Home Security Checklist : How to check your home

If you have smoke alarms, CO alarms (Carbon Monoxide alarms), and home security installed in your home, you are off to a great start. Still, once you have your equipment installed properly you must adhere to maintenance and cleaning regularly. If you do not have home security equipment installed in your home, go online to learn more about systems, smoke alarms, CO alarms, etc.

Now that we covered the basics, we want to help your children. Ask your children to walk around the home and point out at least one smoke detector on every floor. Make sure your children understand that the alarms are to protect your home, and are not toys. Help them to familiarize themselves with the sound. Now ask yourself if you have replaced the batteries to make sure, the alarm is working properly.

Familiarize your children with alarms and letting them know the intentions of the alarms can help save your family.

Now continue your own checklist. You have a fireplace. Does your fireplace have screens and proper ventilation? If not, you will need to consider alternatives to increase your home security. Alarms will only protect you if you take the steps to support the alarms.

Check your electrical outlets: Do you have more than two cords plugged into the circuit? If so, you are putting your family at risk. IF the outlets are unused, do you use safety plugs to protect your children? What about sink areasdo you have ground-fault circuit, whereas it will cut off automatically when unused? Did you take care to avoid plugging cords in around the sink area? What about your electrical cords, do they work properly?

Do your children know that matches and lighters our fire hazards? Do they know that matches and lighters are only designed for adults? Finally, are your matches and lighters placed in a safe area out of childrens reach?

Do you own guns? If so, are the guns locked in a container where your children cannot touch them? Are knives carefully placed out of reach from your children, or burglars entering your home?

Do you use space heaters to warm your home in the winter days? If so, did you take care to store them away from objects that could cause fire? (Drapes, bedding, walls, furnisher, etc) Do you unplug your iron when you are not using it?

Do you burn candles, incense, etc? If so, do you make sure an adult is always present. Do you avoid smoking in bed?

Does your gas range have a cover over it when unused to avoid grease build up? Do you have shutoff valves on your gas range?

NOTE: A woman allowing her 6-month old child roam around the house in his stroller was unaware that the child had turned the knob on her gas oven. Later that evening the woman prepared to cook dinner turned on the gas range, and she was caught fire, her hair burning; eyebrows scorched, hands burnt, etc, and if another adult had not been in the home to put out the firethe family would have died! This is a true story, which does not need repeating. Stay safe!

Each month you should check your smoke alarms to make sure they are working properly. In addition, you should also keep the alarms clean. Upgrading your smoke alarms is recommended each decade. You should also check your CO alarms to make sure they are working properly. Again, perform maintenance and cleaning regularly.

Finally, a home without a professional security system might as well have a billboard above it that says 'rob me'. Whether you are on vacation or sleeping, your home should be secured from the high rate of home invasions. Theives are not as likely to steal from a home that is secured than one that lacks modern professional security systems.

The number one tip from security experts, on the subject of keeping your home safe, is to keep layers of security in place. The reasoning is that theives are more likely to break into a house that has a single line of defense, rather than those that have multiple layers.

Layered security starts with smart practices such as steel doors in all doorways leading to an outside location such as garage entrances, back doors, workshop doors and front and rear doors.

Install deadbolts on all entrances from the outside, as well as current knob/lock systems. Older locks may be more susceptable to picking for experienced thieves.

Treat any garage door leading inside the same as an outside door. Thieves that gain entry through a garage should not be able to walk directly into your house with little to no effort.

Keep heavy drapes closed in rooms that house expensive equipment. A thief will need to find items worth stealing before attempting to rob you. Keep information like the number of computers, game systems, electronics and entertainment items to yourself.

Use timers to turn your lights on and off, even when you are home. Rarely used rooms that face the outside are a focus for these types of timers. When you do go on vacation, the lights will not give away your absence.

Keep your vacation plans on a need to know basis. Tell only those that you need to know, such as immediate family and close friends.

Contact a trusted neighbor when you are out of town, letting them know to call police in case of suspicious activities.

Paying a small price for a friend of family member to house sit can save you in the long run. Houses that have activity inside them are not as high targets for thieves.

Do not keep a key outside your house in what you might consider 'hidden spots'. These spots are rarely hidden to a thief. If you must keep a key somewhere, keep a spare in your glove box or with a trusted neighbor that is usually home.

Purchase a comprehensive alarm system. Low end alarms may only secure a certain number of entry doors, make sure you have a system that covers all possible entry points in the house.

Finally, if you are going away for an extended vacation, contact your security company and let them know. This will raise red flags if something should happen while you are gone.