Home Safety Checklist For The Woodlands

Keeping safe and secure in your home should be your largest concern. But are you forgetting some useful safety components? Look over this home safety checklist for The Woodlands and discover where your home needs greater attention.

This guide begins with a few whole-home safety ideas, and then we break it down to specific room ideas. Then, phone (281) 595-9526 or send in the form below to talk to a security expert.

General Home Safety Checklist for The Woodlands

While you will want to take a room-by-room approach to home safety, there are some methods that are good for your entire house. These components can link to each other through a smart hub, and oftentimes respond to one another. You might also manage each of your home safety equipment using a mobile app, such as ADT Control:

Monitored Home Security System: All your windows and doors should have a sensor that warns you and your family to forced entry. As your alarm goes off, your monitoring center picks up the call and immediately sends the police or fire department.

Smart Lights For Every Major Room: Of course, you can schedule your smart lighting to make your house more energy-efficient. But they can also help you stay safe during an emergency. Make your smart bulbs flip on when a sensor goes off to shoo off robbers or brighten the way out to a safe area.

Smart Thermostat: Likewise, a smart thermostat in The Woodlands can save you between 10%-15% in energy costs. But it also can start an 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 increase your fire readiness by utilizing a monitored fire detector that senses unusual smoke and heat, and notifies your 24-hour monitoring experts when it thinks that there’s a fire.

Smart Locks: Every doorway that needs a deadbolt can upgrade to a smart door lock. Now you may assign key codes to family and friends and receive notifications to your smartphone when they are used. Your doors can even automatically open, letting you quickly get out if you have a fire or other emergency.

Family Room/Living Room Safety Checklist For The Woodlands

You’ll spend most of your time in your family room, so it may be the perfect room to improve your home safety. Popular items, like a TV or stereo system, usually reside in your family room, making it an alluring space for robbers. Start with placing a motion sensor or indoor security camera in your room, then try some of these suggestions:

Motion Sensors: By putting in motion detectors, you’ll get a high-decibel noise if they sense suspicious movement in your living room. Look for motion sensors that aren’t set off by a dog or cat or you’ll get an alert each time your cat passes through for a drink of water.
Indoor Camera: An indoor security camera offers a constant watch on your family room. View live streams of your room so you can find out what’s happening from the mobile app. Or chat with your kids when they arrive home from playing with the two-way talk feature.
Surge Protector/Cord Maintenance: Protect expensive electronics and stop overburdening your outlets with a surge protector. For additional energy-efficiency, install a smart plug with a surge protector built-in.
Entertainment Center Secured To The Wall: If you have curious kids, you’ll need to bolt your entertainment center or other heavy furniture to the wall. This is especially important if your living room has carpet that might make furniture extra unbalanced.
Special Locks For Glass Doors: If your family room has a sliding door that leads to a patio, deck, or screened-in porch, you already know that the lock is fairly thin. Install a special lock, like a bottom bar or small locks that bolt to the bottom and top of the frame.

Kitchen Safety Checklist For The Woodlands

Your kitchen has room for items that should add safety and security to your home. Most of these objects are also simple to add and can be bought from the grocery store:

Fire Extinguisher: Fire can come from from a neglected pot or a towel that’s too close to a burner. Always keep a fire extinguisher at the ready for any stove or oven mishaps.
Circuit Interrupter Box On Every Outlet: A circuit interrupter outlet should be installed everywhere they’re close to running water to prevent electrocution. That includes the outlets by your sink and kitchen counter. For 30 years, it’s been code to have one GFCI per dedicated circuit. But for simplicity’s sake, you’ll want to use an unchained GFCI on each outlet.

Monitored Carbon Monoxide Detector: A carbon monoxide detector is recommended for the kitchen if you use natural gas for the oven and range. If your gas appliances leak, the carbon monoxide detector will play a loud, buzzing siren and contact your monitoring agent.
Cleaning Wipes Or Spray: The most overlooked safety issue in the kitchen is the invisible bacteria and contamination from blood from meat and vegetables. Always have disinfectant wipes or spray to clean your area before and after making a meal.
Refrigerator/Freezer Alarm: The milk, meat, and perishables in your fridge have to stay at a chilly temperature to be ready to consume. If you accidently leave the freezer or refrigerator door ajar, then a small beep will remind you to shut it securely. Some fridges already have a pre-installed alarm, some do not, and you’ll have to pick up a refrigerator alarm from the store.

Bathroom Safety Checklist For The Woodlands

Just because there’s not a lot of space in your bathroom there’s still safety concerns. From water problems to anti-surge outlets, here are a few safety ideas for your bathroom:

Flood Detectors: A leaking toilet or shower can create extensive destruction. Deal with a water problem with a flood detector and save a bunch of money from water damage.
Non-slip Shower Mats: A 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 bathroom mat for after your bath or shower.

Textured Bathtub Stickers: Like a tiled floor, a tub can be a slippery place to be on. It’s a good idea that every bathtub has some no-slip stickies so your feet and toes have a bumpy patch for stability.

Medicine Door Latch: If you have curious toddlers or anyone with memory complications, you need to take extra attention regarding prescribed medicine. Secure your pills and syrups by using a medicine cabinet with a locking latch.

Circuit Interrupter Outlet: Similarly to the kitchen, you need to also use a surge protecting GFCI outlet on every bathroom circuit. These will cut the electricity if water enters the outlet or there’s an unusual jolt from a hair dryer or curling iron.

Child’s Bedroom Safety Checklist For The Woodlands

A child’s bedroom should pair safety with simplicity. If their window shades or other things are safe but hard to operate, then your kids may get around the device with risky methods -- like scale a chest of drawers -- to touch them. Here are 5 straightforward, yet safe, ideas:

Cordless Window Coverings: Safety professionals have identified corded window treatments an unsuspecting problem for kids and pets. Install motorized shades that your child can easily open and close via remote. Or go state-of-the-art and pair your motorized coverings to your ADT smart hub so they can raise without anyone’s help at dawn, and go down at bedtime for added darkness.

Tableside Security Camera: An indoor security camera perched on your child’s desk can double as a baby monitor that you can watch from a mobile device. And when they want you, they can use the 2-way talk feature on the camera.

Outlet Plug Covers: While every outlet should use outlet safety caps on them to protect your little children, this is especially important in their bedroom. It’s the main place in your house where your children will most likely be alone without consistent adult supervision.

Window Safety Ladder: If you use bedrooms on the second floor, then you should put in a window fire ladder. These should let your children escape when the stairs or downstairs are blocked off with fire. Remember to go over how to employ the ladder at least twice a year.

Toy Box Or Low Shelves: It’s weird to think about a toy box as a safety device, but you’ll see the light if you’ve ever stepped on a building block in your socked feet. A clutter-free floor gives your child a quick way out during a safety or security event.

Main Bedroom Safety Checklist For The Woodlands

Your bedroom should be an oasis, so let your safety components make life easier if there's an emergency. After all, being jerked awake by a loud siren can be confusing.

Smart Hub Touchscreen: Having a touchscreen on your dresser helps you know what’s going on without leaving your bed. You could alternatively turn on your ADT smartphone app but, the touchscreen can be better to use when you’re coming out of sleep and confused.

Personal Charging Station: We use our cell phones for so much now alarm clocks, web browsers, games, and maybe even phones. However, an uncharged device will cut us off from reaching help if during an emergency. To keep it nice and ready, a charging cord or station becomes an important part of your nightstand.

Smart Lights Or Nightlights: A small light helps ground you when you’re jolted awake from a siren or other sounds. If you won’t drift off to sleep with an outlet light, use a smart bulb in your bedroom. Then you can control light on-demand with a mobile device or vocal command.
Fireproof Safe: Stash your essential papers like insurance cards, stock certificates, or a bankbook in a fireproof safe. This can be a bigger one that sits in a corner or a slender handheld lockbox that you can carry on your way out during an emergency event.

Heat Sensor: The problem with bedrooms is that they might run too hot or be chilly because they sit far from the thermostat. A heat sensor can talk to your smart thermostat so you can have a comfortable, relaxing sleep at a wonderful temperature.

Garage/Basement Safety Checklist For The Woodlands

Most safety problems in the basement or garage deal with your water or heating system. Finding hazards at the source can stave away larger disasters later on. So, as you take a look around your basement or garage, check over these crucial items:

Flood Sensor Or Sump Pump Alarm: Installing a flood sensor in back of your water heater and sump pump drain can prevent you from wading into a lake when you walk into your garage or basement. Do you really want to spend your night getting rid of standing water?

Carbon Monoxide Alarm: It’s beneficial to install a carbon monoxide detector in areas where a gas leak can happen. If you have gas heating, you’ll want to put a detector in the same area as your HVAC unit.
Remote Water Shutoff Valve: If your flood sensor finds a hot water heater leak or a burst pipe, then you need to shut off the primary water pipe quickly. With a wireless shutoff valve, you can block water flow from anywhere in the world. That’s nice when you’re on vacation and see an emergency leak alert on your smartphone.
Garage Door Sensor: Leaving the garage up leads to all types of issues. You can lose HVAC energy through that large opening, and rodents or thieves can just walk in. A sensor will alert you to a neglected garage door and lets you close it remotely.
Temperature Sensor: A heat sensor in your basement or garage is a definite if you fret about freezing pipes. The temperature in these areas can be surprisingly different than your main rooms of the home, so you may want to maintain a close look on the temperature through your security mobile app.

Outside Perimeter Safety Checklist for The Woodlands

Your landscaping, drive, and front porch are just as imperative to secure as the rest of your house. Try the items on this checklist to create a safe outside:

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

Outdoor Security Camera: You can install outdoor cameras to notify you about unusual movement in your back yard. These devices come in handy in places where you might not have a window installed -- like around a cellar or by the garage.

Low Shrubbery: Overgrown foliage can offer some solitude, but they also obscure your line of sight of the yard. Don’t give potential intruders a place to hide. Plus, large bushes, shrubs or trees around your structure can clog gutters and bring in ants and termites.
ADT Signs And Decals: One of the most popular discouragements for a thief is alerting aspiring intruders that you have an updated ADT security system. An ADT yard sign by the main walk and a window cling will alert people that they might want to keep walking to an unprotected score.

Motion Triggered Flood Light Fixtures: Light is the biggest enemy to people who lurk in the dark. Motion-activated lights on your deck, patio, or garage can frighten possible intruders away. Flood lights also help you see the walk when you get home late at night.

Contact Secure24 Alarm Systems To Help Complete Your Home Safety Checklist for The Woodlands

While Secure24 Alarm Systems can’t install non-security devices on your The Woodlands home safety checklist, we can offer a customized home security system. With alarms, security cameras, and home automation, we can customize the best system for your home’s needs. Just call (281) 595-9526 to get started or fill out the form below. Or personalize your own solution with our Security System Designer.