Homeowners should have basic maintenance, repair, and improvement tools. While investing in safety tools and equipment is essential, finding them with discounts like what you can find at https://www.retailmenot.com/view/homedepot.com can help you save money without compromising your family’s well-being.
Invest in a toolset that includes a utility knife, a retractable tape measure, and a wrench set. You’ll also want a putty knife, self-defense gear, and PPE like safety glasses and ear protection.
Wireless Alarms
Protecting your home should be a top priority no matter where you live because burglars can take seconds to break into any house. While smart locks and cameras can help you monitor your property, alarms are the best way to ensure your loved ones and belongings are safe.
Most smart alarm systems are wireless, so there’s no need to worry about wires running everywhere. They use your home’s Wi-Fi network to connect the different components, which means they’re usually cheaper than traditional alarms and can be installed much more quickly.
Most systems have a control panel, keypad, and sensors to level your security. Some also have auxiliary products like smoke and heat detectors that can be connected to your alarm system to trigger the alarm if it detects smoke or high-temperature levels in a room. Some even have panic buttons that allow you to call for help when you’re in danger, whether from a break-in or a medical emergency.
Smart Doorbells
A smart doorbell can let you know who’s there without opening the door or being at home. You can choose wired models that work with your existing chime or wireless ones that connect to your Wi-Fi network and pair with an app to receive alerts and stay on top of activity. Some systems also have additional features that can be useful, such as a door and window sensor that can send an alert if a window or door opens while you’re away.
If you want a better idea of who’s at your front door, consider getting a video doorbell with night vision that offers good image quality under most conditions. Some feature a field of view that’s wider than others so that you can see people and their packages more easily, and some offer two-way audio for talking with visitors.
Garage Door Openers
A wide-open garage door is a magnet for burglars. But many openers have smart features that help keep your home safe. For example, some can be connected to a smart home hub and controlled via a smartphone app or voice assistants. Others include a backup battery that lets you operate your garage door during a power outage.
Choose a model that uses a hopping or rolling code instead of a constant code to prevent hacking. These technologies make the code used to control your garage door different every time you use it. The receiver won’t open the door if it detects an incorrect code.
Many new openers are wifi ready or enabled, allowing you to control them from anywhere with Internet service. Some even send you notifications if the door opens or closes unexpectedly, which can be a red flag for a break-in. You can also protect your garage by clearing away large trees and shrubs that block the view of your home’s entry windows.
Heat Sensors
IR (infrared) sensors detect changes in temperature in the air to alert homeowners of intruders and unauthorized entry. They can also be linked to lights and the thermostat to activate an automated response when someone enters a room, such as turning the light on and raising the temperature.
Unlike smoke detectors, which often suffer from false alarms caused by steam and dust, heat sensors are less prone to these problems. They are also better at detecting low-energy fires, which are harder for other detection methods to notice.
Regardless of your chosen fire detection technology, monitored alarms are the best way to ensure your family is safe and you get emergency assistance. Non-monitored systems will not alert your mobile device or call the fire department and won’t provide home insurance discounts.
Fire Extinguishers
Fire extinguishers protect your family from the dangers of home fires by putting out the flames before they grow out of control. They aren’t a one-size-fits-all solution, though, with each type of extinguisher fighting different classes of fires. For example, an extinguisher used in a car is more tailored to fight the types of fires commonly occurring in cars, such as grease or gas.
We recommend picking up a multipurpose fire extinguisher like this one by First Alert. It has an ABC rating that covers five common types of fire including combustible materials, flammable liquids, electrical fires and cooking oil. It also features a lightweight design for easy portability and user-friendly features like color-coded pressure gauges and instructions.
Store it in the kitchen, laundry room (where Papworth says dryers are a common source of electrical fires) or garage to protect your home from any unexpected hazards. Just mount it to a wall or place it on a bracket to access it easily. And remember to have it inspected regularly to keep it in good working order.
