Home Safety Checklist For Naperville
Staying safe in your home should be your largest responsibility. But are you missing one or two useful safety items? Use this home safety checklist for Naperville and find out where your home needs an update.
This guide starts with five whole-home safety ideas, and then we delve down room-by-room. Then, call (630) 360-2986 or fill out the form below to speak to a security professional.
Basic Home Safety Checklist for Naperville
While you will want to take a room-to-room approach to home safety, there are some things that work for a lot of your rooms. These components can link to each other through a wireless hub, and can even react to other components. You can also control each of your home safety components using a mobile app, like ADT Control:
-
Monitored Security System: Each one of your entryways should use a sensor that notifies you to intrusion. As your alarm goes off, your monitoring center responds to the alert and quickly contacts the police or fire department.
-
Smart Bulbs For Every Major Room: Sure, you can set your smart bulbs to become more efficient. But they can also allow you to stay safe in an emergency. Have your lights come on when a security alarm trips to scare off intruders or brighten your way to a secure place.
-
Smart Thermostat: Likewise, a smart thermostat in Naperville can save you 10%-15% in utility costs. But it also can flip on your exhaust fan if you have a fire.
-
Monitored Fire Detectors: It’s code that you will have a smoke detector on every level of your house. You can improve your fire preparedness by hanging a monitored fire detector that detects both heat and smoke, and pings your round-the-clock monitoring experts when it detects a fire.
-
Smart Locks: Every entryway that uses a deadbolt can use a smart door lock. Now you may assign codes to family and friends and receive alerts to your mobile device when your locks are unlocked. Your smart lock can even automatically open, allowing you to quickly flee the house if you have a fire or dangerous situation.
Family Room Safety Checklist For Naperville
You’ll spend a lot of time in your living room, so it can be the best place to begin your home safety renovation. Popular items, like your TV or video games, typically reside in your family room, making it a tempting room for robbers. Start with hanging a motion sensor or indoor security camera in there, then take a look at the following ideas:
-
Motion Sensors: By installing motion detectors, you’ll have a shrieking noise anytime they sense unexpected movement within your family room. Look for motion detectors that aren’t set off by pets or you’ll have an alert every time your cat roams by for a midnight stroll.
-
Indoor Camera: An indoor security camera gives you an eye on your living room. Watch constant feeds of your room so you can know what’s downstairs through the mobile app. Or talk with your kids when they come back from school with the two-way talk feature.
-
Surge Protector/Cord Maintenance: Make sure you protect all your electronics and quit overtaxing your electric system with a surge protector. For extra comfort, set up a smart plug with a surge protector built-in.
-
Entertainment Center Attached To The Wall: If you have babies or toddlers, you’ll need to attach your bookshelves and entertainment center to a wall. This is extra important if your family room uses carpeting that can make objects extra unbalanced.
-
Enhanced Locks For Glass Doors: If your living room has a sliding glass door that slides out to a patio, deck, or screened-in porch, you can see that the lock is fairly thin. Use a special lock, like a cross bar or locks that secures the door to the top and bottom of the frame.
Kitchen Safety Checklist For Naperville
The kitchen has room for items that can provide safety to your home. Most of these things are also easy to add and can be purchased from the a retail store:
-
Fire Extinguisher: Fire can spring up from a neglected frying pan or an errant grease splatter. Always store a fire extinguisher in close reach for any stove or oven emergencies.
-
Circuit Interrupter Box On Every Outlet: A circuit interrupter outlet should be used anywhere there’s nearby running water to lessen the chance of an electric shock. That includes the plugs 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 plugs will go dead if any outlet sees a surge, so you’ll want to have an unchained GFCI for every outlet.
-
Monitored Carbon Monoxide Detector: A carbon monoxide detector is recommended for spaces that have gas for the oven and stove. If your gas appliances spring a leak, the carbon monoxide detector will play a loud, buzzing sound and contact your monitoring center.
-
Clorox Wipes Or Spray: The largest safety problem in the kitchen is actually bacteria and protein from uncooked meat and other foods. Always keep cleaning wipes or an antibacterial spray to clean your surfaces after making a meal.
-
Freezer and Refrigerator Alarm: The items in your fridge should remain at a chilly temperature to be safe to consume. If you leave the refrigerator door open, then an alarm beep will remind you to shut it securely. Some appliances come with an alarm, others don’t, and you’ll have to buy a refrigerator alarm from online.
Bathroom Safety Checklist For Naperville
Just because you may not have a bunch of square footage in your bathroom doesn’t mean that there aren’t safety hazards. From water problems to electric safety, here are a few safety tips for your bathroom:
-
Flood Detectors: A leaking sink or tub can lead to extensive damage. Find out early about leaks with a flood detector and save yourself from reflooring the entire bathroom.
-
Non-slip Shower Mats: A slip and fall in the bathroom can be painful, causing pulled muscles, bruises, or broken bones. Make sure you steer clear from these hazards with a non-slip bathroom mat for after your bath or shower.
-
No-slip Bathtub Strips: Another water hazard, a tub can be a slick place to stand in. It’s a good idea that every tub has some textured strips so your feet and toes have a rough patch to gain traction.
-
Medicine Door Lock: If you have little kids or someone with memory difficulties, you have to take additional attention regarding medicine. Hide away your pills and syrups by using a medicine cabinet with a locking latch.
-
Circuit Interrupter Outlet: While installing better outlets in the kitchen, you will have to also use a surge protecting GFCI outlet on each bathroom outlet. These will cut the electric current if water enters the outlet or there’s an unusual jolt from a curling iron or hair dryer.
Children’s Bedroom Safety Checklist For Naperville
A child’s bedroom should pair safety with manageability. If their window coverings or other items are safe but difficult to operate, then your child may try risky activities -- like shimmying up a dresser -- to touch them. Try these simple, and safe, ideas:
-
Cordless Window Treatments: Safety experts have long called cords from shades and blinds a hidden hazard for kids and pets. Put in motorized treatments that your child can easily open and close via remote. Or better yet, pair your shades to your ADT security system so they can raise without anyone’s help at dawn, and lower at bedtime for added darkness.
-
Tableside Security Camera: A security camera perched on your toddler’s desk can double as a high tech baby monitor that you can see with a smartphone. And when they need you, they can push the 2-way talk feature that comes with the camera.
-
Outlet Covers: While every outlet should use covers on them when you have small children, this is especially important in their bedroom. It’s the main place in your house where your child will most likely hang out alone without consistent additional supervision.
-
Window Safety Ladder: If you use bedrooms on the second level, then you will want to have a window safety ladder. These should let your children escape when the stairs or downstairs are on fire. Make sure to go over how to use the ladder at least twice a year.
-
Toy Box Or Low Shelves: It’s interesting to view a toy chest as a safety item, but you’ll understand if you’ve ever walked on an action figure in your socked feet. A clean floor means a quick escape when there’s a fire or break-in.
Main Bedroom Safety Checklist For Naperville
Your bedroom should be your calm space, so let your safety devices give you peace of mind if you have an emergency event. After all, being jerked awake by a loud siren can be confusing.
-
Home Security Touchscreen: Having a touchscreen on your dresser gives you a sense of what’s what that noise was without jumping out of bed. You could alternatively log into your ADT mobile app but, the HD touchscreen may be easier to control to use when you’re bleary-eyed and finding your bearings.
-
Phone Charging Stand: We use our cell phones for so many things now alarms, web browsers, game machines, and maybe even phones. But, a dead device can cut us off from reaching help if there’s a problem. So, a an easy-to-use charging station becomes an important part of your nightstand.
-
Nightlights Or Voice Activated Smart Lights: A tiny light can be a beacon when you’re bolted awake from a fire alarm or unexpected sounds. If you won’t drift off to sleep with an outlet light, use a smart bulb in your bedroom and hall. Then you can control light anytime with a button push or voice command.
-
Fireproof Safe: Keep your vital documents like insurance cards, medical information, or a spare checkbook in a fireproof lockbox. Your lockbox can be a bigger one that camps out in a corner or a smaller handheld safe that you can grab on your way out during an emergency event.
-
Temperature Sensor: The drawback with a master bedroom is that they tend to run too stuffy or be cold since they sit far away from the thermostat. A temperature sensor can talk to your smart thermostat so you will have a comfortable, restful sleep at the perfect temperature.
Basement/Garage Safety Checklist For Naperville
Most safety needs in the basement or garage have to do with your water or heating system. Seeing hazards before they start can prevent bigger problems in the future. So, as you walk around your basement or garage, take note of these crucial items:
-
Water Sensor Or Sump Pump Alarm: Putting a flood alarm by your water heater and sump pump can prevent you from wading into a lake when you step into your basement or garage. It’s sure better than rummaging through a bunch of destroyed storage boxes.
-
Carbon Monoxide Detector: It’s beneficial to install a CO alarm in an area where a CO leak can spring up. If you employ gas heating, you’ll want to install an alarm in the same place as your inbound pipes.
-
Wireless Water Shutoff Valve: If your flood detector senses a hot water heater leak or a burst pipe, then you will have to shut off the primary water pipe at once. With a wireless shutoff valve, you can block water flow from anywhere in the world. That’s nice when you’re visiting relatives and see a flood sensor text on your phone.
-
Garage Door Sensor: Leaving the garage door up brings about all sorts of headaches. You can waste HVAC energy through that open door, and critters or thieves can just wander in. A remote sensor will notify you about a forgotten garage door and lets you close it through the app.
-
Temperature Sensor: A heat sensor in your garage or basement is essential if you fret about frozen pipes. The temperature in these rooms can be drastically different than your main rooms of the home, so you will need to keep a constant look on them by using your mobile app.
Home Perimeter Safety Checklist for Naperville
Your front yard, drive, and front walk are just as crucial to secure as the inside of your home. Try the items on this checklist to defend your perimeter:
-
Doorbell Security Camera: See who’s knocking on the front door before you answer it and welcome guests. See deliveries and record video clips if they are stolen.
-
Outdoor Security Camera: You can place outdoor cameras to notify you about unusual activity in your back yard. These devices come in handy in places where you might not have a window -- like around a cellar or by the garage door.
-
Low Bushes: Overgrown foliage can offer some solitude, but they also block you seeing into the yard. Don’t offer potential burglars an area to hide. Plus, high bushes, shrubs or trees around your house can jam up gutters and bring in bugs.
-
ADT Signage: One of the biggest deterrents for a thief is telling aspiring intruders that you have an updated security system. An ADT sign by the main walk and a window cling will show lurkers that they ought to shove off to an easier score.
-
Motion Activated Porch Light Fixtures: Light is the largest obstacle to those who sneak around in the unlit places. Motion-controlled lights on your porch, garage, or deck can frighten possible intruders away. They also help you work the locks when you come home late at night.
Call Secure24 Alarm Systems To Help You Finish Your Home Safety Checklist for Naperville
While Secure24 Alarm Systems can’t deliver each household item on your Naperville home safety checklist, we can offer a state-of-the-art home security system. With alarms, security cameras, and home automation, we can customize the best system for your home’s needs. Just call (630) 360-2986 for more information or fill out the form below. Or customize your own solution with our Security System Designer.