We all want our homes to be as safe as possible. We want them to be the kinds of places where people feel safe and comfortable, where they’re happy to attend your kids’ birthday parties, and–more importantly–where you can feel comfortable inviting people over.
The truth is that even for people who live in guarded gated communities with a 24/7 security presence, there is more to creating a safe home than simply filling it with happy people and remembering to lock your doors at night. Creating a home that is truly safe for everybody who enters it (well, okay, maybe not home invaders) takes some work.
Here are some of the things you need to create a truly safe environment for yourself, your family, and your friends:
A Security System
As Home-security.co points out regarding their security system, good home security should do much more than simply blast an alarm when someone enters unexpectedly. Today’s cutting-edge security systems also offer fire monitoring, carbon monoxide monitoring, and many other safety features to keep everybody safe and sound when they are within the walls of your home. Some security systems are even “smart” and will monitor your home’s energy usage, turn off the power when people leave rooms, and contain motion detectors that can tell the difference between pets and prowlers, etc.
A security system helps watch over you so that you can feel safe and comfortable to enjoy your time with your family and friends.
A Working HVAC System
Your home’s air quality is incredibly important, especially for people who have allergies. Having working heating and cooling systems as well as humidifying and dehumidifying systems is important for keeping the air within your home healthy and breathable. Make sure you get your home’s HVAC system and filters checked out at least once a year. The last thing you need is mold or mildew setting up shop within your walls and causing tons of health problems for the people you love!
Safety Plans
Do you know what to do if someone breaks into your home? Do you have your hiding places mapped out? Have you set up safe words with your kids? Do you know what to do if there is a fire, or if there is a carbon monoxide leak? Your security system will alert you to these dangers, sure, but do you know what to do when those alarms go off? Having safety plans in place and drilling on them regularly will help improve your chances of safely surviving many of the disasters that can strike within the walls of your home.
Emergency Kits
Nobody is saying that you have to go full survivalist (unless that’s something you want to do). Still, having some food, water, extra clothes, and other emergency supplies stashed somewhere safe is always a good idea. A good rule of thumb is to have a bag packed with bottled water, some canned food, some batteries, a flashlight, and a first aid kit that you keep somewhere handy. This way if a disaster does happen you’ll be ready to wait it out for at least a couple of days.
So far we’ve talked about the bigger things that you need to make your home as safe as possible. Now let’s talk about the smaller everyday tools and habits that go into proper home safety.
Doors and Windows
Keep the doors and windows to your house closed and locked at all times–even when you’re inside. Open windows in empty rooms are a fantastic point of entry for intruders. Keep your blinds mostly closed–open curtains and blinds (especially to empty rooms) let people case your house from the outside and, even creepier, scope out your locations. Let in natural light, of course, but don’t give everything away to anybody walking by!
Locks
Each point of entry to your home–doors and windows alike–should have a set of working locks. At least one lock in that set should be accessible from the outside. The other(s) should be invisible. Safety locks that can only be undone from the inside of the home (like deadbolts, etc) are a great stopgap against intruders. Wooden doweling works wonders for safety in your windows.
Landscaping/Yards
Keep it clean! The better kept up your yard, the less likely someone is to mess with your house. A well-kept yard tells passersby that you pay very close attention to what goes on on your property and offers fewer places for intruders to hide.
The more steps you take to keep your home safe in big and small ways, the happier your life in that home will be. Use these tips to help you start making your home as safe as possible.
Fire Safety
There are ways to protect your home from fire. First, make sure that the wiring in your house is up to code. Second, be careful about open flames in the home. Third, consider having materials installed on your house that are fire-resistant. For example, composite siding is far more fire-resistant than wooden siding. Additionally, metal and slate roofs are remarkably resistant to fire as opposed to wood or even asphalt shingles. By implementing some of these measures, you don’t guarantee that your house won’t catch on fire, but it can make it much more difficult or even reduce the damage done by fire.
