have designated corded window treatments a secret problem for both children and pets. Install motorized blinds or shades that kids can easily manage via remote. Or better yet, connect your motorized treatments to your ADT security system so they can raise on a schedule when the sun comes up, and lower in the evening for an easier sleep.

Indoor Security Camera: An indoor security camera placed on your child’s desk can act as a baby monitor that you can view from your phone. And when they want something, they can use the two-way talk feature included on the camera.

Outlet Covers: While every outlet should have covers on them when you have little children, this is especially needed in their bedroom. It’s the one room in your home where your children will most likely be by themselves without adult supervision.

Window Fire Ladder: If you have bedrooms on the second level, then you should put in a window fire ladder. These should let a young one get out of their room even if the stairs or ground floor are blocked off with fire. Remember to practice how to employ the ladder a few times a year.

Toy Chest Or Low Shelves: It’s strange to look at a toy chest as a safety device, but you’ll see the light if you’ve ever walked on a building block in your stocking feet. A clutter-free floor means a quick escape when there’s an emergency.

Main Bedroom Safety Checklist For Abilene

Your bedroom should be an oasis, so let your safety items give you peace of mind when there's an emergency. After all, being startled awake by a high-decibel buzzer can be disorienting.

Smart Hub Touchscreen: Having a touchscreen on your nightstand gives you a sense of what’s going on without leaving your bed. You could alternatively use your ADT phone app. However, the touchscreen can be faster to use when you’re coming out of sleep and finding your bearings.

Device Charging Station: We depend on our phones for so much now GPS, web browsers, game machines, and --legend has it-- even phones. However, a dead phone will cut us off from communications if during an emergency. To make sure your phone always works, a charging cord or station is should be used nightly.

Smart Lights Or Nightlights: A tiny light can be a beacon when you’re jolted awake from a fire alarm or unexpected noises. If you can’t fall asleep with a small nightlight, put in a smart bulb in your bedroom. Then you can get light on-demand with a button push or voice command.
Fireproof Safe: Stash your vital paperwork like insurance cards, passports, or a bankbook in a fireproof safe. Your safe can be a large one that camps out in a corner or a smaller handheld safe that you can grab when you leave during an emergency event.

Heat Sensor: The drawback with most bedrooms is that they can run too stuffy or be cold because they are far away from the thermostat. A heat sensor will communicate to your smart thermostat so you will have a nice, restful sleep at just the right climate.

Basement/Garage Safety Checklist For Abilene

Most safety problems in the basement or garage are with your pipes or heating system. Finding problems before they start can stave away bigger disasters in the future. So, as you walk around your garage or basement, take note of these crucial items:

Water Sensor Or Sump Pump Alarm: Placing a flood alarm in back of your water heater and sump pump drain can prevent you from wading into a pond when you go into your garage or basement. It’s sure better than sifting through a heap of soggy storage boxes.

CO Alarm: It’s nice to have a carbon monoxide alarm in a place where a CO leak can happen. If you use gas heating, you’ll want to put an alarm in the same room as your HVAC unit.
Wireless Water Shutoff Valve: If your flood detector finds a plumbing leak or a broken pipe, then you will want to shut off the main water pipe at once. With a remote shutoff valve, you can turn off your water flow from any mobile device. That’s perfect when you’re visiting relatives and receive a water leak notification on your smartphone.
Garage Door Sensor: Leaving the garage door up causes all types of issues. You can lose a bunch of HVAC energy through that open door, and critters or intruders can just wander in. A remote sensor will alert you to an open garage door and lets you lower it remotely.
Temperature Sensor: A temperature alarm in your basement or garage is essential if you worry about your pipes freezing. The temperature in these rooms can be drastically different than the main part of the house, so you may need to maintain a close look on them with your security mobile app.

Outside Safety Checklist for Abilene

Your foliage, drive, and front step are just as important to make safe as the rest of your house. Try this checklist to make your outside safe:

Doorbell Security Camera: See who’s arrived at the door before you open it and welcome guests. View packages and review video clips if they disappear.

Outdoor Camera: You can place outdoor cameras to guard against late night lurkers in your back yard. These security cameras are especially useful in areas where you might not have a view -- like a side yard or by the garage door.

Window Height Shrubbery: Tall foliage can create some privacy, but they also hinder you seeing into the outside. Don’t provide potential thieves a place to hide. Plus, high bushes or foliage against your house can clog gutters and invite bugs.
ADT Yard Signs: One of the biggest discouragements for a thief is telling would-be burglars that you have a monitored ADT security system. An ADT sign by the stoop and a window decal will tell people that they might want to move on to an unprotected score.

Motion Controlled Porch Lighting: Light is the best obstacle to people who skulk in the unlit places. Motion-controlled lighting on your deck, patio, or garage can frighten lurkers away. Flood lights also help you see the walk when you come back home late at night.

Use Secure24 Alarm Systems To Help You Finish Your Home Safety Checklist for Abilene

While Secure24 Alarm Systems can’t install every item on your Abilene home safety checklist, we can bring you a state-of-the-art home security. With alarms, security cameras, and home automation, we can customize the ideal system for your home’s needs. Just phone (325) 313-2016 and talk to a professional or fill out the form below. Or personalize your own system with our Security System Designer.