Home Safety Checklist For West Lafayette

Keeping safe in your home should be your number one responsibility. But are you missing a few big safety items? Look over this home safety checklist for West Lafayette and find out where your house requires greater attention.

We give you five whole-house safety ideas, and then we break it down to specific room ideas. Then, you can call (765) 221-3339 or complete the form below to get your house ready.

Whole Home Safety Checklist for West Lafayette

While you may want to use a individual room process for home safety in West Lafayette, there are some items that work for all of your rooms. These components can talk with one another through a smart hub, and oftentimes work off other things. You might also manage all your home safety components through a mobile security app, like ADT Control:

Monitored Home Security System: All your doors and windows should use a sensor that warns your family to forced entry. As your alarm triggers, your monitoring team responds to the alert and immediately calls a first responder.

Smart Bulbs For Each Room: Of course, you can program your smart lighting to make your home more energy-efficient. But they can also allow you to remain safe during an emergency. Make your downstairs lights come on when an alarm triggers to frighten off robbers or illuminate a path to a safe location.

Smart Thermostat: Likewise, a smart thermostat in West Lafayette should save you 10%-15% in utility costs. It also can flip on your exhaust fan during a fire.

Monitored Fire Detectors: At the very least, you should have a smoke detector on each level. You can increase your fire game by installing a monitored fire alarm that looks for both smoke and heat, and alerts your 24/7 monitoring experts when it senses a fire.

Smart Locks: Every entryway that utilizes a keyed lock can use a smart lock. Now you can set numbered codes to each family member and receive notifications to your smartphone when the locks are used. Your smart lock can even automatically turn off, helping you to quickly get out when you have an emergency.

Living Room/Family Room Safety Checklist For West Lafayette

You’ll spend most of your time in the family room, so it can be the most reasonable area to start making your home a safer place. Highly sought after items, like a big screen or video game console, usually reside in your living room, making it a tempting space for robbers. Start with installing a motion detector or indoor security camera in your room, then continue on with all these safety protocols:

Motion Sensors: By hanging motion sensors, you’ll have a high-decibel noise anytime they detect unusual movement within your family room. You’ll want motion sensors that ignore pet movements or you’ll get your sirens go off each time your pet comes in for a drink of water.
Security Camera: An indoor security camera puts a constant watch on your family room. Watch real-time feeds of your room so you can see what’s happening without leaving your bed. Or talk with your family in the room with the two-way talk feature.
Surge Protector/Outlet Maintenance: Safeguard expensive electronics and quit overtaxing your circuits with a surge protector. For extra convenience, install a smart plug with anti-surge functionality included.
Heavy Furniture Secured To The Wall: If you have any small children, you’ll want to secure your bookshelves and entertainment center to the wall. This is extra important if your family room has carpet that can make heavy objects extra unbalanced.
Special Locks For Sliding Doors: If your family room uses a sliding door that leads to a backyard, deck, or screened-in porch, you get that the door lock is fairly flimsy. Put in a special lock, like a metal bar or locks that are located on the bottom and top of the frame.

Kitchen Safety Checklist For West Lafayette

The kitchen has room for items that should provide safety to your home. Most of these things are also simple to add and should be found in the a retail store:

Fire Extinguisher: A fire can spring up from an overfilled frying pan or a towel that’s too close to a burner. Always store a fire extinguisher at hand for any cooking emergencies.
GFCI Box On Every Outlet: A circuit interrupter outlet should be installed everywhere they’re by running water to lessen the chance of electrocution. That means the plug outlets by your sink and kitchen counter. For 30 years, it’s been standard to have one GFCI per dedicated circuit. But each one of your outlets will go dead if any outlet sees a surge, so you’ll want to use an unchained GFCI for every outlet.

Monitored CO Detector: A carbon monoxide detector is handy in spaces that use natural gas for the stove and oven. If your gas appliances malfunction, the CO detector will cause a loud, buzzing sound and call your monitoring expert.
Disinfectant Wipes Or Spray: The largest safety problem in the kitchen is the viruses, bacteria, and protein that comes with blood from meat and dairy. Always keep disinfectant wipes or a bleach spray to scrub off your area before and after making a meal.
Freezer and Refrigerator Alarm: The food items in your fridge have to stay at a constant temperature to be safe to use. If you leave the freezer or refrigerator door open too long, then a small beep will remind you to close the door. Some refrigerators already have this installed, older models won’t, and you’ll have to buy a refrigerator alarm from online.

Bathroom Safety Checklist For West Lafayette

Just because you don’t a lot of room in your bathroom, you will still have safety hazards. From flood detectors to anti-surge outlets, here are five safety ideas for your bathroom:

Flood Detectors: A leaking toilet or shower can create a whole lot of destruction. Discover a leak with a flood detector and save yourself from reflooring the whole bathroom.
No-slip Shower Mats: A slip and fall in the bathroom can be painful, causing pulled muscles, bruises, or trips to the hospital. Make sure you prevent these hazards with a no-slip bath mat for after your bath or shower.

Textured Bathtub Strips: Another water hazard, a tub basin can be a slippery area to be on. Make sure each bathtub has some textured strips so your feet and toes have a rough patch to gain traction.

Medicine Door Latch: If you have curious children or anyone with memory complications, you should take extra care regarding prescription medicine. Safeguard your bottles by getting a medicine cabinet with a child-proof lock.

GFCI Circuits: Similarly to the kitchen, you will have to also use a surge protecting circuit interrupter outlet on every bathroom receptacle. These will stop the flow of the current if water enters the outlet or there’s an unusual surge from a curling iron or hair dryer.

Child’s Bedroom Safety Checklist For West Lafayette

A child’s bedroom should pair safety with manageability. If their window treatments or other things are safe but difficult to manage, then your kids may try risky methods -- like climb a bookshelf -- to open them. Here are some straightforward, yet safe, ideas:

Cord-Free Window Coverings: Safety experts have identified cords from shades and blinds a hidden problem for children and animals. Put in motorized treatments that you can easily control via remote control. Or better yet, pair your shades to your security system so they can raise without anyone’s help when it’s time to get up, and go down in the evening for an easier sleep.

Indoor Security Camera: An indoor security camera sitting on your toddler’s desk or dresser can act like a baby monitor that you can see with a mobile device. And when they want something, they can push the two-way talk button that comes with the camera.

Outlet Covers: While each outlet should have protective covers on them to protect your young children, this is especially important in their bedroom. It’s the one place in your home where your child will most likely be solo without constant additional supervision.

Window Escape Ladder: If you have bedrooms on the second level, then you will want to install a window escape ladder. These will let a young one escape when the hallway or lower levels are engulfed in smoke and fire. Remember to rehearse how to employ the ladder a few times a year.

Toy Chest Or Low Bookshelves: It’s interesting to think about a toy chest as a safety component, but you’ll understand if you’ve ever walked on an action figure in your stocking feet. A clutter-free floor gives your child a quick way out when there’s a safety or security event.

Master Bedroom Safety Checklist For West Lafayette

Your bedroom should be a refuge, so let your safety devices make life easier if you have an emergency. After all, being jerked awake by a high-decibel siren can be disorienting.

Smart Hub Touchscreen: Having a smart hub on your nightstand gives you a sense of what’s happening without leaving your bed. You could alternatively log into your ADT phone app but, the large touchscreen may be faster to use when you’re bleary-eyed and confused.

Phone Charging Area: We depend on our phones for so much now alarm clocks, news readers, time wasters, and --legend has it-- even phones. But, a dead cell can cut us off from reaching help if there’s a problem. To make sure your phone always works, a an easy-to-use charging station becomes an essential.

Nightlights Or Voice Activated Smart Lights: A small light can be a beacon when you’re jolted awake from a fire alarm or other loud sounds. If you have trouble falling asleep with a nightlight, put in a smart bulb in your fixtures. Then you can control light on-demand with a button push or vocal command.
Fireproof Safe: Store your vital papers like social security cards, medical information, or banking information in a fireproof lockbox. Your lockbox can be a bigger one that is located in a corner or a small handheld safe that you can snatch when you leave during a fire or break-in.

Temperature Sensor: The problem with bedrooms is that they can feel too hot or be cold because they are located far from the thermostat. A heat sensor can talk to your smart thermostat so you should have a pleasant, peaceful sleep at the perfect temperature.

Basement/Garage Safety Checklist For West Lafayette

Most safety problems in the garage or basement deal with your water or furnace. Finding problems at the source can stop larger disasters in the future. So, as you take a look around your basement or garage, pay attention to these crucial items:

Flood Detector Or Sump Pump Alarm: Putting a flood alarm by your water heater or sump pump can prevent you from discovering a pond when you step into your garage or basement. The last you need is to waste the weekend getting rid of standing water and sorting through all those ruined boxes.

Carbon Monoxide Alarm: It’s beneficial to have a CO detector in a place where a natural gas leak can happen. If you have gas heating, you should install an alarm in the same area as your unit.
Wireless Water Shutoff Valve: If your flood detector finds a hot water heater leak or a burst pipe, then you will have to shut off the main water pipe quickly. With a wireless shutoff valve, you can stop water flow from any mobile device. That’s nice when you’re visiting relatives and see a flood sensor text on your phone.
Garage Door Sensor: Leaving the garage door up brings about all types of problems. You can lose a bunch of heat or air through that open door, and rodents or lurkers can just wander in. A remote sensor will notify you about a forgotten garage door and allow you to close it with your phone.
Heat Sensor: A temperature alarm in your basement or garage is handy if you fret about your pipes freezing. The heat in these areas can be drastically different than the main part of the home, so you may want to have a closer eye on the temp with your security mobile app.

Home Perimeter Safety Checklist for West Lafayette

Your front yard, driveway, and front step are just as crucial to secure as the interior of your house. Try this checklist to make your outside safe:

Doorbell Camera: See who’s arrived at the front door before you open it and talk to guests. See deliveries and record video clips if they disappear.

Outdoor Camera: You can hang outdoor cameras to alert you to suspicious activity in your back yard. These devices come in handy in areas where you might not have a view -- like a side yard or by the driveway.

Window Height Shrubs: High foliage can create some privacy, but they also block your line of sight of the outside. Don’t offer potential thieves a place to hide. Plus, large bushes or greenery too close to your home can jam up gutters and bring in ants and termites.
ADT Signage: One of the most popular disincentives for a thief is telling potential rogues that you own a state-of-the-art home security system. An ADT yard stick by the main walk and a window sticker will show people that they might want to shove off to an unprotected house.

Motion Activated Outside Lighting: Light is the greatest enemy to those who lurk in the unlit places. Motion-controlled lighting on your deck, patio, or garage can frighten possible intruders away. Lights also help you see the walk when you come back home on those dark, winter nights.

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

While Secure24 Alarm Systems can’t help you with each household item on your West Lafayette home safety checklist, we can discuss a customized home security. With alarms, security cameras, and home automation, we can personalize the best system for your family’s needs. Simply phone (765) 221-3339 to get started or complete the form below. Or customize your own system with our Security System Designer.