The following offers a range of tips to help make your home a bit more secure. You can implement them all or pick and choose what works best for your home and your family’s needs. However, before getting into the list of tips here is a look at security systems and why you should seriously think about installing one.

4 Home Security Tips to Keep your Family Home Safe

1.) Invest in Quality Security Systems

Many people are under the impression that a home security system has to be this complex and expensive thing, but that is not true. Today’s systems are quite customizable. You can pick and choose elements to meet your needs and budget. In addition, wireless options make it simple to install them yourself and get a security system that works for you. Try these Home Security Tips from DIY Network.

2.) Consider a Good Security Camera & Motion Detector

While you may not be able to afford a complete system, you should at least consider some elements. Most systems allow you to add on elements in the future, so start small. For example, get a security camera or a motion detector. Later, you can add window and door sensors, glass break sensors and more cameras and detectors.

Building your own security system keeps you in the driver’s seat. It allows you to have complete control over the security and the cost. So, it is highly recommended to at least consider a security system for your home.

3.) To Stay Safe – Change your Locks Periodically

If you have moved into a new home, change the locks. While you may have been giving the keys, you have no clue how many copies were made. The last thing you need is an old owner or someone associated with the former owner coming into your home unannounced. If you rent, just ask your landlord if it is okay. They are usually fine with it as long as you send them a copy of the keys.

Make sure you have adequate outdoor lighting. A well-lit area is not a welcome spot for a would-be criminal. They like to work under cover of darkness where nobody can see them. Ensuring you have security lights and other lighting outside your home can be a huge deterrent.

Hide any wiring outside your home. Criminals cut wires to disable phones, internet, and wired security systems. Keep this from happening by making sure all wires are hidden and secured where they cannot be easily accessed.

Don’t leave spare keys in typical spots for good home security. If you need to leave a key outside your home, make sure you do so in an unobvious way, or better yet, leave it with a trusted neighbor. Leaving a key under the mat, in the mailbox or on top of an outside light are all spots a thief will check. Don’t give them easy access to your home.

Install bars to stop sliding doors from being easily opened. Also, do this with windows. Bulk up your basic security with deadbolt locks, too. Doing these small things adds an extra layer of security that will stop a criminal.

4.) Consider Using Timers to Trick Intruders & to Keep Home Safety

Use timers on lights and other electronics. In general, most criminals are not interested in a confrontation. They want to enter a home when nobody is there. Through using timers, you can give the appearance someone is home. You can have lights turn on and off or even your television or radio. Hearing noise and seeing what is perceived to be movement can be a great deterrent.

It can be tough to keep your home safe, but you can do it. There are many things you can do, from installing a security system to putting up more outdoor lighting. You can take control and live in a safe home where you do not have to fear about someone breaking in. By taking these simple steps, you can make your home a burglar’s worst nightmare and give you and your family a wholesome peace of mind that you are safe with these home security tips.

For more home safety tips take a look at this post to change the locks on your home!

The Best Tips for Choosing the Right Home Security System

Options are a great thing, but it’s also making home security more convoluted. The solution – a home security package. Companies are offering packages that include equipment to cover the entire home in a single system. For many homeowners, these package deals offer upsides beyond improved security.

Ensure your Home Security System has Easy Setup

Home security packages are most appealing to people who are putting a system together from scratch. It’s essentially the one-and-done option. Instead of having to make a half a dozen or more decisions you only have to make one.

If you’re upgrading your home security a package deal could still make sense. For instance, homeowners that are making the switch from a wired wall alarm to a wireless Wi-Fi system could use a package. There are also specialized systems, such as packages of smart door locks. You can keep what you have in place while still using the smart home security package as another layer of protection.

Choose a Home Security Company that Features Local Support

Customer support is a critical component of a monitored home security system. A growing trend is double monitored equipment that alerts the homeowner and a local monitoring station if an alarm goes off. Property owners that are looking for home security in Phoenix, San Diego and other large metros don’t mind using regional companies over national brands if it means getting local service.

Research the Compatibility and Monitoring Options

Perhaps the most important benefit of a home security package is its compatibility. All it takes is one missing link or miscommunication for a home security system to be compromised. With a package that’s no longer a concern.

The equipment is designed to sync together and to respond when an action occurs. Everything works cohesively for seamless protection. For example, a Wi-Fi connected door lock can be programmed to open if an alarm goes off so it’s easier for people to get out. Data sharing is another big bonus. Today’s home security cameras and alarms are connected smart devices. The more information you can gather from your home security system the better you can protect your home. When all of the equipment is designed to work together gathering data is much easier. Angie’s List gives great tips for choosing the right security company for your home.

A home security system won’t do you much good if it isn’t monitored and managed. The batteries have to be checked, software has to be updated and data should be reviewed. If you have equipment from multiple brands with various processes management can become a headache.

Home security packages are designed around a hub system. That hub is usually your smart phone where everything can be managed via an app. Equipment will tell you if the power supply is low or repair is needed. You can also review surveillance footage, set up schedules and make adjustments with a few clicks.

The Better Business Bureau suggests contacting 3 security options when making your decision.

Your Home Security System Should Offer Invested Value

Buying a package deal is typically more cost effective in the long run. Usually, the cost savings is in the form of reduced equipment expenses or the inclusion of additional services. While most home security packages do offer some sort of perk or discount, make sure everything adds up before you make a selection.

Today’s buyers are looking for smart homes with comprehensive security systems. And safety is cited as one of the top reasons people invest in smart home devices. A home security package is a selling point that can make your home more desirable and add to its value.

Now that the New Year has begun it’s time to put attention back on your home maintenance checklist for the colder months ahead. I know in our household we need New Year’s resolutions we vow to tackle for our home. What home maintenance checklist items have you been vowing to get to? Now that the holidays are over it’s important to reassess the status of your refrigerator, oven, washer and dryer, furnace, and vents. Each of these maintenance checklist items will help keep you and your family safe and comfortable during the colder months of this New Year. I’ve paired with American Home Shield for these New Year’s home resolutions. Take a look and see which home features and systems could your home “get back on track”. These are areas we plan on tackling this New Year’s.

My New Year’s Resolutions Home Maintenance Checklist

Are your Refrigerator Condenser Coils Clean?

During the busy holiday season your kitchen went through a workout! From your oven being used longer and more frequently to your refrigerator holding more food than any other time of the year. Here are some tips to ensure your kitchen appliances start off having a good New Year’s home resolution.

1. Refrigerator: How much food did you pack in there? Don’t worry, you weren’t alone, as the holidays are when your refrigerator works harder and is barely cleaned out or serviced. Before your refrigerator decides to call it quits consider cleaning the condenser coils. When dust and dirt builds up on them, they work harder trying to cool your food. Remove the kick plate from the bottom front of your refrigerator and use a handheld vacuum cleaner or an attachment tool on your upright vacuum to remove dust and dirt.

• Refrigerator maintenance: Every season take out all of the food and throw away expired food as well as clean the drawers, shelves and doors with a mild detergent and warm water. If you have an automatic water dispenser change the filter and ensure the icemaker is working properly.

2. Oven: Similarly to your refrigerator, your oven and stove were probably the most used appliances over the holidays. Does it feel like it takes your oven longer to warm up? If so, the rubber seal around the door could be wearing out. A proper seal helps keep the room temperature out and enables your oven to heat up and stay at the set temperature. Take a look at the rubber seal on the door as well as the fiberglass to see if it is sealing correctly. If not, replace the seal.
   • Oven maintenance: While you’re looking in the oven why not clean it? If you have a self-cleaning oven, read the manufacturer directions on your oven on how to close the screen on the window and lock the door while cleaning. A self-cleaning oven may not always be the most efficient or effective. Consider using a baking soda paste of ½ cup of baking soda and 3 tablespoons of water to scrub off debris with a toothbrush.
   • Note: Steer away from spray oven cleaners as the inhalation of fumes can lead to illness and difficulty breathing.

3. Dishwasher: During the holidays I think we ran our dishwasher twice a day! With so many dishes and family and guests over it was necessary. Take a look in your dishwasher; are there debris and food particles at the bottom? If your dishes and glassware aren’t getting clean the drain may need to be cleared. Ensure you are removing all food and stains before loading your dishwasher.

When’s the Last Time you Vacuumed your Clothes Dryer Exhaust?

Your laundry room gets a good pounding from dirty clothes and bed/table linen throughout the fall and winter season and ensuring the washer and clothes dryer are at maximum efficiency is essential. Also, remember your clothes dryer not being maintained can affect the safety of your family home. To ensure you won’t need home appliance repairs look at these tips for your laundry room.

4. Clothes Dryer: Most of us take for granted the ability of our clothes dryer removing water from clothing and leaving it fluffy warm and dry for us to wear or use everyday. Unfortunately, if you don’t pay attention to a clogged dryer exhaust pipe it could lead to inefficiency for your energy bills and worse, a house fire. Built up lint in your exhaust hose can be a fire hazard.

• Clothes Dryer maintenance: To keep your exhaust pipe clean remove the clamp that holds on the dryer hose and remove it gently from the back of your clothes dryer. Use a vacuum to remove built-up lint. Additionally, make sure everyone who uses the clothes dryer is removing the lint from the removable filter before every cycle. You’re making your machine work harder if you let the lint build up.

5. Washer Machine: Over the years washing machines generally don’t have a lot of issues unless you don’t follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Too much detergent, too many clothes and over filling it can cause damage. If you have a front-loading washer machine it is essential to use the sanitizing cycle per the manufacturers directions. This will help prevent mold growth and foul odors that often come from front loaders.

Is your Furnace Not Heating as Well as it Used To?

During the winter months your home furnace has to work twice as hard to keep up with falling temperatures outside. This New Year make sure your furnace, vents and insulation are ready for the cold to keep your family home cozy warm this winter.

6. Home Furnace maintenance: In our Hibernation Checklist I shared how to change your air filters monthly and to hire an HVAC professional to inspect your system. These two measures will ensure your system is running correctly and efficiently. Here are a few more helpful tips to ensure you’re getting the maximum benefit from your furnace:

• Are your vents clear? Many times homeowners don’t realize that vents are being blocked by furniture and simple obstructions that could impede airflow into the room. Walk through each room of your home and move furniture as necessary to create ample space for heat to flow out of the vents. If your vents are in the ceiling this may not be a factor, while if your vents are in the floor make sure your couches and entertainment center aren’t sitting on top of them!

7. Home insulation: Did you know you can save almost 10% on your energy costs each year by installing the right type, and amount of insulation? Cracks and opening in your foundation can lead to air infiltration and slowly seep out your heated air. Spray insulation can be put in by walking around your home and looking around windows, doors, and foundation openings. An insulation company can install batt fiberglass insulation in your attic or basement, if you suspect your home isn’t staying warm.

This New Year’s my husband and I have vowed to tackle these home maintenance checklist items to keep our family safe, our appliances in shape and our home warm throughout the cold winter months and into the spring!

Is your home protected in case of an unforeseen problems occurs? American Home Shield can help with a home warranty. It can repair and replace all of your broken appliances and home systems.

What New Year’s home resolutions will you vow to keep this season?

Home Safety: Why Is A Boil Water Notice Important?

What is a Boil Water Notice?

A boil water notice will be issued by your local health authorities if they believe that the consumption or using (such as bathing) is important for citizens health.

The leading reasons you may need to boil your water:

Even if you haven’t gone through a major storm there are other reasons why health officials may call for a notice. Here are a few:

• Water main leak or break
• Low water pressure
• Confirmed microbial contamination
• Scheduled Maintenace

Boil Water Notice Infographic

What does a Boiling Water Notice Cover?

• Drinking water
• Making ice
• Cooking
• Washing dishes
• Taking a bath/shower

How long do I let the water boil?

It is advised that you boil water for at least one minute and then let it cooled down to room temperature before using it. This will boil out the bacteria and will make safe water for consumption.

The CDC gives good tips on safe drinking water and when to know when boiling water is necessary for your area.

For more home safety tips on Stagetecture, take a look through our archives. If you have more tips that can help the home safety of others, please share them with us in the comments.

Home safety is essential when living in a home with young children, pets, and lots of hazards to consider. When your child reaches that mobile age where she begins to ramble all around the house, you know you have changes to make. Everything in your home, whether practical or ornamental, must be examined for the safety of your child.

Home Safety: How to Create a Safe and Beautiful Home

Many parents see this as the beginning of the end of a stylish home. But the fact is that nothing could be further from the truth. Smart home safety is not incompatible with a trendy, beautifully-decorated home. In fact, some of the things you can do to help keep your child safe can actually enhance the look of your home. Others may need to be changed temporarily but can go back to the old look as the child grows.

We know the basic things that we need to do to keep our children safe. We must make sure they can’t open doors that they don’t need to open, ensure that dangerous products like cleaners and medication are inaccessible, and watch out for special hazards like slip hazards, electrical devices, and space heaters. This goes for the whole house, but in particular for the child’s room.

Safe Kids gives great Child’s Room Safety for your Home and Family.

So let’s go through those major areas and look at how we can mitigate these dangers without making the house look like a fortress.

Creating a Safe Home around Common Hazards

Toddlers tend to keep a steady supply of bruises and bumps on their bodies. That’s just part of learning to maintain their balance and watch their footing. But there are always hazards that can make things worse.

Staircases are a notorious hazard. When a child is still too small to use steps unassisted, they can be blocked off. Everybody knows that, but most people assume that it must be done with ugly, chunky plastic gates. Fortunately, that’s not the case. Many stores sell gates made of real wood that can match your existing color scheme. We love these creative baby gate ideas on Houzz.

Floors can be trouble as well. Many people love having hardwood and ceramic tile in the home, but these surfaces are notoriously slippery and unforgivingly hard. Some well-placed, well-secured area rugs, runners, and scatter rugs can eliminate the most likely slip-and-fall areas. And when your little one is big enough to perambulate more safely, the rugs can be put away and your beautiful floor is still there.

Smart Safety for Storage

When your child is still in the crib, it’s not a problem to have your household cleaners or medications in any particular location. Once the child is walking instead of crawling, though, there are two hands freed up for exploration, and sometimes that exploration can lead to poisoning.

We store things in locations that are convenient for us, but a point comes where we must think of the child first. Rather than fortify the cabinet under the sink just so that we can keep the kitchen cleaner there, why not put safe items like paper products in that location and relocate the hazardous products to a higher place?

The same goes for things like medication. Sometimes we keep required daily medication right out in the open to make sure we remember it, and those daily pill organizers are very easy for toddlers to open. The smart thing to do is to get those meds into a higher cabinet, out of sight and out of reach, and use some other reminder to trigger the daily dose. Perhaps you can leave a cup on the counter where the medicine once stood.

Ensure your Home is Safe with Technological Safety Ideas

What’s better than never taking your eyes off your child? Taking your eyes off your child without missing what he’s doing. There are lots of technological options to help us keep an eye on our kids when they aren’t within sight.

The pool is the first place many people think of. Floating alarms sound an audible alert if something disturbs the water’s surface. Of course, the pool should be locked up when there’s no adult supervision around, but a backup is great.

Video surveillance can help as well. You can sit in one room cooking or be watching TV while your child plays in another room, with your eyes able to check your smartphone periodically to make sure everything is okay.

Any parent will always put their child’s safety ahead of stylish clothes, vehicles, or furnishings. It’s why we spend Saturday nights watching animated movies instead of out enjoying drinks with friends.

But there’s a middle ground where we can do both. Our homes can look great, function normally, and still be safe for our kids. It just takes a little planning.

For more safety tips on Stagetecture, look through our home safety archives.

Home safety for your kids is essential, and especially with toddlers. First time parents cannot wait for their newborns to start walking, but those who already have experience with raising a child, have a completely different opinion. As soon as the toddlers start to walk, keeping them safe from self-inflicted injuries becomes a priority.

Image via: Aedrial.Blogspot

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Toddlers just love to play and experiment with everything they get hold of and this leads to many uncalled-for accidents, such as falling down the stairs, pulling heavy objects upon themselves, receiving burns and much more. Here are some ways in which you can make your home a safe place for your toddler to move around.

Via: choice.com.au

Placing a Safety Catch

There are several drawers and cabinets in every house, and toddlers love to mess them up by pulling them out or experimenting with the contents inside. This can be dangerous since many a times a child can pull the entire drawer or cabinet on to himself or herself and inflict injury, in such cases.
Therefore, placing a safety catch on drawers and cabinets will prevent your toddler from opening the drawer at all. A safety catch placed on the refrigerator door. Safety catch is a simple yet effective method that will help prevent a great number of unexpected hazards.

Image via: Cute Decor

Securing Power Points and Electrical Cords

A toddler can easily get hold of a dangling electrical cord and can pull appliances on to him or herself, such as a kettle, a blender, or even a coffee maker etc. This can result in some serious burns or scald injury. Therefore, it is best to secure all such cords with a cord holder or customize them to make the cords shorter.
It is essential to cover all the power sockets with a plastic covering or a tape, if nothing else is available. Electrical injuries are very dangerous and can end up being fatal.

Tip over hazards

For many homeowners tipping over hazards such as heavy furniture can be a disaster for toddlers who like to climb furniture. Many child proofing methods of securing the back of the furniture to the wall are effective.

Via: igcdorel.com.au

Locking Up Toxic Substances and Drugs

It is equally important to lock away all toxic substances, such as dish-soaps, detergents, flammable liquids and all other chemicals, from the reach of a child. Apply similar measures for all medicines, vitamins or other herbal mixtures. Ingestion of any of these results in toxicity and poses serious danger to the child’s life.
In addition to these, guard all windows and stairs of the house, the floor should have rubber matting under the carpet and make sure the stove and oven are secure. Ensure all these safety measures for your toddler, but do not forget to keep an eye on them at all times.

For more wellness and kids ideas on Stagetecture, click here.