ADT® Authorized Dealer Serving Salinas, Santa Cruz, & Surrounding Areas

Home Safety Checklist For Salinas

Staying safe and secure in your home should be your number one concern. But are you overlooking one or two key safety components? Use this home safety checklist for Salinas and find out where your home requires greater attention.

This guide begins with a few whole-home safety items, and then we break it down on a room level. Then, contact (831) 205-7394 or fill out the form below to speak to a security professional.

Whole Home Safety Checklist

Whole Home Safety Checklist for Salinas

While you should use a room-to-room process for home safety in Salinas, there are a few things that are good for your entire house. These devices can sync with one another through a touchscreen hub, and oftentimes react to one another. You can also control all your home safety equipment using a mobile security app, such as ADT Control:

  • Monitored Home Security System: All your entryways should employ a sensor that warns you and your family to intrusion. When the alarm goes off, your monitoring expert picks up the alert and sends the police or fire department.

  • Smart Lighting For Most Rooms: Of course, you can program your smart lights to make your home more efficient. But smart lights can also help you keep safe throughout an emergency. Have your downstairs lights flash on when an alarm trips to shoo off burglars or light your way to a outside location.

  • Smart Thermostat: Like your smart lights, a smart thermostat in Salinas can save you between 10%-15% in energy spending. Also, it can turn on an exhaust fan if you have a fire.

  • Monitored Smoke Detectors: At the very least, you should have a fire detector on each floor. You can increase your fire game by hanging a monitored fire alarm that senses unusual smoke and heat, and pings your 24-hour monitoring team when it senses a fire.

  • Smart Lock For Every Door: Every door that needs a deadbolt can upgrade to a smart lock. Now you may program codes to friends and family and get alerts to your smartphone when your locks are used. Your smart lock can even automatically open, letting you quickly flee the house during a fire or dangerous situation.

Family Room Safety Checklist

Family Room Safety Checklist For Salinas

You’ll spend a lot of time in the living room, so it may be the perfect area to start making your home more secure. Electronics, like a big screen or video game console, usually sit in your living room, making it a tempting room for burglars. Begin with placing a motion sensor or indoor security camera in your room, then try some of these safety protocols:

  • Motion Sensors: By putting in motion detectors, you’ll get a loud siren whenever they sense unexpected motion in your living room. Look for motion sensors that ignore a dog or cat or you’ll see your sirens go off every time your dog passes through for a drink of water.

  • Indoor Camera: An indoor security camera puts a constant watch on your living room. View real-time feeds of the area so you can know what’s going on through the mobile app. Or speak with family members in the family room by using the two-way talk feature.

  • Surge Protector/Outlet Maintenance: Safeguard all your electronics and quit overloading your circuits with a surge protector. For additional convenience, use a smart plug with surge protection built-in.

  • Furniture Bolted To The Wall: If you have curious kids, you’ll need to bolt your bookshelves and entertainment center to the wall. This is especially crucial if your living room uses rugs or carpet that might make heavy objects extra wobbly.

  • Enhanced Locks For Sliding Doors: If your living room has a glass door that opens to a deck, patio, or porch, you already know that the door lock is fairly worthless. Install a special lock, like a bottom bar or small locks that secures the door to the top and bottom of the door frame.

Kitchen Safety Checklist

Kitchen Safety Checklist For Salinas

The kitchen has plenty of items that can add comfort and safety to your house. Many of these items should be a snap to add and should be purchased from the Target or Walmart:

  • Fire Extinguisher: A fire can come from from an overfilled skillet or a faulty burner. Always have a fire extinguisher in close reach for any kitchen mishaps.

  • Circuit Interrupter Box On Each Outlet: A circuit interrupter outlet should be used anywhere there’s nearby water to prevent an electric shock. That means the plugs by your kitchen counter and sink. Since 1987, it’s been required to have one circuit interrupter outlet per circuit. But all your plugs will go if any outlet senses a surge, so try to have a separate GFCI for every outlet.

  • Monitored CO Detector: A CO detector is recommended for spaces that use gas for the oven and stove. If your gas appliances spring a leak, the carbon monoxide detector will cause a loud, buzzing noise and call your monitoring agent.

  • Cleaning Wipes Or Spray: The biggest safety hazard in the kitchen is actually bacteria and contamination that comes with blood from meat and other foods. Always have cleaning wipes or an antibacterial spray to clean your surfaces when cooking.

  • Refrigerator Alarm: The milk, meat, and perishables in the fridge need to remain at a chilly temperature to stay healthy to eat. If you leave the freezer or refrigerator door ajar, then a small beep will let you know so you can check the seal. Some refrigerators already have this installed, some won’t, and you’ll have to get a fridge alarm from the hardware store.

Bathroom Safety Checklist

Bathroom Safety Checklist For Salinas

Just because you don’t a lot of square footage in your bathroom doesn’t mean that there aren’t safety hazards. From water problems to medicine care, here are a few safety improvements for your bathroom:

  • Flood Sensors: A leaking toilet or tub can lead to an expensive amount of water damage. Get alerted early about pooling water with a flood detector and save the time and money from renovations.

  • Textured Shower Mats: A slip in the bathroom can be painful, causing bumps, gashed heads, or broken bones. Or prevent these problems with a textured bath mat for while you towel off.

  • Non-slip Bathtub Stickers: Like a tiled floor, a tub can be a slippery surface to move in. It’s a good idea that each tub has some no-slip stickies so your feet and toes have a bumpy patch to grip.

  • Medicine Door Latch: If you have young kids or a family member with memory difficulties, you need to take additional care regarding prescribed medicine. Hide away your pills and syrups by installing a medicine cabinet with a locking latch.

  • Circuit Interrupter Outlet: Similarly to the kitchen, you should also install a grounded GFCI outlet on every bathroom receptacle. This will shut off the current if water enters the outlet or there’s a sudden jolt from a curling iron or hair dryer.

Child's Bedroom Safety Checklist

Children’s Bedroom Safety Checklist For Salinas

Your child’s bedroom should counterbalance safety with simplicity. If their window treatments or other things are safe but difficult to use, then your children may get around the device with dangerous methods -- like scale a dresser -- to touch them. Try these easy, and safe, ideas:

  • No Cord Window Coverings: Safety agencies have long called window treatment cords a secret hazard for both children and pets. Use motorized blinds or shades that you can easily control via remote control. Or go state-of-the-art and link your motorized coverings to your ADT smart hub so they can raise on a schedule when it’s time to get up, and close in the evening for added darkness.

  • Indoor Security Camera: An indoor security camera placed on your child’s desk can behave as a high tech baby monitor that you can see with your phone. And when they want your help, they can hit the 2-way talk button included on the camera.

  • Outlet Plug Covers: While each outlet should have outlet safety caps on them for your little children, this is doubly needed in a child’s bedroom. It’s the one place in your home where your children will most likely hang out solo without constant additional supervision.

  • Window Escape Ladder: If you use bedrooms on above the first story, then you should put in a window escape ladder. These will help a child escape when the hallway or downstairs are engulfed in smoke and fire. Just remember to rehearse how to use the ladder at least twice a year.

  • Toy Box Or Low Shelves: It’s interesting to think about a toy box as a safety device, but you’ll get it if you’ve ever tramped on an action figure in your bare feet. A uncluttered floor gives your child a quick retreat when there’s a fire or break-in.

Master Bedroom Safety Checklist

Main Bedroom Safety Checklist For Salinas

Your master bedroom should be a refuge, so let your safety items make life easier when there's an emergency. After all, being startled awake by a loud alarm can be quite a shock.

  • Home Security Touchscreen: Having a touchscreen on your bedside table lets you see what’s going on without jumping out of bed. You could alternatively turn on your ADT mobile app. However, the large touchscreen is often easier to use to use when you’re yawning and disoriented.

  • Personal Charging Station: We depend on our cell phones for so much now GPS, internet searches, games, and --legend has it-- even phones. However, a depleted phone will cut us off from reaching help if something goes wrong. So, a charging cord or station becomes an important part of your nightstand.

  • Nightlights Or Voice Activated Smart Lights: A tiny light can calm you when you’re jolted awake from a siren or other loud noises. If you have trouble falling asleep with an outlet light, put in smart bulbs in your fixtures. Then you can get light simply with a button push or vocal command.

  • Fireproof Safe: Keep your essential papers like birth certificates, passports, or banking information in a fireproof safe. Your lockbox can be a bigger one that is located in your closet or a slender handheld safe that you can grab when you leave during a fire or other emergency.

  • Heat Sensor: The problem with bedrooms is that they might be too hot or be frigid since they sit far away from the thermostat. A temperature sensor will communicate to your smart thermostat so you should have a comfortable, peaceful sleep at a wonderful temperature.

Garage Safety Checklist

Garage/Basement Safety Checklist For Salinas

Most safety needs in the garage or basement have to do with your pipes or furnace. Discovering problems before they start can stave away larger disasters in the future. So, as you look around your storage areas, check over these safety items:

  • Water Detector Or Sump Pump Alarm: Placing a flood sensor in back of your water heater and sump pump drain can prevent you from discovering a pond when you walk into your basement or garage. It’s sure better than rummaging through a heap of destroyed storage boxes.

  • CO Alarm: It’s smart to install a carbon monoxide alarm in a place where a gas leak can happen. If you use gas heating, you should install a detector in the same room as your HVAC unit.

  • WiFi Water Shutoff Valve: If your water alarm detects a hot water heater leak or a burst pipe, then you need to cap the primary water valve immediately. With a wireless shutoff valve, you can turn off your water flow from your phone. That’s nice when you’re on vacation and get an emergency leak notification on your phone.

  • Garage Door Sensor: Leaving the garage up leads to all types of issues. You can lose heat through that gaping hole, and rodents or intruders can just saunder in. A remote sensor will notify you about a neglected garage door and lets you close it remotely.

  • Temperature Sensor: A temperature alarm in your garage or basement is a definite if you wonder about frozen pipes. The temperature in these rooms can be surprisingly different than the main part of the home, so you may want to maintain a constant look on the temp by using your mobile app.

Outside perimeter checklist

Outside Safety Checklist for Salinas

Your foliage, drive, and front walk are just as important to make safe as the inside of your house. Use this checklist to create a safe outside:

  • Outdoor Security Camera: You can place outdoor security cameras to alert you to suspicious activity in your yard. These devices are especially useful in places where you may not have a view -- like around a cellar or by the garage.

  • Window Height Shrubbery: High foliage can offer some solitude, but they also block you seeing into the yard and curb. Don’t provide potential thieves an area to hide. Plus, large bushes, shrubs or trees too close to your house can obstruct gutters and invite ants and termites.

  • ADT Yard Signs: One of the most popular deterrents for home intrusion is telling aspiring intruders that you use an updated security system. An ADT yard stick by the stoop and a window sticker will show people that they might want to keep walking to an unprotected score.

  • Motion Controlled Porch Lighting: Light is the best enemy to people who skulk in the unlit places. Motion-triggered lights on your deck, porch, or garage can frighten possible intruders away. They also help you see the walk when you get home on those dark, winter nights.

Use Secure24 Alarm Systems To Help You With Your Home Safety Checklist for Salinas

While Secure24 Alarm Systems can’t install each household item on your Salinas home safety checklist, we can bring you a powerful home security. With alarms, security cameras, and home automation, we can install the ideal system for your family’s needs. Just contact (831) 205-7394 and talk to a professional or send in the form below. Or personalize your own solution with our Security System Designer.