Home Safety Checklist For Olympia
Being safe in your house should be your topmost responsibility. But are you forgetting a few key safety items? Look over this home safety checklist for Olympia and find out where your house requires some work.
This guide starts with a few whole-home safety ideas, and then we delve down room-by-room. Then, contact (360) 200-8536 or complete the form below for additional information.
Essential Home Safety Checklist for Olympia
While you may want to employ a individual room process for home safety, there are some things that work for multiple rooms. These devices can talk to each other through a wireless hub, and oftentimes respond to other components. You might also manage every one of your home safety equipment through a mobile security app, like ADT Control:
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Monitored Home Security System: All your windows and doors should use a sensor that warns your family to intrusion. After an alarm goes off, your monitoring team responds to the alert and immediately sends a first responder.
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Smart Bulbs For Every Major Room: Sure, you can schedule your smart lighting to become more energy-efficient. But they can also allow you to remain safe in an emergency. Make your downstairs lights flip on when a sensor trips to frighten off burglars or brighten a path to a safe area.
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Smart Thermostat: Like your smart lights, a smart thermostat in Olympia can save you up to 15% in energy spending. It also can flip on an exhaust fan when your alarms senses a fire.
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Monitored Fire Detectors: It’s code that you will have a fire alarm on every level of your house. You can improve your fire game by utilizing a monitored fire detector that detects both smoke and heat, and alerts your 24/7 monitoring agents when it detects a fire.
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Smart Locks: Every door that uses a deadbolt can use a smart door lock. Now you may program numbered codes to friends and family and receive texts to your smartphone when they are activated. Your doors can even automatically open, helping you to quickly get out if you have a fire or dangerous situation.
Family Room/Living Room Safety Checklist For Olympia
You’ll spend a lot of time in the family room, so it’s the perfect room to improve your home safety. Highly sought after items, like a TV or video game console, typically sit in your family room, making it an alluring room for robbers. Begin with hanging a motion detector or indoor security camera in your room, then try the following ideas:
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Motion Sensors: By hanging motion sensors, you’ll get a loud noise whenever they detect suspicious movement within your family room. The best devices are motion detectors that aren’t set off by pets or you’ll see a tripped alarm each time your pet comes in for a midnight stroll.
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Indoor Security Camera: An indoor security camera puts a visual on your living room. Watch constant feeds of the area so you can see what’s going on through the mobile app. Or speak with family members in the living room using the two-way talk feature.
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Surge Protector/Outlet Maintenance: Safeguard all your electronics and quit overtaxing your electric system with a surge protector. For additional energy-efficiency, install a smart plug with a surge protector built-in.
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Furniture Attached To The Wall: If you have curious kids, you’ll want to bolt your heavy furniture and entertainment center to a wall. This is especially crucial if your living room has carpeting that can make heavy objects extra unbalanced.
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Enhanced Locks For Sliding Glass Doors: If your family room has a sliding glass door that opens to a backyard, deck, or outside porch, you know that the latch is fairly thin. Put in a custom lock, like a bottom bar or small locks that are located on the top and bottom of the door frame.
Kitchen Safety Checklist For Olympia
The kitchen has room for items that can add comfort and safety to your house. Most of these things are also simple to add and can be found in the a retail store:
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Fire Extinguisher: Fire can happen from an overfilled skillet or an errant grease splatter. Always keep a fire extinguisher at hand for any stove or oven mishaps.
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Circuit Interrupter Box On Every Outlet: A GFCI outlet should be installed anywhere they’re close to running water to prevent a deadly shock. That includes the outlets around your sink and kitchen counter. Since the late ‘80s, it’s been standard to have one circuit interrupter outlet per dedicated circuit. But all your outlets will go if one outlet sees a surge, so try to have a separate GFCI per outlet.
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Monitored Carbon Monoxide Detector: A carbon monoxide detector is recommended for kitchens that employ gas for the stove and oven. If your gas burners malfunction, the CO detector will emit a high-decibel noise and call your monitoring center.
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Disinfectant Wipes Or Spray: The biggest safety problem in the kitchen is the viruses, bacteria, and contamination that comes with raw meat and dairy. Always keep cleaning wipes or a bleach spray to clean your area when cooking.
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Refrigerator/Freezer Alarm: The food items in the fridge have to remain at a constant temperature to be healthy to eat. If you accidently leave the refrigerator door open, then a small beep will remind you to check the seal. Some fridges come with a pre-installed alarm, older models do not, and you’ll have to buy a fridge alarm from the hardware store.
Bathroom Safety Checklist For Olympia
Just because you don’t a bunch of space in your bathroom there’s still safety hazards. From flood prevention to electric safety, here are some safety tips for your bathroom:
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Flood Sensors: A leaking toilet or tub can lead to extensive water damage. Deal with a leak with a flood detector and save yourself from renovating the entire bathroom.
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Textured 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 problems with a non-slip bath mat for your wet feet.
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Textured Bathtub Strips: Another water hazard, a bathtub can be a slick area to be on. Make sure each bathtub has some textured strips so your toes have a bumpy patch to grip.
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Medicine Door Lock: If you have curious kids or anyone with memory complications, you have to take extra care regarding medicine. Secure your prescriptions by getting a medicine cabinet with a latch that locks.
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Circuit Interrupter Outlet: Similarly to the kitchen, you will have to also install a safer GFCI outlet on each bathroom outlet. These will shut off the current if they ever get wet or you have a sudden jolt from an electric razor or hair dryer.
Children’s Bedroom Safety Checklist For Olympia
A child’s bedroom should balance safety with manageability. If their window shades or other things are safe but tricky to use, then your kids may try unsafe methods -- like scale a chest of drawers -- to use them. Here are some simple, yet safe, ideas:
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Cord-Free Window Coverings: Safety agencies have identified corded window treatments a hidden problem for children and animals. Use motorized blinds or shades that kids can easily open and close via remote control. Or go state-of-the-art and connect your motorized coverings to your ADT security system so they can raise without anyone’s help when the sun comes up, and close at bedtime for an easier sleep.
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Indoor Security Camera: An indoor security camera sitting on your child’s desk can double as a baby monitor that you can view from your phone. And if they need something, they can use the two-way talk feature on the camera.
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Outlet Covers: While each outlet should use covers on them when you have little children, this is especially needed in their bedroom. It’s the main place in your house where your toddler will most likely be by themselves without additional supervision.
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Window Fire Ladder: If you have bedrooms on an upper floor, then you will want to install a window fire ladder. These will help a young one get out of their room even if the hallway or downstairs are on fire. Make sure to go over how to unfurl the ladder at least twice a year.
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Toy Box Or Low Shelves: It’s interesting to look at a toy box as a safety component, but you’ll understand if you’ve ever walked on an action figure in your stocking feet. A uncluttered floor gives your child a quick retreat during a safety or security event.
Main Bedroom Safety Checklist For Olympia
The main bedroom should be an oasis, so let your safety components give you peace of mind if you experience an emergency. After all, being wrenched awake by a wailing alarm can be disorienting.
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Smart Hub Touchscreen: Having a smart hub on your bedside table helps you know what’s going on without jumping out of bed. You could alternatively log into your ADT smartphone app but, the large touchscreen can be easier to manage to use when you’re bleary-eyed and finding your bearings.
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Device Charging Station: We rely on our phones for almost everything now GPS, web browsers, game machines, and sometimes even phones. However, an uncharged device in the middle of the night cuts us off from communications if during an emergency. To keep it nice and ready, a charging station or cord becomes should be used nightly.
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Nightlight/Smart Lights: A tiny light helps ground you when you’re bolted awake from an alarm or unexpected noises. If you won’t drift off to sleep with a small nightlight, install a smart bulb in your bedroom and hall. Then you can control light on-demand with a button push or voice direction.
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Fireproof Lockbox: Stash your essential paperwork like insurance cards, medical information, or a bankbook in a fireproof safe. This can be a bigger one that camps out out of the way or a slender portable lockbox that you can snatch as you escape during a fire or break-in.
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Heat Sensor: The issue with most bedrooms is that they might run too stuffy or be cold since they sit across the house from the thermostat. A heat sensor will talk to your smart thermostat so you will have a pleasant, relaxing sleep at the perfect climate.
Garage/Basement Safety Checklist For Olympia
Most safety needs in the garage or basement have to do with your water heater or furnace. Seeing issues early can stop larger disasters later on. So, as you walk around your garage or basement, take note of these critical items:
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Water Detector Or Sump Pump Alarm: Installing a flood sensor in back of your water heater or sump pump can stop you from finding a mess when you go into your garage or basement. It’s sure better than rummaging through a bunch of soggy storage boxes.
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CO Alarm: It’s nice to install a carbon monoxide alarm in an area where a gas leak can occur. If you employ gas heating, you’ll want to hang a detector in the same area as your unit.
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Remote Water Shutoff Valve: If your water alarm detects a hot water leak or a busted pipe, then you need to cut off the primary water valve at once. With a remote shutoff valve, you can block water flow from any mobile device. That’s helpful when you’re out of town and get a water leak text on your smartphone.
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Garage Door Sensor: Leaving the garage door open causes all types of headaches. You can lose a bunch of heat through that large opening, and critters or lurkers can just walk in. A sensor will alert you to an open garage door and lets you close it through the app.
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Heat Sensor: A temperature alarm in your basement or garage is a definite if you fret about your pipes freezing. The temperature in these areas can be surprisingly different than your main rooms of the house, so you will want to keep a constant look on the temp through the ADT mobile app.
Outside Safety Checklist for Olympia
Your front yard, drive, and front step are just as crucial to secure as the rest of your home. Use this checklist to make your outside safe:
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Doorbell Security Camera: See who’s arrived at the door before you answer it and chat with guests. See packages and record video clips if they are taken.
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Outdoor Camera: You can install outdoor security cameras to guard against unusual activity in your back yard. These cameras are nice in areas where you might not have a view -- like a side yard or by the garage door.
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Low Shrubs: Tall foliage can offer some privacy, but they also obscure you seeing into the yard and curb. Don’t provide potential thieves a place to hide. Plus, large bushes, shrubs or greenery around your house can jam up gutters and summon pests.
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ADT Signs And Decals: One of the most popular deterrents for home intrusion is alerting potential burglars that you own a monitored ADT security system. An ADT yard stick by the stoop and a window cling will tell lurkers that they should shove off to an easier score.
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Motion Controlled Outside Lights: Light is the biggest deterrent to people who sneak around in the dark. Motion-activated lighting on your deck, patio, or garage can frighten lurkers away. They also help you work the locks when you get home late after work.
Use Secure24 Alarm Systems To Help Complete Your Home Safety Checklist for Olympia
While Secure24 Alarm Systems can’t install non-security devices on your Olympia home safety checklist, we can bring you a state-of-the-art home security. With everything from alarms to thermostats, we can personalize the best system for your family’s needs. Simply phone (360) 200-8536 and talk to a professional or complete the form below. Or personalize your own solution with our Security System Designer.