Home Safety Checklist For Kalamazoo

Staying safe and secure in your house should be your largest concern. But are you forgetting a few useful safety components? Use this home safety checklist for Kalamazoo and see where your living space needs greater attention.

We give you some whole-home safety ideas, and then we whittle it down to specific room ideas. Then, call (269) 224-1045 or fill out the form below for more information.

Basic Home Safety Checklist for Kalamazoo

While you may want to employ a room-by-room process for home safety in Kalamazoo, there are some methods that work for the whole-house approach. These components can sync to each other through a smart hub, and can even work off other things. You might also manage every one of your home safety devices through a mobile security app, like ADT Control:

Monitored Security System: All your windows and doors should use a sensor that notifies you to forced entry. When an alarm trips, your monitoring expert answers the alert and sends the police or fire department.

Smart Lighting For Each Room: Of course, you can set your smart lights so your house is more efficient. But smart lights can also help you keep safe in an emergency. Make your downstairs lights come on when a security alarm triggers to frighten off burglars or brighten the way out to a outside place.

Smart Thermostat: Like your smart lights, a smart thermostat in Kalamazoo can save you 10%-15% in utility costs. It also can turn on an exhaust fan during a fire.

Monitored Fire Alarms: At the very least, you should have a smoke detector on each level. You can increase your fire preparedness by utilizing a monitored fire detector that detects unusual heat and smoke, and alerts your round-the-clock monitoring team when it senses a fire.

Smart Locks: Every door that utilizes a keyed lock can use a smart lock. Now you can preset key codes to friends and family and get texts to your mobile device when your locks are used. Your smart lock can even automatically unlock, letting you quickly get out when you have a fire or other emergency.

Family Room/Living Room Safety Checklist For Kalamazoo

You’ll spend most of your time in the living room, so it’s the best place to start your home safety renovation. Popular items, like your TV or stereo system, probably sit in your family room, making it a tempting room for robbers. Begin with hanging a motion sensor or indoor camera in there, then continue on with all these safety protocols:

Motion Sensors: By putting in motion sensors, you’ll hear a loud noise whenever they detect unusual movement within your living room. The best devices are motion detectors that ignore pets or you’ll see an alert every time your dog passes through for a midnight stroll.
Security Camera: An indoor security camera offers an eye on your living room. View constant streams of the area so you can find out what’s going on without leaving your bed. Or talk with family members in the room by using the two-way talk feature.
Surge Protector/Outlet Maintenance: Protect expensive electronics and stop overburdening your electric system with a surge protector. For extra comfort, install a smart plug with a surge protector included.
Furniture Bolted To The Wall: If you have any small children, you’ll want to secure your bookshelves and entertainment center to a wall. This is extra crucial if your living room uses carpet that can make furniture extra unstable.
Special Locks For Sliding Doors: If your family room uses a glass door that opens to a patio, deck, or outside porch, you probably get that the lock is usually thin. Put in a special lock, like a bottom bar or small locks that are located on the top and bottom of the door frame.

Kitchen Safety Checklist For Kalamazoo

The kitchen has many items that should provide comfort and safety to your house. Some of these objects should be a snap to add and should be purchased from the grocery store:

Fire Extinguisher: A fire can spring up from a neglected pot or a faulty burner. Always keep a fire extinguisher at hand for any kitchen emergencies.
GFCI Box On Every Outlet: A circuit interrupter outlet should be used everywhere they’re by running water to prevent a deadly shock. That includes the plug outlets around your sink and kitchen counter. Since 1987, it’s been standard to have one GFCI per circuit. But if you don’t want all your outlets to flip off when one outlet trips, you’re going to want to install a separate GFCI on each outlet.

Monitored Carbon Monoxide Detector: A CO detector is advised for kitchens that use gas for the stove and oven. If your gas lines leak, the carbon monoxide detector will play a loud noise and contact your monitoring expert.
Cleaning Wipes Or Spray: The largest safety issue in the kitchen is actually bacteria and protein from uncooked meat and other foods. Always keep antiviral wipes or an antibacterial spray to clean your area when making a meal.
Refrigerator Alarm: The milk, meat, and perishables in the refrigerator need to remain at a cold temperature to stay healthy to consume. If you accidently leave the fridge or freezer door open, then an alarm beep will let you know so you can shut it securely. Some refrigerators already have an alarm, others won’t, and you’ll have to get a refrigerator alarm from the hardware store.

Bathroom Safety Checklist For Kalamazoo

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

Flood Detectors: A leaking toilet or tub can lead to extensive damage. Deal with a leaking pipe with a flood detector before they bring about hundreds of dollars in damage.
No-slip Bath Mats: A fall in the bathroom can be devastating, causing bumps, bruises, or broken bones. You can prevent these problems with a no-slip bathroom mat for after your bath or shower.

No-slip Bathtub Strips: Another water hazard, a tub basin can be a slippery surface to stand in. It’s a good idea that each bathtub has some no-slip stickies so your toes have a bumpy patch to grip.

Medicine Door Latch: If you have curious kids or anyone with memory difficulties, you have to take additional precautions regarding medicine. Secure your bottles by using a medicine cabinet with a locking latch.

Circuit Interrupter Outlet: While installing better outlets in the kitchen, you should also put in a surge protecting circuit interrupter outlet on each bathroom outlet. This will stop the flow of the electric current if water splashes on them or there’s a harmful surge from an electric razor or hair dryer.

Child’s Bedroom Safety Checklist For Kalamazoo

Your child’s bedroom should pair safety with accessibility. If their window coverings or other items are safe but difficult to use, then your kids may get around the device with risky activities -- like climb a dresser -- to touch them. Here are some simple, yet safe, ideas:

Cord-Free Window Coverings: Safety professionals have long called corded window treatments a secret hazard for children and animals. Put in motorized shades that your child can easily open and close with a remote. Or go state-of-the-art and connect your motorized coverings to your ADT security system so they can raise automatically at dawn, and close in the evening for an easier sleep.

Indoor Security Camera: A camera placed on your kid’s desk can behave like an HD baby monitor that you can watch from a smartphone. And if they want your help, they can use the intercom talk feature on the camera.

Outlet Plug Covers: While every outlet should have outlet safety caps on them for your young children, this is especially needed in their bedroom. It’s the main place in your home where your toddler will most likely hang out alone without constant adult supervision.

Window Safety Ladder: If you have bedrooms on the second floor, then you should put in a window safety ladder. These can let a child escape in case the hallway or lower levels are engulfed in smoke and fire. Remember to rehearse how to employ the ladder one or two times a year.

Toy Chest Or Low Bookshelves: It’s weird to look at a toy box as a safety item, but you’ll see the light if you’ve ever stepped on a Lego in your bare feet. A clean floor let your child have a quick way out during a safety or security event.

Master Bedroom Safety Checklist For Kalamazoo

The main bedroom should be your calm space, so let your safety items give you peace of mind if you experience an emergency. After all, being wrenched awake by a wailing alarm can be confusing.

Home Security Touchscreen: Having a smart hub on your nightstand gives you a sense of what’s happening without leaving your bed. You could alternatively use your ADT phone app but, the HD touchscreen can be faster to use when you’re bleary-eyed and finding your bearings.

Device Charging Stand: We use our phones for so many things now alarm clocks, news readers, game machines, and sometimes even phones. The only problem is that a dead device in the middle of the night cuts us off from communications if during an emergency. So, a charging station or cord is an essential.

Nightlights Or Voice Activated Smart Lights: A small light helps ground you when you’re startled awake from an alarm or unexpected noises. If you have trouble falling asleep with an outlet light, use a smart bulb in your bedroom. Then you can control light simply with a button push or vocal command.
Fireproof Lockbox: Store your essential papers like social security cards, stock certificates, or a spare checkbook in a fireproof lockbox. Your lockbox can be a big one that camps out out of the way or a small portable safe that you can carry on your way out during a fire or other emergency.

Temperature Sensor: The issue with most bedrooms is that they might be too hot or be chilly since they are far from the thermostat. A heat sensor can talk to your smart thermostat so you should have a comfortable, peaceful sleep at a wonderful temperature.

Garage/Basement Safety Checklist For Kalamazoo

Most safety needs in the basement or garage have to do with your water or HVAC system. Seeing issues before they start can stop bigger disasters later on. So, as you take a look around your basement or garage, check over these safety items:

Water Detector Or Sump Pump Alarm: Placing a flood alarm next to your water heater or sump pump drain can prevent you from wading into a pond when you go into your garage or basement. The last you need is to lose the weekend drying your floor and salvaging all those soggy boxes.

Carbon Monoxide Detector: It’s nice to install a CO detector in an area where a natural gas leak can occur. If you have gas heating, you should hang a detector in the same area as your inbound pipes.
Remote Water Shutoff Valve: If your flood detector finds a hot water heater leak or a burst pipe, then you need to shut off the main water pipe at once. With a remote shutoff valve, you can turn off your water flow from your phone. That’s nice when you’re on vacation and see a flood sensor text on your smartphone.
Garage Door Sensor: Leaving the garage open causes all sorts of issues. You can waste heat through that gaping hole, and critters or thieves can just wander in. A sensor will text you about a forgotten garage door and allow you to close it remotely.
Temperature Sensor: A temperature sensor in your garage or basement is handy if you wonder about freezing pipes. The temperature in these rooms can be surprisingly different than the main part of the house, so you may want to keep a constant look on them with the ADT mobile app.

Home Perimeter Safety Checklist for Kalamazoo

Your front yard, drive, and front porch are just as imperative to make safe as the interior of your house. Try this checklist to make your outside safe:

Doorbell Security Camera: See who’s knocking on the front door before you answer it and talk to guests. Get a visual on deliveries and look at video clips if they vanish off the step.

Outdoor Camera: You can place outdoor security cameras to guard against suspicious movement in your yard. These security cameras are nice in places where you may not have a view -- like around a cellar or by the garage door.

Low Shrubs: Overgrown shrubs can offer some serenity, but they also block you seeing into the yard and curb. Don’t give potential intruders a dark shadow to hide. Plus, high bushes or trees too close to your house can clog gutters and bring in bugs.
ADT Signs And Decals: One of the biggest discouragements for a break-in is telling aspiring rogues that you own a state-of-the-art ADT security system. An ADT yard sign by the main walk and a window sticker will show ne'er-do-wells that they should keep walking to an easier target.

Motion Triggered Outside Lights: Light is the largest obstacle to people who lurk in the shadows. Motion-triggered lights on your deck, patio, or garage can help scare possible intruders away. Lights also help you get inside when you come back home late at night.

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

While Secure24 Alarm Systems can’t install each household item on your Kalamazoo home safety checklist, we can install a state-of-the-art home security. With alarms, security cameras, and home automation, we can install the perfect system for your family’s needs. Just contact (269) 224-1045 for more information or send in the form below. Or customize your own ADT system with our Security System Designer.