Home Safety Checklist For Shreveport
Keeping safe in your residence should be your number one concern. But are you overlooking a few big safety items? Use this home safety checklist for Shreveport and discover where your house can use some work.
This guide begins with some whole-home safety techniques, and then we whittle it down to specific room ideas. Then, phone (318) 228-1466 or send in the form below for additional information.
Whole Home Safety Checklist for Shreveport
While you will want to employ a individual room approach to home safety in Shreveport, there are some methods that work for the entire house approach. These components can sync with one another through a wireless hub, and can even work off other things. You might also manage each of your home safety components through a mobile app, like ADT Control:
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Monitored Home Security System: Each one of your entryways should have a sensor that notifies you and your family to intrusion. As your alarm trips, your monitoring agent responds to the call and contacts the police or fire department.
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Smart Lights For Every Major Room: Of course, you can program your smart bulbs to become more energy-efficient. But they can also allow you to keep safe during an emergency. Have your lights flip on when a security alarm goes off to shoo off burglars or illuminate a path to a secure area.
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Smart Thermostat: Like your smart lights, a smart thermostat in Shreveport could save you up to 15% in utility costs. Also, it can turn on the exhaust fan when your alarms senses a fire.
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Monitored Fire Alarms: At the very least, you need to have a fire alarm on each level of your house. You can increase your fire game by installing a monitored fire detector that senses excessive heat and smoke, and notifies your round-the-clock monitoring team when it detects a fire.
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Smart Door Locks: Every door that needs a deadbolt can upgrade to a smart door lock. Now you can assign key codes to family and friends and receive texts to your mobile device when the locks are used. Your doors can even automatically open, letting you quickly leave when you have a fire or dangerous situation.
Family Room Safety Checklist For Shreveport
You’ll hang out most in your living room, so it can be the perfect place to start your home safety makeover. Popular items, like a TV or video games, usually are located in your family room, making it an alluring space for thieves. Start with hanging a motion sensor or indoor security camera in there, then continue on with all these ideas:
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Motion Detectors: By installing motion sensors, you’ll get a high-decibel noise if they sense unexpected motion in your family room. Look for motion detectors that ignore a dog or cat or you’ll get a tripped alarm each time your cat roams by for a bite of food.
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Security Camera: An indoor security camera gives you a constant watch on your family room. View constant streams of the area so you can know what’s downstairs without leaving your bed. Or talk with your family in the room by using the two-way talk feature.
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Surge Protector/Outlet Maintenance: Safeguard expensive electronics and stop overtaxing your outlets with a surge protector. For added comfort, set up a smart plug with a surge protector built-in.
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Heavy Furniture Attached 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 might make furniture extra unstable.
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Enhanced Locks For Glass Doors: If your living room has a glass door that slides out to a patio, deck, or outside porch, you already know that the latch is usually thin. Put in a special lock, like a bottom bar or locks that are located on the top and bottom of the door frame.
Kitchen Safety Checklist For Shreveport
Your kitchen has plenty of items that should add safety to your home. Many of these objects are also easy to add and should be purchased from the a retail store:
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Fire Extinguisher: A fire can happen from a neglected skillet or a towel that’s too close to a burner. Always have a fire extinguisher at the ready for any cooking mishaps.
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GFCI Box On Each Outlet: A GFCI outlet should be standard on outlets where they’re close to water to lessen the chance of a deadly shock. That includes the plugs by your kitchen counter and sink. Since the late ‘80s, it’s been code to have one GFCI per dedicated circuit. But for simplicity’s sake, you’re going to want to have an unchained GFCI for every outlet.
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Monitored CO Detector: A carbon monoxide detector is advised for the kitchen if you employ a gas stove and oven. If your gas lines spring a leak, the CO detector will emit a loud sound and ping your monitoring agent.
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Disinfectant Wipes Or Spray: The largest safety problem in the kitchen is actually bacteria and protein from uncooked meat and vegetables. Always store disinfectant wipes or a bleach spray to scrub off your counters after cooking.
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Refrigerator/Freezer Alarm: The food items in the fridge should remain at a chilly temperature to stay healthy to consume. If you accidently leave the refrigerator door open too long, then an alarm beep will tell you to shut it securely. Some fridges come with this installed, some won’t, and you’ll have to pick up a fridge alarm from the hardware store.
Bathroom Safety Checklist For Shreveport
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 anti-surge outlets, here are a few safety tips for your bathroom:
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Flood Detectors: A leaking toilet or shower can create an expensive amount of water damage. Find water problems early with a flood detector before they generate hundreds to thousands of dollars in renovations.
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Non-slip Shower Mats: A fall in the bathroom can be a painful occurrence, causing cuts, sore joints, or broken bones. Make sure you steer clear from these problems with a no-slip bathroom mat for while you towel off.
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Non-slip Bathtub Strips: Another water hazard, a bathtub can be a slippery place to stand in. Make sure every has some non-slip stickies so your feet have a rough patch for stability.
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Medicine Door Latch: If you have young toddlers or anyone with memory difficulties, you need to take extra attention regarding prescribed medicine. Secure your prescriptions by getting a medicine cabinet with a latch that locks.
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Circuit Interrupter Outlet: While installing better outlets in the kitchen, you should also use a grounded circuit interrupter outlet on each bathroom outlet. These will stop the flow of the electric current if water enters the outlet or there’s an unusual spike from a hair dryer or curling iron.
Children’s Bedroom Safety Checklist For Shreveport
A child’s bedroom should balance safety with accessibility. If their window coverings or other items are safe but hard to use, then your kids may perform risky activities -- like scale a dresser -- to use them. Try these straightforward, yet safe, ideas:
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No Cord Window Treatments: Safety agencies have identified corded window treatments a hidden hazard for children and animals. Use motorized blinds or shades that you can easily manage via remote control. Or better yet, connect your motorized coverings to your security system so they open without anyone’s help when the sun comes up, and close at bedtime for added darkness.
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Tableside Security Camera: An indoor security camera placed on your child’s desk can double as an HD baby monitor that you can watch from a smartphone. And if they want something, they can hit the 2-way talk feature that comes with the camera.
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Outlet Plug Covers: While every outlet should use protective covers on them for your little children, this is especially important in their bedroom. It’s the main place in your house where your child will most likely hang out by themselves without adult supervision.
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Window Fire Ladder: If you use bedrooms on an upper floor, then you need to put in a window safety ladder. These can help a child get out of their room when the stairway or downstairs are engulfed in smoke and fire. Just remember to practice how to unfurl the ladder a few times a year.
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Toy Chest Or Low Bookshelves: It’s weird to view a toy chest as a safety item, but you’ll understand if you’ve ever walked on a Lego in your stocking feet. A uncluttered floor let your child have a quick retreat when there’s an emergency.
Main Bedroom Safety Checklist For Shreveport
The master bedroom should be a refuge, so let your safety devices make you more responsive if you have an emergency. After all, being wrenched awake by a high-decibel buzzer can be disorienting.
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Security System Touchscreen: Having a touchscreen on your bedside table helps you know what’s going on without getting out of bed. You could alternatively turn on your ADT mobile app. However, the HD touchscreen can be easier to use to use when you’re yawning and disoriented.
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Phone Charging Station: We use our smartphones for almost everything now alarm clocks, internet searches, social media, and sometimes even phones. The only problem is that an uncharged cell can cut us off from the outside world if there’s a problem. So, a an easy-to-use charging station is an important part of your nightstand.
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Smart Lights Or Nightlights: A small light helps ground you when you’re startled awake from a fire alarm or unexpected noises. If you won’t drift off to sleep with an outlet light, use smart lights in your bedroom and hall. Then you can get light on-demand with a push of a button or voice command.
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Fireproof Lockbox: Stash your essential documents like insurance cards, stock certificates, or banking information in a fireproof safe. This can be a bigger one that sits in a corner or a smaller portable lockbox that you can carry on your way out during a fire or other emergency.
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Heat Sensor: The problem with a master bedroom is that they can be too warm or be frigid since they sit far away from the thermostat. A heat sensor can talk to your smart thermostat so you should have a pleasant, relaxing sleep at a wonderful temperature.
Basement/Garage Safety Checklist For Shreveport
Most safety issues in the basement or garage have to do with your water heater or HVAC system. Finding issues at the source can stave away larger emergencies later on. So, as you walk around your basement or garage, take note of these critical items:
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Water Detector Or Sump Pump Alarm: Placing a flood alarm next to your water heater or sump pump drain can stop you from discovering a pond when you walk into your garage or basement. It’s sure better than sifting through a heap of soiled storage boxes.
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Carbon Monoxide Detector: It’s smart to have a carbon monoxide alarm in areas where a gas leak can spring up. If you have gas heat, you should install a detector in the same area as your HVAC unit.
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WiFi Water Shutoff Valve: If your water detector finds a hot water leak or a busted pipe, then you will have to cap the main water valve at once. With a remote shutoff valve, you can block water flow from anywhere in the world. That’s nice when you’re on vacation and receive a water leak text on your smartphone.
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Garage Door Sensor: Leaving the garage door open leads to all types of headaches. You can lose heat or air through that open door, and all sorts of animals or lurkers can just walk in. A sensor will alert you to a forgotten garage door and lets you lower it remotely.
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Heat Sensor: A temperature sensor in your basement or garage is a definite if you wonder about frozen pipes. The heat in these rooms can be drastically different than the main part of the house, so you may need to keep a closer eye on them by using the ADT mobile app.
Outside Safety Checklist for Shreveport
Your front yard, driveway, and front walk are just as imperative to make safe as the rest of your home. Try the items on this checklist to make your outside safe:
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Doorbell Camera: See who’s knocking on the the front step before you open it and chat with guests. See deliveries and review video clips if they are taken.
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Outdoor Camera: You can install outdoor cameras to guard against suspicious movement in your yard. These security cameras are especially useful in places where you may not have a window installed -- like around a cellar or by the driveway.
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Window Height Bushes: Tall foliage can give you some serenity, but they also hinder you seeing into the yard and curb. Don’t offer potential intruders a dark shadow to hide. Plus, tall bushes or trees around your home can jam up gutters and invite ants and termites.
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ADT Yard Signs: One of the most popular deterrents for a thief is alerting potential intruders that you use a state-of-the-art home security system. An ADT sign by the front door and a window sticker will show people that they should move on to an less prepared score.
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Motion Activated Outside Lighting: Light is the largest deterrent to those who lurk in the dark. Motion-triggered lighting on your deck, patio, or garage can frighten lurkers away. Lights also help you get inside when you come home late at night.
Call Secure24 Alarm Systems To Help Complete Your Home Safety Checklist for Shreveport
While Secure24 Alarm Systems can’t install non-security devices on your Shreveport home safety checklist, we can discuss a state-of-the-art home security system. With everything from alarms to thermostats, we can customize the perfect system for your family’s needs. Just phone (318) 228-1466 and talk to a professional or fill out the form below. Or personalize your own solution with our Security System Designer.