Home Safety Checklist For Wausau

Being safe in your residence should be your largest priority. But are you forgetting a few useful safety items? Look over this home safety checklist for Wausau and discover where your living space can use an update.

We give you a few whole-home safety ideas, and then we whittle it down room-by-room. Then, contact (715) 256-7915 or fill out the form below to talk to a security agent.

Basic Home Safety Checklist for Wausau

While you will want to employ a room-to-room method for home safety, there are some items that work for multiple rooms. These devices can link to each other through a wireless hub, and can even respond to one another. You might also control all your home safety components with a mobile app, like ADT Control:

Monitored Security System: Each one of your entryways should employ a sensor that warns you to a break-in. As an alarm goes off, your monitoring agent responds to the call and immediately sends emergency personnel.

Smart Bulbs For Most Rooms: Of course, you can schedule your smart lighting to become more efficient. But they can also allow you to keep safe in an emergency. Make your lights come on when a sensor trips to frighten off burglars or brighten the way out to a safe area.

Smart Thermostat: Likewise, a smart thermostat in Wausau could save you 10%-15% in gas and electric costs. It also can turn on your exhaust fan when your alarms senses a fire.

Monitored Fire Alarms: It’s code that you should have a fire alarm on every floor. You can increase your fire game by installing a monitored fire detector that looks for both heat and smoke, and pings your round-the-clock monitoring experts when it thinks that there’s a fire.

Smart Door Locks: Every doorway that uses a keyed lock can be made safer with a smart lock. Now you may program codes to each family member and get texts to your smartphone when the locks are activated. Your doors can even automatically turn off, helping you to quickly flee the house if you have a fire or dangerous situation.

Living Room/Family Room Safety Checklist For Wausau

You’ll spend a lot of time in your family room, so it may be the perfect place to begin your home safety makeover. Popular items, like a TV or stereo system, usually sit in your living room, making it a tempting room for burglars. Begin with placing a motion sensor or indoor security camera by the doorway, then try all these suggestions:

Motion Sensors: By installing motion detectors, you’ll get a high-decibel alarm whenever they sense unusual movement in your living room. You’ll want motion sensors that aren’t set off by pets or you’ll get a tripped alarm each time your pet passes through for a bite of food.
Indoor Camera: An indoor security camera gives you a visual on your living room. Get real-time streams of the area so you can find out what’s downstairs from the mobile app. Or speak with your family in the room with the two-way talk feature.
Surge Protector/Outlet Maintenance: Protect all your electronics and stop overburdening your outlets with a surge protector. For extra comfort, set up a smart plug with a surge protector included.
Entertainment Center Attached To The Wall: If you have babies or toddlers, you’ll need to attach your heavy furniture and entertainment center to your wall. This is especially important if your living room uses carpeting that could make objects extra unstable.
Enhanced Locks For Sliding Doors: If your living room uses a sliding door that slides out to a patio, deck, or outside porch, you probably know that the door lock is fairly thin. Use a custom lock, like a bottom bar or small locks that secures the door to the bottom and top of the door frame.

Kitchen Safety Checklist For Wausau

Your kitchen has plenty of items that can provide comfort and safety to your house. Some of these things should be easy to add and should be found in the Target or Walmart:

Fire Extinguisher: Fire can happen from a neglected frying pan or a faulty burner. Always have a fire extinguisher at hand for any cooking emergencies.
GFCI Box On Each Outlet: A circuit interrupter outlet should be installed anywhere they’re by running water to ward off electrocution. That includes the plugs by your kitchen counter and sink. For 30 years, it’s been code to have one circuit interrupter outlet per circuit. But for simplicity’s sake, you’ll want to have an unchained GFCI for every outlet.

Monitored Carbon Monoxide Detector: A CO detector is handy in spaces that have natural gas for the stove and oven. If your gas burners spring a leak, the carbon monoxide detector will emit a high-decibel noise and call your monitoring center.
Clorox Wipes Or Spray: The biggest safety issue in the kitchen is actually bacteria and contamination from raw meat and vegetables. Always keep disinfectant wipes or a bleach spray to sanitize your surfaces after making a meal.
Freezer and Refrigerator Alarm: The items in your fridge need to remain at a cold temperature to stay ready to use. If you accidently leave the freezer or refrigerator door ajar, then an alarm beep will remind you to shut it securely. Some refrigerators come with a pre-installed alarm, some don’t, and you’ll have to get a refrigerator alarm from online.

Bathroom Safety Checklist For Wausau

Just because there’s not a lot of room in your bathroom doesn’t mean that there aren’t safety hazards. From flood detectors to electric safety, here are some safety ideas for your bathroom:

Flood Sensors: A leaking toilet or bathtub can create extensive water damage. Find out early about leaks with a flood detector and save the time and money from renovations.
Textured Bath Mats: A slip in the bathroom can be painful, causing pulled muscles, bruises, or sprained ankles. Make sure you avoid these issues with a non-slip bath mat for after your bath or shower.

Textured Bathtub Stickies: Like a tiled floor, a tub can be a slippery surface to stand in. Make sure each tub has some textured stickies so your toes have a rough patch to grip.

Medicine Door Latch: If you have curious children or a family member with memory lapses, you need to take additional precautions regarding prescription medicine. Secure your prescriptions by getting a medicine cabinet with a latch that locks.

GFCI Circuits: Just like the kitchen, you should also put in a grounded GFCI outlet on each bathroom circuit. These will stop the flow of the current if water enters the outlet or you have a sudden jolt from a curling iron or hair dryer.

Kid’s Bedroom Safety Checklist For Wausau

Your kid’s bedroom should pair safety with simplicity. If their window shades or other items are safe but tricky to manage, then your kids may get around the device with dangerous activities -- like climb a bookshelf -- to open them. Here are some easy, yet safe, ideas:

Cordless Window Coverings: Safety experts have identified corded window treatments a secret danger for children and animals. Put in motorized shades that your child can easily open and close with a remote. Or go state-of-the-art and connect your motorized treatments to your ADT security system so they open automatically when the sun comes up, and go down at bedtime for added darkness.

Indoor Security Camera: An indoor security camera placed on your kid’s desk can double as a high tech baby monitor that you can watch with a smartphone. And when they need you, they can use the 2-way talk button on the camera.

Plug Covers: While every outlet should have outlet safety caps on them when you have little children, this is doubly needed in a child’s bedroom. It’s the one place in your home where your child will most likely be alone without consistent parental supervision.

Window Escape Ladder: If you have bedrooms on an upper story, then you should install a window safety ladder. These should let a young one leave the house when the stairs or lower levels are engulfed in smoke and fire. Remember to go over how to unfurl the ladder one or two times a year.

Toy Box Or Low Shelves: It’s weird to look at a toy box as a safety item, but you’ll understand if you’ve ever tramped on a Lego in your bare feet. A clutter-free floor let your child have a quick retreat during a fire or break-in.

Master Bedroom Safety Checklist For Wausau

The main bedroom should be your calm space, so let your safety components give you peace of mind if there's an emergency. After all, being wrenched awake by a high-decibel alarm can be quite a shock.

Home Security Touchscreen: Having a touchscreen on your bedside table helps you know what’s what that noise was without leaving your bed. You could alternatively log into your ADT phone app but, the HD touchscreen can be faster to use when you’re yawning and finding your bearings.

Personal Charging Stand: We rely on our smartphones for so many things now alarm clocks, internet searches, game machines, and --legend has it-- even phones. The only problem is that a dead cell in the middle of the night cuts us off from communications if there’s a problem. To make sure your phone always works, a charging station or cord becomes an essential.

Nightlights Or Voice Activated Smart Lights: A tiny light can be a beacon when you’re startled awake from a siren or other loud noises. If you won’t drift off to sleep with a nightlight, use smart lights in your fixtures. Then you can get light anytime with a mobile device or voice direction.
Fireproof Lockbox: Keep your important papers like insurance cards, stock certificates, or a spare checkbook in a fireproof safe. Your safe can be a large one that sits in your closet or a small handheld safe that you can snatch on your way out during a fire or break-in.

Heat Sensor: The issue with bedrooms is that they tend to feel too stuffy or be chilly since they are far from the thermostat. A temperature sensor can talk to your smart thermostat so you should have a comfortable, restful sleep at the perfect temperature.

Garage/Basement Safety Checklist For Wausau

Most safety needs in the basement or garage have to do with your water heater or heating system. Discovering issues before they start can stave away larger emergencies in the future. So, as you look around your basement or garage, take note of these crucial items:

Water Detector Or Sump Pump Alarm: Installing a flood alarm next to your water heater and sump pump can stop you from wading into a mess when you go into your basement or garage. Do you really want to spend your day drying the floor?

CO Detector: It’s nice to have a CO alarm in an area where a CO leak can occur. If you use a gas furnace, you should install a detector in the same room as your inbound pipes.
Wireless Water Shutoff Valve: If your water sensor senses a hot water leak or a broken pipe, then you will want to cap the primary water line at once. With a remote shutoff valve, you can turn off your water flow from your phone. That’s nice when you’re on vacation and receive a water leak notification on your smartphone.
Garage Door Sensor: Leaving the garage door open causes all sorts of issues. You can lose heat through that large opening, and rodents or intruders can just walk in. A remote sensor will text you about a forgotten garage door and allow you to close it remotely.
Temperature Sensor: A temperature sensor in your garage or basement is essential if you worry about frozen pipes. The temperature in these rooms can be surprisingly different than the rest of the house, so you will want to have a constant look on the temp with your mobile app.

Home Perimeter Safety Checklist for Wausau

Your yard, drive, and front porch are just as imperative to secure as the rest of your home. Try this checklist to defend your perimeter:

Doorbell Security Camera: See who’s knocking on the door before you answer it and talk to visitors. View package deliveries and record video clips if they vanish off the step.

Outdoor Security Camera: You can place outdoor cameras to notify you about unusual lurkers in your yard. These devices are especially useful in areas where you might not have a window installed -- like around a cellar or by the garage.

Window Height Shrubs: Tall foliage can offer some privacy, but they also hinder your line of sight of the yard and curb. Don’t provide potential thieves an area to hide. Plus, tall bushes or foliage against your structure can obstruct gutters and invite ants and termites.
ADT Signs And Decals: One of the most popular disincentives for home intrusion is alerting aspiring burglars that you have a state-of-the-art home security system. An ADT yard sign by the main walk and a window cling will alert lurkers that they ought to keep walking to an easier house.

Motion Triggered Outside Lights: Light is the largest deterrent to those who skulk in the shadows. Motion-activated lights on your deck, porch, or garage can shoo possible intruders away. Lights also help you work the locks when you come back home late at night.

Contact Secure24 Alarm Systems To Help You With Your Home Safety Checklist for Wausau

While Secure24 Alarm Systems can’t help you with non-security devices on your Wausau home safety checklist, we can discuss a powerful home security system. With alarms, security cameras, and home automation, we can customize the best system for your home’s needs. Just phone (715) 256-7915 and talk to a professional or complete the form below. Or customize your own ADT system with our Security System Designer.