Home Safety Checklist For Houston

Being safe and secure in your residence should be your number one responsibility. But are you missing some big safety components? Use this home safety checklist for Houston and find out where your living space requires greater attention.

We give you a few whole-home safety ideas, and then we whittle it down room-by-room. Then, contact (713) 335-3438 or complete the form below to speak to a security agent.

Basic Home Safety Checklist for Houston

While you should employ a room-by-room process for home safety in Houston, there are some items that work for the whole-house approach. These components can link to each other through a touchscreen hub, and often can react to other components. You might also control all your home safety components with a mobile security app, like ADT Control:

Monitored Security System: All your entryways should have a sensor that warns you to forced entry. As your alarm goes off, your monitoring agent picks up the alert and contacts a first responder.

Smart Lights For Most Rooms: Of course, you can program your smart lights to become more efficient. But smart lights can also allow you to keep safe in an emergency. Make your downstairs lights flash on when an alarm goes off to scare off robbers or brighten a path to a safe place.

Smart Thermostat: Like your smart lights, a smart thermostat in Houston should save you up to 15% in gas and electric spending. Also, it can turn on your exhaust fan when your alarms senses a fire.

Monitored Smoke Detectors: At the very least, you have a fire detector on each level. You can improve your fire readiness by utilizing a monitored fire detector that senses excessive smoke and heat, and alerts your 24-hour monitoring agents when it detects a fire.

Smart Locks: Every entryway that utilizes a deadbolt can use a smart door lock. Now you may preset codes to each family member and get texts to your smartphone when they are unlocked. Your smart lock can even automatically turn off, letting you quickly leave during an emergency.

Family Room Safety Checklist For Houston

You’ll spend most of your time in the living room, so it’s the perfect room to start making your home more secure. Popular items, like a big screen or stereo system, typically are located in your family room, making it an alluring space for thieves. Begin with hanging a motion sensor or security camera by the doorway, then continue on with the following ideas:

Motion Sensors: By installing motion sensors, you’ll hear a shrieking alarm anytime they sense unexpected motion within your living room. You’ll want motion detectors that aren’t set off by pet movements or you’ll get an alert each time your dog roams by for a bite of food.
Indoor Security Camera: An indoor security camera offers a visual on your living room. Get constant streams of your room so you can find out what’s downstairs without leaving your bed. Or chat with your kids when they come back from playing by using the two-way talk feature.
Surge Protector/Outlet Maintenance: Safeguard expensive electronics and stop overtaxing your circuits with a surge protector. For additional comfort, use a smart plug with surge protection in the unit.
Furniture Bolted To The Wall: If you have any small children, you’ll want to bolt your bookshelves and entertainment center to your wall. This is especially crucial if your family room uses rugs or carpet that could make heavy objects extra wobbly.
Special Locks For Glass Doors: If your living room has a glass door that slides out to a patio, deck, or outside porch, you already get that the latch is fairly worthless. Install a special lock, like a bottom bar or locks that bolt to the bottom and top of the frame.

Kitchen Safety Checklist For Houston

Your kitchen has room for items that should add safety to your house. Some of these things are also a snap to add and should be purchased from the Target or Walmart:

Fire Extinguisher: Fire can happen from a neglected pot or an errant grease splatter. Always store a fire extinguisher at the ready for any cooking mishaps.
GFCI Box On Every Outlet: A circuit interrupter outlet should be installed everywhere they’re close to water to lessen the chance of a deadly shock. That includes the plugs close to your kitchen counter and sink. Since the late ‘80s, it’s been required to have one GFCI per dedicated circuit. But for simplicity’s sake, you’ll want to install an unchained GFCI on each outlet.

Monitored CO Detector: A carbon monoxide detector is recommended for the kitchen if you use a gas stove and oven. If your gas burners leak, the carbon monoxide detector will emit a loud, buzzing noise and contact your monitoring center.
Cleaning Wipes Or Spray: The biggest safety hazard in the kitchen is actually bacteria and contamination from blood from meat and dairy. Always store cleaning wipes or an antibacterial spray to scrub off your area before and after making a meal.
Freezer and Refrigerator Alarm: The items in the fridge need to remain at a constant temperature to be safe to eat. If you accidently leave the fridge or freezer door open, then a constant beep will tell you to close the door. Some fridges already have this installed, some don’t, and you’ll have to pick up an external alarm from the store.

Bathroom Safety Checklist For Houston

Just because there’s not a bunch of room in your bathroom, you will still have safety concerns. From flood detectors to anti-surge outlets, here are five safety ideas for your bathroom:

Flood Detectors: A leaking toilet or tub can cause extensive damage. Find a leak with a flood detector before they cause hundreds to thousands of dollars in renovations.
Non-slip Shower Mats: A slip in the bathroom can be devastating, causing pulled muscles, bruises, or broken bones. Make sure you steer clear from these problems with a textured bath mat for your wet feet.

Textured Bathtub Strips: Likewise, a tub can be a slippery place to be on. It’s a good idea that every bathtub has some non-slip strips so your feet and toes have a rough patch to grip.

Medicine Door Lock: If you have curious toddlers or someone with memory complications, you should take extra care regarding prescribed medicine. Hide away your pills and syrups by using a medicine cabinet with a latch that locks.

Circuit Interrupter Outlet: Just like the kitchen, you will have to also put in a surge protecting circuit interrupter outlet on every bathroom outlet. This will shut off the current if water splashes on them or they experience a harmful spike from an electric razor or hair dryer.

Child’s Bedroom Safety Checklist For Houston

A child’s bedroom should balance safety with simplicity. If their window shades or other items are safe but tricky to use, then your child may get around the device with dangerous activities -- like shimmying up a dresser -- to use them. Try these simple, and safe, ideas:

No Cord Window Treatments: Safety agencies have designated window treatment cords a secret hazard for kids and pets. Put in motorized treatments that kids can easily open and close via remote control. Or go state-of-the-art and pair your motorized treatments to your ADT security system so they open without anyone’s help at dawn, and close in the evening for an easier sleep.

Indoor Security Camera: An indoor security camera sitting on your kid’s dresser can behave as a high tech baby monitor that you can see with a mobile device. And when they want you, they can push the 2-way talk feature on the camera.

Outlet Covers: While each outlet should have outlet safety caps on them when you have little children, this is especially urgent in their bedroom. It’s the one place in your home where your toddler will most likely be by themselves without consistent parental supervision.

Window Fire Ladder: If you use bedrooms on an upper level, then you should put in a window escape ladder. These should let your children escape in case the hallway or ground floor are blocked off with fire. Remember to go over how to unfurl them at least twice a year.

Toy Chest Or Low Bookshelves: It’s interesting to view a toy box as a safety item, but you’ll understand if you’ve ever stepped on a Lego in your socked feet. A clutter-free floor gives your child a quick escape if there’s an emergency.

Main Bedroom Safety Checklist For Houston

The bedroom should be a refuge, so let your safety items make you more responsive when there's an emergency. After all, being wrenched awake by a wailing siren can be disorienting.

Smart Hub Touchscreen: Having a touchscreen on your bedside table lets you see what’s going on without leaving your bed. You could always log into your ADT phone app. However, the touchscreen is often faster to use when you’re yawning and disoriented.

Phone Charging Area: We rely on our phones for so many things now alarm clocks, news readers, games, and --legend has it-- even phones. But, an uncharged device will cut us off from the outside world if there’s a problem. To keep it nice and ready, a charging cord or station is should be used nightly.

Nightlight/Smart Lights: A small light can calm you when you’re bolted awake from a fire alarm or unexpected sounds. If you won’t drift off to sleep with an outlet light, install smart bulbs in your bedroom. Then you can control light simply with a button push or voice direction.
Fireproof Lockbox: Store your vital paperwork like insurance cards, stock certificates, or a bankbook in a fireproof lockbox. Your lockbox can be a bigger one that is located in a corner or a smaller handheld safe that you can carry when you leave during a fire or break-in.

Temperature Sensor: The drawback with a master bedroom is that they tend to be too stuffy or be frigid because they are located far away from the thermostat. A heat sensor can talk to your smart thermostat so you can have a nice, relaxing sleep at a wonderful temperature.

Garage/Basement Safety Checklist For Houston

Most safety needs in the garage or basement have to do with your water or heating system. Seeing issues at the source can stop more devastating emergencies in the future. So, as you walk around your basement or garage, take note of these safety items:

Flood Sensor Or Sump Pump Alarm: Placing a flood sensor in back of your water heater or sump pump drain can save you from wading into a pond when you go into your basement or garage. The last you need is to waste the weekend getting rid of standing water and salvaging all those ruined boxes.

Carbon Monoxide Alarm: It’s smart to have a CO detector in an area where a gas leak can occur. If you have a gas furnace, try to put a detector in the same room as your unit.
Remote Water Shutoff Valve: If your flood detector senses a hot water leak or a broken pipe, then you will want to shut off the primary water pipe immediately. With a wireless shutoff valve, you can stop water flow from your phone. That’s nice when you’re out of town and receive a water leak text on your mobile device.
Garage Door Sensor: Leaving the garage door up leads to all types of problems. You can lose heat through that large opening, and all sorts of animals or lurkers can just saunder in. A sensor will alert you to a neglected garage door and allow you to close it with your phone.
Temperature Sensor: A heat alarm in your basement or garage is essential if you worry about freezing pipes. The heat in these rooms can be surprisingly different than your main rooms of the home, so you may need to have a constant look on the temp with your security mobile app.

Outside Safety Checklist for Houston

Your foliage, drive, and front step are just as imperative to defend as the rest of your house. Use this checklist to make your outside safe:

Doorbell Security Camera: See who’s arrived at the front door before you open it and talk to visitors. Get a visual on package deliveries and review video clips if they are stolen.

Outdoor Camera: You can place outdoor cameras to notify you about unusual lurkers in your yard. These security cameras come in handy in areas where you might not have a window installed -- like around a cellar or by the garage door.

Window Height Shrubbery: Overgrown shrubs can create some solitude, but they also block your view of the yard. Don’t provide potential intruders a dark shadow to hide. Plus, high shrubs or foliage too close to your house can obstruct gutters and summon pests.
ADT Yard Signs: One of the most popular discouragements for a thief is alerting potential burglars that you have a state-of-the-art ADT security system. An ADT sign by the main walk and a window decal will show ne'er-do-wells that they should shove off to an easier target.

Motion Controlled Outside Light Fixtures: Light is the largest deterrent to those who sneak around in the dark. Motion-triggered flood lights on your deck, porch, or garage can frighten lurkers away. They also help you see the walk when you get to the house late at night.

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

While Secure24 Alarm Systems can’t install every item on your Houston home safety checklist, we can bring you a state-of-the-art security system. With everything from alarms to thermostats, we can personalize the ideal system for your home’s needs. Simply phone (713) 335-3438 and talk to a professional or fill out the form below. Or customize your own solution with our Security System Designer.