Home Safety Checklist For Gainesville

Staying safe and secure in your home should be your number one concern. But are you overlooking one or two useful safety components? Take this home safety checklist for Gainesville and discover where your living space can use greater attention.

This guide begins with a few whole-house safety items, and then we break it down room-by-room. Then, call (352) 325-7286 or complete the form below for more information.

General Home Safety Checklist for Gainesville

While you may want to use a individual room process for home safety in Gainesville, there are some things that work for the whole-house approach. These devices can sync together through a wireless hub, and often can work off other things. You might also control all your home safety equipment through a mobile security app, such as ADT Control:

Monitored Home Security System: Each one of your windows and doors should use a sensor that notifies you and your family to forced entry. When an alarm goes off, your monitoring center picks up the call and quickly contacts emergency personnel.

Smart Lights For Every Major Room: Of course, you can set your smart lighting to become more energy-efficient. But they can also allow you to keep safe in an emergency. Make your smart bulbs flash on when a security alarm goes off to frighten off intruders or brighten a path to a secure area.

Smart Thermostat: Likewise, a smart thermostat in Gainesville could save you up to 15% in energy spending. Also, it can turn on your exhaust fan during a fire.

Monitored Smoke Detectors: It’s code that you should have a fire detector on each floor. You can increase your fire game by installing a monitored fire alarm that looks for unusual smoke and heat, and alerts your round-the-clock monitoring team when it senses a fire.

Smart Locks: Every entryway that needs a deadbolt can be made safer with a smart door lock. Now you can preset numbered codes to friends and family and get alerts to your mobile device when your locks are unlocked. Your locks can even automatically open, helping you to quickly flee the house when you have a fire or other emergency.

Family Room Safety Checklist For Gainesville

You’ll hang out most in the living room, so it may be the perfect place to begin your home safety renovation. Electronics, like a big screen or video games, probably are located in your family room, making it a popular room for burglars. Start with installing a motion sensor or security camera by the doorway, then try all these safety protocols:

Motion Detectors: By putting in motion sensors, you’ll get a loud alarm if they detect suspicious movement within your living room. Look for motion detectors that ignore pet movements or you’ll have your sirens go off each time your pet comes in for a drink of water.
Indoor Security Camera: An indoor security camera puts a visual on your family room. Watch real-time feeds of everything so you can see what’s going on without leaving your bed. Or talk with your kids when they get home from school using the two-way talk feature.
Surge Protector/Cord Maintenance: Protect all your electronics and stop overtaxing your circuits with a surge protector. For added comfort, install a smart plug with a surge protector in the unit.
Heavy Furniture Secured To The Wall: If you have babies or toddlers, you’ll want to secure your bookshelves and entertainment center to a wall. This is extra important if your living room has rugs or carpet that could make furniture extra wobbly.
Special Locks For Glass Doors: If your living room has a sliding glass door that leads to a backyard, deck, or porch, you probably can see that the door lock is usually worthless. Put in a custom lock, like a metal bar or locks that are located on the bottom and top of the opening.

Kitchen Safety Checklist For Gainesville

The kitchen has plenty of items that should bring safety to your home. Many of these objects are also simple to add and should be purchased from the grocery store:

Fire Extinguisher: Fire can come from from an overfilled frying pan or a faulty burner. Always keep a fire extinguisher in close reach for any kitchen mishaps.
Circuit Interrupter Box On Every Outlet: A GFCI outlet should be installed on outlets where there’s nearby water to prevent electrocution. That means the outlets close to your sink and kitchen counter. Since 1987, it’s been required to have one circuit interrupter outlet per circuit. But all your plugs will flip off if one outlet senses a surge, so you’re going to want to have a separate GFCI for every outlet.

Monitored Carbon Monoxide Detector: A carbon monoxide detector is advised for kitchens that employ natural gas for the oven and range. If your gas burners leak, the carbon monoxide detector will play a loud, buzzing sound and ping your monitoring professional.
Disinfectant Wipes Or Spray: The most overlooked safety hazard in the kitchen is actually bacteria and protein from raw meat and vegetables. Always keep antiviral wipes or an antibacterial spray to sanitize your counters after preparing food.
Refrigerator Alarm: The milk, meat, and perishables in your fridge should stay at a chilly temperature to stay healthy to use. If you leave the freezer or refrigerator door open too long, then an alarm beep will tell you to shut it securely. Some appliances come with this installed, others do not, and you’ll have to buy a fridge alarm from the hardware store.

Bathroom Safety Checklist For Gainesville

Just because there’s not a lot of room in your bathroom doesn’t mean that there aren’t safety concerns. From flood detectors to electric safety, here are a few safety ideas for your bathroom:

Flood Detectors: A leaking toilet or tub can create extensive destruction. Deal with a water problem with a flood detector and save hundreds to thousands of dollars from renovations.
Non-slip Bath Mats: A slip and fall in the bathroom can be devastating, causing bumps, sore joints, or trips to the hospital. Or steer clear from these issues with a no-slip bath mat for while you towel off.

Non-slip Bathtub Stickies: Like a tiled floor, a bathtub can be a slick place to be on. Make sure every tub has some non-slip stickers so your feet have a textured patch for stability.

Medicine Door Lock: If you have curious kids or anyone with memory difficulties, you should take extra attention regarding prescribed medicine. Safeguard your bottles by getting a medicine cabinet with a locking latch.

GFCI Circuits: Just like the kitchen, you need to also use a grounded circuit interrupter outlet on each bathroom outlet. These will stop the flow of the current if water splashes on them or there’s an unusual surge from a curling iron or hair dryer.

Kid’s Bedroom Safety Checklist For Gainesville

A child’s bedroom should counterbalance safety with manageability. If their window shades or other things are safe but hard to manage, then your child may try dangerous activities -- like scale a chest of drawers -- to use them. Here are some simple, and safe, ideas:

Cordless Window Treatments: Safety experts have identified cords from shades and blinds an unsuspecting danger for kids and pets. Install motorized shades that your child can easily manage through a remote control. Or go state-of-the-art and link your shades to your security system so they open on a schedule when it’s time to get up, and go down at bedtime for added darkness.

Indoor Security Camera: A camera sitting on your child’s dresser can act just like an HD baby monitor that you can view from your phone. And when they want you, they can push the two-way talk button on the camera.

Plug Covers: While every outlet should have protective covers on them to protect your young children, this is doubly needed in a child’s bedroom. It’s the main place in your home where your toddler will most likely play solo without additional supervision.

Window Safety Ladder: If you use bedrooms on an upper level, then you should put in a window safety ladder. These will help a child escape when the stairs or downstairs are engulfed in smoke and fire. Just remember to rehearse how to use them one or two times a year.

Toy Box Or Low Bookshelves: It’s interesting to think about a toy chest as a safety component, but you’ll see the light if you’ve ever walked on an action figure in your socked feet. A uncluttered floor means a quick retreat if there’s a fire or break-in.

Main Bedroom Safety Checklist For Gainesville

Your master bedroom should be your calm space, so let your safety items make you more responsive when there's an emergency event. After all, being startled awake by a high-decibel siren can be disorienting.

Home Security Touchscreen: Having a smart hub on your nightstand gives you a sense of what’s going on without jumping out of bed. You could also use your ADT smartphone app. However, the touchscreen can be easier to control to use when you’re coming out of sleep and finding your bearings.

Personal Charging Station: We rely on our smartphones for so much now alarm clocks, news readers, game machines, and sometimes even phones. However, a dead phone in the middle of the night cuts us off from reaching help if something goes wrong. To keep it nice and ready, a an easy-to-use charging station becomes an important part of your nightstand.

Nightlight/Smart Lights: A tiny light can be a beacon when you’re jolted awake from an alarm or other loud noises. If you won’t drift off to sleep with a small nightlight, use smart lights in your fixtures. Then you can have light on-demand with a push of a button or vocal command.
Fireproof Safe: Stash your important paperwork like insurance cards, medical information, or a bankbook in a fireproof safe. This can be a bigger one that sits in a corner or a smaller portable safe that you can grab when you leave during an emergency event.

Heat Sensor: The issue with a master bedroom is that they might feel too warm or be chilly since they are far from the thermostat. A temperature sensor can talk to your smart thermostat so you should have a pleasant, peaceful sleep at the perfect climate.

Basement/Garage Safety Checklist For Gainesville

Most safety issues in the garage or basement are with your water or heating system. Finding hazards at the source can prevent larger disasters in the future. So, as you take a look around your storage areas, check over these crucial items:

Water Detector Or Sump Pump Alarm: Placing a flood sensor next to your water heater or sump pump drain can save you from finding a lake when you step into your garage or basement. It’s much better than rummaging through a heap of soiled storage boxes.

Carbon Monoxide Alarm: It’s nice to install a CO alarm in an area where a gas leak can happen. If you have a gas furnace, try to install a detector in the same place as your unit.
Remote Water Shutoff Valve: If your flood sensor finds a hot water heater leak or a busted pipe, then you will want to cut off the primary water line at once. With a remote shutoff valve, you can turn off your water flow from anywhere in the world. That’s perfect when you’re visiting relatives and get an emergency leak notification on your mobile device.
Garage Door Sensor: Leaving the garage door up brings about all types of headaches. You can lose heat or air through that large opening, and critters or lurkers can just walk in. A sensor will text you about an open garage door and lets you lower it through the app.
Heat Sensor: A temperature sensor in your basement or garage is a definite if you wonder about freezing pipes. The temperature in these areas can be surprisingly different than your main rooms of the house, so you will want to have a closer eye on the temperature with the ADT mobile app.

Home Perimeter Safety Checklist for Gainesville

Your landscaping, drive, and front porch are just as important to secure as the inside of your home. Try this checklist to make your outside safe:

Doorbell Camera: See who’s arrived at the door before you open it and chat with visitors. View packages and record video clips if they are taken.

Outdoor Security Camera: You can place outdoor cameras to notify you about late night movement in your back yard. These security cameras are especially useful in places where you may not have a window installed -- like a side yard or by the driveway.

Window Height Shrubbery: Overgrown bushes can create some privacy, but they also hinder your line of sight of the yard and curb. Don’t provide potential burglars an area to hide. Plus, large bushes, shrubs or trees around your home can obstruct gutters and summon pests.
ADT Signage: One of the most popular disincentives for a thief is advertising to would-be rogues that you use an updated home security system. An ADT yard sign by the main walk and a window sticker will show lurkers that they might want to keep walking to an unprotected target.

Motion Triggered Porch Lights: Light is the largest enemy to people who sneak around in the shadows. Motion-controlled lights on your deck, porch, or garage can help scare lurkers away. They also help you get inside when you come home late at night.

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

While Secure24 Alarm Systems can’t deliver each household item on your Gainesville home safety checklist, we can install a customized security system. With everything from alarms to thermostats, we can customize the ideal system for your home’s needs. Just contact (352) 325-7286 to get started or fill out the form below. Or customize your own ADT system with our Security System Designer.