Home Safety Checklist For Wichita
Being safe and secure in your home should be your number one priority. But are you overlooking some key safety components? Look over this home safety checklist for Wichita and find out where your living space needs greater attention.
We give you some whole-house safety techniques, and then we whittle it down room-by-room. Then, call (316) 215-9179 or complete the form below to speak to a security expert.
General Home Safety Checklist for Wichita
While you will want to use a individual room method for home safety, there are some methods that are practical for each part of your house. These devices can talk to each other through a wireless hub, and oftentimes respond to one another. You can also manage each of your home safety devices using a mobile security app, like ADT Control:
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Monitored Security System: All your windows and doors should have a sensor that alerts you and your family to forced entry. After your alarm trips, your monitoring team answers the alert and sends a first responder.
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Smart Bulbs For Most Rooms: Of course, you can schedule your smart lighting to make your home more eco-conscience. But smart lights can also allow you to keep safe during an emergency. Have your downstairs lights flip on when a security alarm triggers to frighten off burglars or brighten a path to a secure place.
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Smart Thermostat: Like your smart lights, a smart thermostat in Wichita can save you between 10%-15% in utility spending. But it also can turn on your exhaust fan during a fire.
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Monitored Smoke Detectors: At the very least, you need to have a fire alarm on each level of your house. You can improve your fire preparedness by utilizing a monitored fire detector that senses unusual smoke and heat, and alerts your 24/7 monitoring experts when it thinks that there’s a fire.
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Smart Lock For Every Door: Every doorway that needs a keyed lock can use a smart lock. Now you can set numbered codes to friends and family and receive alerts to your smartphone when your locks are unlocked. Your smart lock can even automatically turn off, allowing you to quickly get out if you have a fire or other emergency.
Family Room Safety Checklist For Wichita
You’ll spend a lot of time in the family room, so it’s the most reasonable place to improve your home safety. Electronics, like a TV or stereo system, probably reside in your family room, making it a tempting room for burglars. Start with hanging a motion detector or indoor camera in your room, then take a look at the following ideas:
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Motion Detectors: By installing motion detectors, you’ll have a loud noise anytime they sense unexpected motion within your living room. The best devices are motion sensors that ignore pet movements or you’ll see an alert each time your dog roams by for a midnight stroll.
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Indoor Camera: An indoor security camera puts a visual on your living room. Get constant streams of the area so you can know what’s going on without leaving your bed. Or speak with family members in the family room by using the two-way talk feature.
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Surge Protector/Cord Maintenance: Protect those electronics and stop overtaxing your electric system with a surge protector. For added convenience, set up a smart plug with surge protection built-in.
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Entertainment Center Secured To The Wall: If you have curious kids, you’ll need to bolt your entertainment center or other heavy furniture to a wall. This is especially crucial if your living room uses carpet that might make heavy objects extra wobbly.
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Enhanced Locks For Glass Doors: If your family room uses a sliding door that leads to a deck, patio, or outside porch, you already know that the door lock is fairly thin. Put in a custom lock, like a metal bar or locks that are located on the bottom and top of the opening.
Kitchen Safety Checklist For Wichita
The kitchen has many items that should add safety and security to your home. Some of these items should be simple to add and should be bought from the Target or Walmart:
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Fire Extinguisher: A fire can spring up from a neglected frying pan or a towel that’s too close to a burner. Always have a fire extinguisher at hand for any cooking mishaps.
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Circuit Interrupter Box On Every Outlet: A circuit interrupter outlet should be used everywhere they’re by water to prevent electrocution. That includes the outlets by your kitchen counter and sink. Since the late ‘80s, it’s been required to have one circuit interrupter outlet per circuit. But if you don’t want your whole kitchen to turn off when one outlet flips, try to have an unchained GFCI on each outlet.
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Monitored Carbon Monoxide Detector: A carbon monoxide detector is handy in kitchens that have natural gas for the oven and range. If your gas appliances malfunction, the carbon monoxide detector will emit a high-decibel sound and ping your monitoring center.
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Cleaning Wipes Or Spray: The most overlooked safety hazard in the kitchen is the viruses, bacteria, and cross-contamination that comes with raw meat and vegetables. Always keep cleaning wipes or spray to clean your surfaces when cooking.
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Freezer and Refrigerator Alarm: The food items in the refrigerator have to remain at a constant temperature to be ready to use. If you leave the refrigerator door ajar, then a small beep will remind you to shut it securely. Some appliances already have an alarm, some won’t, and you’ll have to get an external alarm from the hardware store.
Bathroom Safety Checklist For Wichita
Just because you don’t a bunch of space in your bathroom there’s still safety issues. From flood detectors to electric safety, here are some safety improvements for your bathroom:
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Flood Detectors: A leaking sink or bathtub can lead to a whole lot of destruction. Find water problems early with a flood detector and save hundreds to thousands of dollars from renovations.
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Textured Bathroom Mats: A fall in the bathroom can be devastating, causing bumps, bruises, or sprained ankles. Make sure you avoid these issues with a no-slip bathroom mat for after your bath or shower.
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Textured Bathtub Strips: Another water hazard, a bathtub can be a slippery surface to be on. Make sure every tub has some no-slip stickers so your feet have a textured patch to gain traction.
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Medicine Door Lock: If you have little children or a family member with memory difficulties, you should take additional attention regarding prescription medicine. Safeguard your pills and syrups by using a medicine cabinet with a child-proof lock.
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Circuit Interrupter Outlet: Similarly to the kitchen, you will have to also put in a surge protecting GFCI outlet on every bathroom receptacle. This will shut off the electricity if they ever get wet or they experience an unusual surge from an electric razor or hair dryer.
Child’s Bedroom Safety Checklist For Wichita
A child’s bedroom should pair safety with manageability. If their window shades or other items are safe but difficult to use, then your kids may try dangerous methods -- like climb a dresser -- to touch them. Try these simple, yet safe, ideas:
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Cord-Free Window Coverings: Safety professionals have identified window treatment cords a secret danger for kids and pets. Install motorized blinds or shades that you can easily control with a remote control. Or even better, pair your motorized coverings to your ADT smart hub so they can raise on a schedule when it’s time to get up, and go down in the evening for added darkness.
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Indoor Security Camera: A security camera perched on your child’s dresser can double as an HD baby monitor that you can view with a smartphone. And when they want you, they can hit the intercom talk feature that comes with the camera.
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Outlet Covers: While each outlet should have covers on them when you have young children, this is doubly needed in a child’s bedroom. It’s the one place in your house where your toddler will most likely hang out solo without adult supervision.
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Window Escape Ladder: If you have bedrooms on an upper floor, then you should install a window safety ladder. These can help your children get out of their room when the stairway or ground floor are on fire. Make sure to go over how to employ the ladder at least twice a year.
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Toy Chest Or Low Shelves: It’s interesting to think about a toy box as a safety component, but you’ll understand if you’ve ever walked on an action figure in your socked feet. A clean floor let your child have a quick way out when there’s a fire or break-in.
Main Bedroom Safety Checklist For Wichita
The main bedroom should be a refuge, so let your safety devices make you more responsive if there's an emergency. After all, being jerked awake by a wailing alarm can be disorienting.
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Security System Touchscreen: Having a smart hub on your nightstand gives you a sense of what’s happening without getting out of bed. You could also turn on your ADT smartphone app but, the HD touchscreen can be easier to manage to use when you’re coming out of sleep and confused.
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Phone Charging Area: We depend on our cell phones for so much now GPS, news readers, game machines, and --legend has it-- even phones. However, an uncharged device in the middle of the night cuts us off from the outside world if during an emergency. So, a an easy-to-use charging station becomes should be used nightly.
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Nightlights Or Voice Activated Smart Lights: A plug-in light can be a beacon when you’re startled awake from a fire alarm or other sounds. If you can’t fall asleep with an outlet light, use smart bulbs in your bedroom and hall. Then you can control light on-demand with a button push or voice command.
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Fireproof Lockbox: Stash your essential papers like insurance cards, medical information, or a spare checkbook in a fireproof safe. Your lockbox can be a big one that is located in your closet or a small portable safe that you can carry when you leave during a fire or other emergency.
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Temperature Sensor: The drawback with most bedrooms is that they can run too warm or be cold since they sit far from the thermostat. A heat sensor will communicate to your smart thermostat so you can have a pleasant, restful sleep at just the right climate.
Basement/Garage Safety Checklist For Wichita
Most safety problems in the basement or garage have to do with your water or heating system. Discovering problems at the source can stop larger disasters in the future. So, as you look around your garage or basement, check over these safety items:
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Water Sensor Or Sump Pump Alarm: Placing a flood sensor in back of your water heater and sump pump drain can stop you from wading into a mess when you go into your basement or garage. Do you really want to lose your weekend drying the floor?
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Carbon Monoxide Detector: It’s beneficial to hang a carbon monoxide alarm in an area where a gas leak can spring up. If you have gas heating, you should hang a detector in the same place as your HVAC unit.
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WiFi Water Shutoff Valve: If your water detector finds a hot water leak or a burst pipe, then you will want to shut off the primary water line at once. With a wireless shutoff valve, you can stop water flow from your phone. That’s perfect when you’re visiting relatives and get an emergency leak notification on your smartphone.
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Garage Door Sensor: Leaving the garage door open causes all sorts of issues. You can lose a bunch of heat or air through that large opening, and critters or thieves can just saunder in. A remote sensor will text you about a neglected garage door and lets you close it with your phone.
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Temperature Sensor: A temperature sensor in your basement or garage is a definite if you wonder about freezing pipes. The temperature in these rooms can be wildly different than the rest of the house, so you may want to maintain a close look on the temp by using the ADT mobile app.
Outside Perimeter Safety Checklist for Wichita
Your foliage, driveway, and front walk are just as important to make safe as the inside of your home. Use this checklist to make your outside safe:
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Doorbell Camera: See who’s at the door before you open it and welcome guests. View package deliveries and record video clips if they disappear.
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Outdoor Security Camera: You can place outdoor security cameras to notify you about late night lurkers in your back yard. These devices come in handy in places where you may not have a view -- like a side yard or by the garage door.
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Low Bushes: Overgrown bushes can create some privacy, but they also obscure your line of sight of the outside. Don’t provide potential intruders a dark shadow to hide. Plus, large shrubs or trees too close to your house can obstruct gutters and invite ants and termites.
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ADT Signs And Decals: One of the largest discouragements for a break-in is advertising to would-be intruders that you own an updated ADT security system. An ADT yard sign by the front door and a window cling will alert ne'er-do-wells that they might want to keep walking to an easier score.
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Motion Controlled Flood Lighting: Light is the best enemy to people who sneak around in the dark. Motion-activated flood lights on your porch, garage, or deck can help scare possible intruders away. They also help you work the locks when you get home late at night.
Call Secure24 Alarm Systems To Help You Finish Your Home Safety Checklist for Wichita
While Secure24 Alarm Systems can’t help you with non-security devices on your Wichita home safety checklist, we can install a powerful home security system. With alarms, security cameras, and home automation, we can install the perfect system for your family’s needs. Just phone (316) 215-9179 and talk to a professional or fill out the form below. Or customize your own system with our Security System Designer.