Home Safety Checklist For San Diego

Keeping safe and secure in your home should be your largest priority. But are you forgetting some big safety items? Use this home safety checklist for San Diego and discover where your home can use an update.

We give you five whole-house safety items, and then we break it down room-by-room. Then, phone (619) 354-2314 or complete the form below for more information.

Basic Home Safety Checklist for San Diego

While you should take a room-to-room method for home safety, there are a few items that work for a lot of your rooms. These components can sync to each other through a wireless hub, and often can work off one another. You can also control every one of your home safety devices with a mobile security app, such as ADT Control:

Monitored Security System: All your doors and windows should use a sensor that warns you and your family to forced entry. After your alarm trips, your monitoring center picks up the call and sends emergency personnel.

Smart Lights For Each Room: Of course, you can set your smart lighting to make your house more energy-efficient. But they can also allow you to remain safe during an emergency. Make your lights flip on when an alarm goes off to scare off intruders or brighten the way out to a secure place.

Smart Thermostat: Likewise, a smart thermostat in San Diego could save you 10%-15% in energy costs. It also can turn on your exhaust fan during a fire.

Monitored Fire Detectors: It’s code that you need to have a smoke detector on every level of your house. You can increase your fire game by utilizing a monitored fire detector that senses unusual smoke and heat, and notifies your 24-hour monitoring experts when it detects a fire.

Smart Locks: Every doorway that needs a deadbolt can be made safer with a smart door lock. Now you can set numbered codes to family and friends and receive notifications to your mobile device when your locks are used. Your locks can even automatically turn off, allowing you to quickly flee the house if you have a fire or dangerous situation.

Family Room Safety Checklist For San Diego

You’ll spend most of your time in your living room, so it may be the perfect area to begin your home safety makeover. Popular items, like a big screen or stereo system, usually reside in your family room, making it an alluring room for robbers. Start with hanging a motion sensor or security camera by the doorway, then take a look at some of these suggestions:

Motion Detectors: By putting in motion sensors, you’ll hear a loud alarm if they detect suspicious motion within your family room. The best devices are motion sensors that aren’t set off by a dog or cat or you’ll get your sirens go off every time your cat comes in for a bite of food.
Indoor Camera: An indoor security camera puts a visual on your living room. Get real-time feeds of the area so you can find out what’s happening from the mobile app. Or talk with your family in the room with the two-way talk feature.
Surge Protector/Outlet Maintenance: Make sure you protect all your electronics and quit overburdening your outlets with a surge protector. For added convenience, install a smart plug with anti-surge functionality in the unit.
Entertainment Center Secured To The Wall: If you have curious kids, you’ll want to attach your bookshelves and entertainment center to the wall. This is extra important if your living room uses carpet that can make objects extra unstable.
Special Locks For Glass Doors: If your living room uses a glass door that slides out to a backyard, deck, or porch, you know that the lock is usually worthless. Install a special lock, like a bottom bar or small locks that bolt to the top and bottom of the door frame.

Kitchen Safety Checklist For San Diego

The kitchen has room for items that can add comfort and safety to your home. Most of these objects should be a snap to add and should be found in the Target or Walmart:

Fire Extinguisher: A fire can happen from an unwatched skillet or a faulty burner. Always have a fire extinguisher at hand for any cooking emergencies.
GFCI Box On Every Outlet: A GFCI outlet should be standard on outlets where they’re close to running water to lessen the chance of a deadly shock. That includes the plugs around your sink and kitchen counter. Since the late ‘80s, it’s been standard to have one GFCI per dedicated circuit. But for simplicity’s sake, you’re going to want to have a separate GFCI for every outlet.

Monitored CO Detector: A CO detector is recommended for the kitchen if you employ a gas stove and oven. If your gas lines malfunction, the CO detector will emit a high-decibel siren and call your monitoring agent.
Cleaning Wipes Or Spray: The biggest safety issue in the kitchen is actually bacteria and cross-contamination that comes with raw meat and other foods. Always have cleaning wipes or an antibacterial spray to sanitize your area when cooking.
Freezer and Refrigerator Alarm: The milk, meat, and perishables in the refrigerator have to stay at a constant temperature to stay ready to use. If you leave the refrigerator door open too long, then a constant beep will remind you to check the seal. Some appliances already have an alarm, older models do not, and you’ll have to get a fridge alarm from online.

Bathroom Safety Checklist For San Diego

Just because you may not have a lot of space in your bathroom, you will still have safety issues. From flood prevention to electric safety, here are a few safety tips for your bathroom:

Flood Detectors: A leaking toilet or bathtub can create an expensive amount of damage. Deal with pooling water early with a flood detector and save the time and money from water damage.
Textured Shower Mats: A fall in the bathroom can be devastating, causing cuts, gashed heads, or trips to the hospital. Or avoid these issues with a non-slip bathroom mat for after your bath or shower.

No-slip Bathtub Strips: Like a tiled floor, a tub can be a slick area to move in. Make sure each tub has some textured strips so your toes have a textured patch to grip.

Medicine Door Lock: If you have young children or someone with memory complications, you should take extra attention regarding prescription medicine. Safeguard your prescriptions by installing a medicine cabinet with a child-proof lock.

GFCI Circuits: Similarly to the kitchen, you need to also install a safer circuit interrupter outlet on every bathroom receptacle. These will stop the flow of the electricity if they ever get wet or you have an unusual spike from a hair dryer or curling iron.

Children’s Bedroom Safety Checklist For San Diego

Your child’s bedroom should balance safety with accessibility. If their window shades or other things are safe but tricky to operate, then your kids may try risky activities -- like climb a dresser -- to touch them. Try these easy, and safe, ideas:

Cordless Window Coverings: Safety professionals have identified cords from shades and blinds a secret hazard for children and animals. Use motorized blinds or shades that your child can easily open and close with a remote. Or even better, pair your motorized treatments to your ADT smart hub so they can raise without anyone’s help when the sun comes up, and close at night for added darkness.

Tableside Security Camera: A security camera sitting on your kid’s dresser can double as a high tech baby monitor that you can see with your phone. And when they want your help, they can hit the intercom talk button that comes with the camera.

Outlet Plug Covers: While every outlet should use covers on them to protect your little children, this is especially needed in a child’s bedroom. It’s the main place in your house where your children will most likely hang out solo without constant parental supervision.

Window Escape Ladder: If you have bedrooms on above the first floor, then you need to install a window safety ladder. These should let your children get out of their room even if the hallway or downstairs are on fire. Make sure to rehearse how to use the ladder one or two times a year.

Toy Chest Or Low Shelves: It’s strange to think about a toy chest as a safety device, but you’ll get it if you’ve ever walked on an action figure in your stocking feet. A uncluttered floor let your child have a quick retreat if there’s a fire or break-in.

Main Bedroom Safety Checklist For San Diego

The master bedroom should be your calm space, so let your safety devices make life easier if there's an emergency. After all, being wrenched awake by a wailing siren can be disorienting.

Home Security Touchscreen: Having a touchscreen on your dresser gives you a sense of what’s happening without leaving your bed. You could always log into your ADT smartphone app. However, the large touchscreen can be better to use when you’re yawning and finding your bearings.

Personal Charging Station: We rely on our smartphones for almost everything now alarms, web browsers, game machines, and maybe even phones. The only problem is that a dead phone can cut us off from reaching help if there’s a problem. To keep it nice and ready, a charging station or cord is an essential.

Smart Lights Or Nightlights: A plug-in light helps ground you when you’re jolted awake from a siren or other loud sounds. If you can’t fall asleep with an outlet light, use a smart bulb in your fixtures. Then you can have light anytime with a push of a button or voice command.
Fireproof Lockbox: Stash your vital papers like insurance cards, passports, or a bankbook in a fireproof safe. This can be a large one that is located in a corner or a smaller handheld safe that you can grab when you leave during a fire or other emergency.

Heat Sensor: The issue with a master bedroom is that they tend to run too stuffy or be chilly since they are located far from the thermostat. A temperature sensor will communicate to your smart thermostat so you should have a pleasant, peaceful sleep at the perfect temperature.

Basement/Garage Safety Checklist For San Diego

Most safety problems in the garage or basement have to do with your water or heating system. Discovering issues early can stop bigger problems later on. So, as you take a look around your storage areas, pay attention to these crucial items:

Flood Detector Or Sump Pump Alarm: Putting a flood sensor in back of your water heater or sump pump drain can prevent you from finding a lake when you go into your garage or basement. It’s much better than rummaging through a heap of soiled storage boxes.

Carbon Monoxide Alarm: It’s smart to have a CO detector in an area where a CO leak can happen. If you use a gas furnace, try to hang an alarm in the same room as your HVAC unit.
Wireless Water Shutoff Valve: If your flood detector detects a hot water leak or a burst pipe, then you will want to cap the main water valve immediately. With a WiFi shutoff valve, you can stop water flow from anywhere in the world. That’s perfect when you’re on vacation and receive an emergency leak notification on your phone.
Garage Door Sensor: Leaving the garage up causes all types of problems. You can lose a bunch of HVAC energy through that large opening, and rodents or intruders can just saunder in. A sensor will alert you to an open garage door and lets you lower it with your phone.
Heat Sensor: A temperature sensor in your garage or basement is essential if you worry about freezing pipes. The temperature in these areas can be wildly different than the main part of the home, so you may need to have a constant look on the temperature with the ADT mobile app.

Outside Perimeter Safety Checklist for San Diego

Your yard, driveway, and front walk are just as crucial to defend as the rest of your home. Try the items on this checklist to make your outside safe:

Doorbell Camera: See who’s knocking on the front door before you answer it and chat with visitors. View deliveries and review video clips if they are taken.

Outdoor Camera: You can place outdoor security cameras to guard against suspicious lurkers in your back yard. These devices come in handy in areas where you may not have a window -- like around a cellar or by the driveway.

Low Shrubbery: Tall shrubs can give you some privacy, but they also hinder your view of the yard and curb. Don’t provide potential intruders an area to hide. Plus, large bushes, shrubs or greenery around your house can obstruct gutters and bring in bugs.
ADT Signage: One of the largest disincentives for a break-in is advertising to potential intruders that you have an updated home security system. An ADT yard stick by the main walk and a window cling will show lurkers that they should move on to an unprotected target.

Motion Activated Flood Lights: Light is the greatest deterrent to people who skulk in the unlit places. Motion-controlled lighting on your deck, porch, or garage can frighten lurkers away. Flood lights 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 San Diego

While Secure24 Alarm Systems can’t install each household item on your San Diego home safety checklist, we can discuss a powerful home security system. With easy-to-use devices and ADT monitoring, we can customize the perfect system for your house’s needs. Just contact (619) 354-2314 and talk to a professional or fill out the form below. Or personalize your own solution with our Security System Designer.