Two Easy Home Safety Measures: Smoke Alarms and Exterior Door Locks

There are a number of things you can do to have a more secure home. At Charleston Homes, we believe security is one of the most important features in our homes. Two of the easiest, yet often overlooked aspects to have a safer home, are the smoke alarms and exterior door locks.

Smoke Alarm

Charleston Homes wires our smoke alarms throughout the home so they all work together. If one alarm goes off, all of the smoke alarms will go off to alert people throughout the house to a fire. In addition, the alarms have a battery backup in the event of lost power. At Charleston Homes, we also install a smoke alarm in every bedroom so that you will be alerted even if you are sleeping.

You also need to have a regular schedule to change the batteries and test the alarm to ensure it is in proper working order. Many people choose to do this at the beginning and end of daylight savings time. Whenever you choose to do it, maintaining a schedule for your smoke alarm maintenance is important to keep your home as safe as possible.

Exterior Door Locks

Locks are the first line of defense against unwanted intruders in your home. For double security in your front door, Charleston Homes uses a double closure system. This includes a deadbolt and a key lock. These can easily be installed by you or a qualified professional. The double security means that things like picking or breaking a lock is not as easy as it would be without it.

In addition, Charleston Homes doors come with a header and a bottom seal to make each door more structurally sound. This not only keeps unwanted visitors out, but can also add an extra layer of insulation to keep other things like hot and cold temperatures out, as well.

Back doors are also an important consideration when it comes to security. Most slider doors have a typical one closure lock system. This type of lock consists of a top closure which has a hook that goes down. Charleston Homes back slider doors have two closure hooks that add an extra layer of security for the back of your home.

In addition to the double slider door locks, we also recommend a dowel rod or steel safety rod as an additional layer of security for your back door. This prevents someone who is able to break through the hook locks from gaining access to your home.

While it is common knowledge that securing your home is important, it can be difficult to know exactly where to start to give you the type of security you want and need. Starting with your smoke alarm and exterior doors will give you basic safety measures that are relatively easy to maintain.