Home Safety Checklist For Lakeland

Staying safe in your home should be your largest priority. But are you missing one or two big safety components? Look over this home safety checklist for Lakeland and see where your house needs some work.

This guide starts with some whole-house safety items, and then we break it down room-by-room. Then, call (863) 225-1652 or complete the form below to get your home set up.

Whole Home Safety Checklist for Lakeland

While you should take a room-to-room process for home safety, there are a few items that work for multiple rooms. These devices can link to each other through a wireless hub, and oftentimes respond to other things. You can also manage every one of your home safety components through a mobile app, like ADT Control:

Monitored Security System: Each one of your windows and doors should use a sensor that warns your family to forced entry. After the alarm trips, your monitoring center picks up the alert and quickly contacts a first responder.

Smart Lighting For Every Major Room: Sure, you can program your smart bulbs to make your home more eco-conscience. But they can also allow you to stay safe in an emergency. Make your lights flip on when a sensor goes off to shoo off intruders or brighten a path to a secure place.

Smart Thermostat: Likewise, a smart thermostat in Lakeland could save you between 10%-15% in gas and electric costs. It also can flip on the exhaust fan if you have a fire.

Monitored Fire Detectors: At the very least, you will have a fire alarm on every level of your house. You can improve your fire game by utilizing a monitored fire alarm that senses unusual smoke and heat, and pings your 24/7 monitoring experts when it thinks that there’s a fire.

Smart Door Locks: Every door that utilizes a deadbolt can be made safer with a smart lock. Now you may set codes to each family member and receive notifications to your phone when they are used. Your doors can even automatically open, allowing you to quickly flee the house when you have a fire or dangerous situation.

Family Room Safety Checklist For Lakeland

You’ll hang out most in the family room, so it can be the best area to optimize your home safety. Electronics, like a big screen or video game console, typically reside in your family room, making it a tempting space for robbers. Begin with hanging a motion sensor or indoor camera by the doorway, then take a look at some of these ideas:

Motion Detectors: By installing motion sensors, you’ll hear a shrieking alarm if they detect unexpected motion in your family room. You’ll want motion sensors that aren’t set off by pet movements or you’ll have a tripped alarm each time your pet passes through for a midnight stroll.
Security Camera: An indoor security camera gives you a visual on your family room. Watch constant feeds of everything so you can see what’s happening through the mobile app. Or chat with your family in the room using the two-way talk feature.
Surge Protector/Cord Maintenance: Make sure you protect those electronics and quit overtaxing your electric system with a surge protector. For added comfort, use a smart plug with anti-surge functionality built-in.
Furniture Bolted To The Wall: If you have curious kids, you’ll want to secure your heavy furniture and entertainment center to the wall. This is especially crucial if your family room has rugs or carpet that might make objects extra unbalanced.
Special Locks For Sliding Doors: If your living room has a glass door that slides out to a backyard, deck, or outside porch, you already know that the lock is fairly flimsy. Install an enhanced lock, like a cross bar or small locks that are located on the top and bottom of the door frame.

Kitchen Safety Checklist For Lakeland

The kitchen has room for items that should provide safety and security to your home. Most of these objects should be a snap to add and can be purchased from the grocery store:

Fire Extinguisher: A fire can happen from an overfilled skillet or a towel that’s too close to a burner. Always store a fire extinguisher at hand for any kitchen mishaps.
Circuit Interrupter Box On Every Outlet: A circuit interrupter outlet should be used anywhere there’s nearby water to ward off an electric shock. That includes the outlets close to your sink and kitchen counter. For 30 years, it’s been code to have one circuit interrupter outlet per circuit. But for simplicity’s sake, try to use an unchained GFCI on each outlet.

Monitored Carbon Monoxide Detector: A carbon monoxide detector is needed in spaces that employ a gas stove and oven. If your gas burners spring a leak, the CO detector will play a loud, buzzing sound and call your monitoring agent.
Disinfectant Wipes Or Spray: The largest safety issue in the kitchen is actually bacteria and protein that comes with blood from meat and dairy. Always have disinfectant wipes or spray to sanitize your surfaces after cooking.
Refrigerator Alarm: The milk, meat, and perishables in the refrigerator have to stay at a constant temperature to stay ready to eat. If you leave the freezer or refrigerator door ajar, then an alarm beep will remind you to shut it securely. Some refrigerators already have an alarm, some don’t, and you’ll have to get a refrigerator alarm from the hardware store.

Bathroom Safety Checklist For Lakeland

Just because you may not have a bunch of room in your bathroom doesn’t mean that there aren’t safety issues. From flood prevention to medicine care, here are a few safety ideas for your bathroom:

Flood Detectors: A leaking toilet or shower can cause an expensive amount of damage. Discover a water problem with a flood detector and save yourself from reflooring the entire bathroom.
Textured Bathroom Mats: A slip in the bathroom can be a painful occurrence, causing pulled muscles, bruises, or sprained ankles. You can avoid these problems with a non-slip bathroom mat for after your bath or shower.

Textured Bathtub Stickers: Like a tiled floor, a bathtub can be a slippery area to stand in. It’s a good idea that each bathtub has some non-slip strips so your feet and toes have a rough patch to gain traction.

Medicine Door Latch: If you have little kids or anyone with memory difficulties, you need to take extra precautions regarding prescribed medicine. Secure your bottles by installing a medicine cabinet with a locking latch.

GFCI Circuits: While installing better outlets in the kitchen, you will have to also install a surge protecting GFCI outlet on every bathroom receptacle. This will stop the flow of the electric current if water enters the outlet or they experience a sudden surge from an electric razor or hair dryer.

Kid’s Bedroom Safety Checklist For Lakeland

A child’s bedroom should balance safety with manageability. If their window treatments or other things are safe but difficult to operate, then your child may try risky methods -- like climb a dresser -- to open them. Here are 5 straightforward, and safe, ideas:

Cord-Free Window Coverings: Safety experts have identified corded window treatments an unsuspecting problem for kids and pets. Use motorized treatments that you can easily open and close via remote. Or even better, connect your shades to your security system so they open without anyone’s help when it’s time to get up, and close at bedtime for extra privacy.

Tableside Security Camera: A security camera perched on your toddler’s desk or dresser can double as an HD baby monitor that you can watch with a mobile device. And when they need something, they can hit the intercom talk feature included on the camera.

Outlet Covers: While every outlet should have covers on them when you have little children, this is especially important in a child’s bedroom. It’s the main place in your home where your toddler will most likely be alone without additional supervision.

Window Escape Ladder: If you use bedrooms on an upper story, then you should have a window escape ladder. These should let your children escape even if the hallway or ground floor are on fire. Make sure to practice how to use the ladder one or two times a year.

Toy Box Or Low Bookshelves: It’s weird to view a toy box as a safety component, but you’ll understand if you’ve ever tramped on a Lego in your stocking feet. A uncluttered floor means a quick escape when there’s a safety or security event.

Main Bedroom Safety Checklist For Lakeland

Your master bedroom should be an oasis, so let your safety items give you peace of mind if you experience an emergency event. After all, being jerked awake by a wailing buzzer can be confusing.

Smart Hub Touchscreen: Having a touchscreen on your bedside table gives you a sense of what’s what that noise was without jumping out of bed. You could also log into your ADT smartphone app but, the large touchscreen is often better to use when you’re bleary-eyed and finding your bearings.

Device Charging Area: We rely on our smartphones for so much now GPS, internet searches, social media, and sometimes even phones. The only problem is that a depleted cell will cut us off from communications if there’s a problem. To make sure your phone always works, a charging station or cord becomes should be used nightly.

Nightlight/Smart Lights: A tiny light can be a beacon when you’re jolted awake from an alarm or unexpected sounds. If you have trouble falling asleep with an outlet light, install a smart bulb in your bedroom and hall. Then you can have light anytime with a button push or voice direction.
Fireproof Lockbox: Keep your important documents like birth certificates, medical information, or banking information in a fireproof lockbox. Your safe can be a big one that camps out in a corner or a small handheld lockbox that you can carry when you leave during a fire or break-in.

Temperature Sensor: The drawback with most bedrooms is that they tend to feel too hot or be chilly since they are located across the house from the thermostat. A heat sensor will communicate to your smart thermostat so you will have a nice, peaceful sleep at a wonderful climate.

Basement/Garage Safety Checklist For Lakeland

Most safety needs in the garage or basement have to do with your pipes or heating system. Discovering hazards early can stop bigger disasters later on. So, as you walk around your basement or garage, take note of these safety items:

Water Sensor Or Sump Pump Alarm: Placing a flood alarm next to your water heater or sump pump drain can save you from discovering a pond when you walk into your basement or garage. Do you really want to lose your day getting rid of standing water?

CO Alarm: It’s nice to have a CO detector in an area where a CO leak can happen. If you have gas heat, you’ll want to install a detector in the same room as your HVAC unit.
Remote Water Shutoff Valve: If your water detector senses a plumbing leak or a broken pipe, then you need to cap the primary water line immediately. With a WiFi shutoff valve, you can turn off your water flow from anywhere in the world. That’s helpful when you’re visiting relatives and see an emergency leak alert on your phone.
Garage Door Sensor: Leaving the garage up leads to all types of headaches. You can lose a bunch of heat through that large opening, and critters or thieves can just saunder in. A sensor will notify you about an open garage door and lets you lower it remotely.
Heat Sensor: A temperature sensor in your basement or garage is handy if you fret about freezing pipes. The heat in these areas can be wildly different than your main rooms of the house, so you may need to maintain a constant look on the temperature through your security mobile app.

Outside Safety Checklist for Lakeland

Your foliage, driveway, and front porch are just as important to secure as the interior of your home. Try this checklist to create a safe outside:

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

Outdoor Security Camera: You can hang outdoor cameras to guard against late night movement in your back yard. These cameras are nice in areas where you may not have a window -- like around a cellar or by the garage door.

Low Shrubbery: Tall shrubs can offer some serenity, but they also block your view of the outside. Don’t offer potential burglars a dark shadow to hide. Plus, high bushes, shrubs or greenery too close to your house can jam up gutters and bring in ants and termites.
ADT Signs And Decals: One of the biggest deterrents for a break-in is alerting aspiring rogues that you have a monitored ADT security system. An ADT yard sign by the stoop and a window sticker will tell people that they might want to move on to an unprotected house.

Motion Triggered Porch Lighting: Light is the best obstacle to people who skulk in the dark. Motion-triggered lighting on your deck, patio, or garage can frighten possible intruders away. They also help you see the walk when you get to the house late at night.

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

While Secure24 Alarm Systems can’t help you with each household item on your Lakeland home safety checklist, we can install a customized home security. With easy-to-use devices and ADT monitoring, we can customize the perfect system for your home’s needs. Simply contact (863) 225-1652 to get started or fill out the form below. Or personalize your own system with our Security System Designer.