ADT® Authorized Dealer Serving Burlington & Surrounding Areas

Home Safety Checklist For Burlington

Being safe in your residence should be your largest responsibility. But are you overlooking a few useful safety items? Use this home safety checklist for Burlington and discover where your home requires an update.

This guide starts with a few whole-home safety ideas, and then we whittle it down room-by-room. Then, contact (802) 242-6460 or complete the form below to speak to a security agent.

Whole Home Safety Checklist

Essential Home Safety Checklist for Burlington

While you may want to use a individual room approach to home safety, there are a few things that are good for the whole home. These items can sync to each other through a smart hub, and often can react to one another. You might also manage every one of your home safety components through a smartphone app, like ADT Control:

  • Monitored Home Security System: All your entryways should employ a sensor that warns you and your family to a break-in. After an alarm trips, your monitoring center answers the call and sends emergency personnel.

  • Smart Lighting For Most Rooms: Of course, you can schedule your smart bulbs so your house is more eco-conscience. But smart lights can also help you stay safe during an emergency. Make your downstairs lights flash on when an alarm trips to scare off robbers or light your way to a outside place.

  • Smart Thermostat: Likewise, a smart thermostat in Burlington could save you up to 15% in energy costs. But it also can start the exhaust fan when your alarms senses a fire.

  • Monitored Smoke Detectors: It’s code that you will have a fire alarm on every level of your house. You can improve your fire preparedness by hanging a monitored fire alarm that senses excessive heat and smoke, and pings your 24/7 monitoring team when it thinks that there’s a fire.

  • Smart Locks: Every doorway that utilizes a deadbolt can be made safer with a smart door lock. Now you may assign key codes to each family member and get alerts to your mobile device when the locks are unlocked. Your locks can even automatically open, allowing you to quickly leave when you have a fire or dangerous situation.

Family Room Safety Checklist

Family Room Safety Checklist For Burlington

You’ll hang out most in your family room, so it can be the most reasonable room to start making your house more secure. Electronics, like a TV or stereo system, probably are located in your living room, making it a tempting area for thieves. Begin with placing a motion sensor or indoor camera by the doorway, then try some of these safety protocols:

  • Motion Sensors: By putting in motion sensors, you’ll hear a shrieking noise whenever they sense unexpected motion in your family room. You’ll want motion sensors that aren’t set off by pets or you’ll see your sirens go off every time your cat comes in for a bite of food.

  • Indoor Security Camera: An indoor security camera offers a constant watch on your living room. Watch real-time streams of your room so you can find out what’s downstairs without leaving your bed. Or talk with family members when they come home from playing using the two-way talk feature.

  • Surge Protector/Outlet Maintenance: Make sure you protect all your electronics and quit overloading your circuits with a surge protector. For extra convenience, set up a smart plug with surge protection in the unit.

  • Furniture Bolted To The Wall: If you have babies or toddlers, you’ll need to secure your entertainment center or other heavy furniture to the wall. This is especially important if your family room has carpeting that can make furniture extra unbalanced.

  • Special Locks For Sliding Glass Doors: If your family room has a sliding door that leads to a backyard, deck, or outside porch, you already can see that the door lock is usually flimsy. Install a special lock, like a metal bar or locks that are located on the top and bottom of the door frame.

Kitchen Safety Checklist

Kitchen Safety Checklist For Burlington

Your kitchen has room for items that can add comfort and safety to your home. Most of these items are also easy to add and can be bought from the grocery store:

  • Fire Extinguisher: 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 stove or oven mishaps.

  • Circuit Interrupter Box On Each Outlet: A GFCI outlet should be installed anywhere they’re close to running water to lessen the chance of a deadly shock. That means the outlets by your sink and kitchen counter. Since the late ‘80s, it’s been code to have one circuit interrupter outlet per dedicated circuit. But for simplicity’s sake, you’re going to want to install a single GFCI on each outlet.

  • Monitored CO Detector: A carbon monoxide detector is advised for kitchens that have natural gas for the oven and range. If your gas appliances spring a leak, the CO detector will emit a loud, buzzing siren and call your monitoring professional.

  • Clorox Wipes Or Spray: The biggest safety hazard in the kitchen is the viruses, bacteria, and cross-contamination that comes with uncooked meat and other foods. Always keep disinfectant wipes or a bleach spray to scrub off your counters when cooking.

  • Refrigerator Alarm: The items in the refrigerator need to stay at a cold temperature to be healthy to use. If you accidently leave the fridge or freezer door ajar, then a constant beep will let you know so you can shut it securely. Some refrigerators come with this installed, others won’t, and you’ll have to buy an external alarm from the hardware store.

Bathroom Safety Checklist

Bathroom Safety Checklist For Burlington

Just because you don’t a bunch of space in your bathroom there’s still safety concerns. From flood detectors to medicine care, here are a few safety ideas for your bathroom:

  • Flood Sensors: A leaking toilet or tub can cause extensive damage. Find pooling water early with a flood detector and save the time and money from renovations.

  • Textured Bath Mats: A slip in the bathroom can be devastating, causing bumps, bruises, or trips to the hospital. Make sure you steer clear from these issues with a textured bath mat for your wet feet.

  • No-slip Bathtub Strips: Another water hazard, a bathtub can be a slippery surface to stand in. It’s a good idea that each has some non-slip strips so your feet and toes have a bumpy patch to grip.

  • Medicine Door Lock: If you have little children or a family member with memory difficulties, you should take extra attention regarding prescription medicine. Safeguard your prescriptions by installing a medicine cabinet with a latch that locks.

  • GFCI Circuits: Similarly to the kitchen, you should also use a safer GFCI outlet on every bathroom receptacle. These will stop the flow of the electricity if water enters the outlet or they experience a harmful surge from an electric razor or hair dryer.

Child's Bedroom Safety Checklist

Child’s Bedroom Safety Checklist For Burlington

Your kid’s bedroom should balance safety with manageability. If their window treatments or other things are safe but difficult to use, then your child may try risky activities -- like scale a bookshelf -- to open them. Try these easy, and safe, ideas:

  • No Cord Window Treatments: Safety professionals have designated cords from shades and blinds a hidden hazard for kids and pets. Use motorized treatments that you can easily open and close with a remote. Or go state-of-the-art and connect your motorized coverings to your ADT security system so they can raise automatically when it’s time to get up, and lower at night for an easier sleep.

  • Tableside Security Camera: A camera sitting on your kid’s dresser can double as an HD baby monitor that you can view with a mobile device. And if they want you, they can push the two-way talk button that comes with the camera.

  • Outlet Plug Covers: While each outlet should use protective covers on them for your small children, this is especially urgent in a child’s bedroom. It’s the main place in your house where your children will most likely play by themselves without consistent parental supervision.

  • Window Fire Ladder: If you have bedrooms on the second level, then you will want to have a window safety ladder. These should help a young one escape in case the stairs or ground floor are blocked off with fire. Just remember to rehearse how to use the ladder at least twice a year.

  • Toy Box Or Low Shelves: It’s weird to look at a toy box as a safety component, but you’ll see the light if you’ve ever stepped on a Lego in your stocking feet. A clutter-free floor means a quick escape if there’s a safety or security event.

Master Bedroom Safety Checklist

Master Bedroom Safety Checklist For Burlington

The main bedroom should be an oasis, so let your safety items make life easier if you experience an emergency event. After all, being startled awake by a loud alarm can be disorienting.

  • Security System Touchscreen: Having a touchscreen on your bedside table lets you see what’s happening without getting out of bed. You could always log into your ADT mobile app but, the large touchscreen is often better to use when you’re bleary-eyed and confused.

  • Phone Charging Station: We use our smartphones for almost everything now alarm clocks, web browsers, games, and --legend has it-- even phones. But, an uncharged device will cut us off from communications if during an emergency. To keep it nice and ready, a an easy-to-use charging station is an essential.

  • Nightlight/Smart Lights: A small light helps ground you when you’re startled awake from an alarm or other loud sounds. If you can’t fall asleep with an outlet light, use smart lights in your bedroom. Then you can have light anytime with a button push or vocal command.

  • Fireproof Lockbox: Store your important documents like birth certificates, passports, or banking information in a fireproof lockbox. Your safe can be a bigger one that is located in a corner or a small handheld lockbox that you can grab when you leave during a fire or other emergency.

  • Heat Sensor: The drawback with bedrooms is that they tend to feel too hot or be frigid because they are across the house from the thermostat. A temperature sensor will talk to your smart thermostat so you can have a comfortable, relaxing sleep at just the right climate.

Garage Safety Checklist

Basement/Garage Safety Checklist For Burlington

Most safety issues in the basement or garage are with your water heater or HVAC system. Finding hazards early can stave away bigger problems later on. So, as you walk around your basement or garage, check over these safety items:

  • Flood Sensor Or Sump Pump Alarm: Installing a flood sensor by your water heater or sump pump can prevent you from finding a pond when you walk into your basement or garage. Do you really want to spend your weekend bailing out water?

  • Carbon Monoxide Detector: It’s smart to have a carbon monoxide detector in areas where a gas leak can happen. If you have a gas furnace, try to put an alarm in the same area as your unit.

  • Remote Water Shutoff Valve: If your water alarm senses a plumbing leak or a busted pipe, then you will have to cut off the primary water valve quickly. With a WiFi shutoff valve, you can block water flow from any mobile device. That’s nice when you’re on vacation and receive a water leak alert on your smartphone.

  • Garage Door Sensor: Leaving the garage open leads to all sorts of problems. You can lose a bunch of heat through that gaping hole, and rodents or lurkers can just saunder in. A sensor will notify you about a neglected garage door and lets you close it through the app.

  • Temperature Sensor: A temperature alarm in your garage or basement is handy if you fret about your pipes freezing. The temperature in these rooms can be wildly different than the rest of the home, so you will need to have a constant look on the temperature through your mobile app.

Outside perimeter checklist

Outside Perimeter Safety Checklist for Burlington

Your front yard, drive, and front step are just as imperative to defend as the rest of your home. Use this checklist to create a safe outside:

  • Outdoor Security Camera: You can place outdoor cameras to notify you about unusual movement in your back yard. These security cameras come in handy in areas where you might not have a window installed -- like around a cellar or by the garage.

  • Low Bushes: Tall bushes can offer some serenity, but they also obscure you seeing into the yard and curb. Don’t give potential intruders a place to hide. Plus, large shrubs or foliage too close to your house can obstruct gutters and invite ants and termites.

  • ADT Signage: One of the largest discouragements for home intrusion is telling potential burglars that you have a monitored security system. An ADT yard sign by the front door and a window sticker will tell ne'er-do-wells that they should shove off to an less prepared house.

  • Motion Activated Outside Lights: Light is the greatest obstacle to those who skulk in the dark. Motion-triggered flood lights on your deck, porch, or garage can frighten lurkers away. Lights also help you get inside when you arrive back home late after work.

Call Secure24 Alarm Systems To Help Complete Your Home Safety Checklist for Burlington

While Secure24 Alarm Systems can’t deliver every item on your Burlington home safety checklist, we can bring you a state-of-the-art home security system. With easy-to-use devices and ADT monitoring, we can personalize the ideal system for your home’s needs. Just phone (802) 242-6460 to get started or send in the form below. Or personalize your own system with our Security System Designer.