Safety & Security: Expert Guides and Resources

Installing a deadbolt lock is essential to protecting your home. For added security, take the time to learn how to install a deadbolt lock on every exterior door. Doorknob locks offer little resistance to a determined burglar (and what other kind of burglar is there?). Deadbolt locks extend through the doorframe and into the wall stud making them resistant to forced entry.

The Ring Doorbell is the latest way to help create your smart home. In a world of quickly advancing technology, there are so many ways that you can arm your home to protect yourself. You can turn on your heat on your way home from vacation, make sure your lights are off, and so much more. Now, you can see who is at your door…without needing to be there.

Buildings constructed before 1978 have a reasonable chance of containing oil-based, alkyd lead paint, which is a health and environmental hazard. (Lead was banned from paint in the United States in 1978.) For a greener, healthier home, it pays to get the lead out. Ingesting lead has been linked to brain and nervous system damage in children.

Installing a smoke detector can save your life. But to be most effective, you have to know where to install the smoke detector. The National Electric Code (NEC) does not require smoke detectors, however, most local codes do. You should have at least one smoke detector on each level of the house. The National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) states that the best location for a smoke detector is on the ceiling near a doorway or stairway.

Intrusion detection is defined as real-time monitoring and analysis of network activity and data for potential vulnerabilities and attacks in progress. One major limitation of current intrusion detection system (IDS) technologies is the requirement to filter false alarms lest the operator (system or security administrator) be overwhelmed with data.

A smoke alarm is an inexpensive way to protect your family from smoke and fire injuries, but you must take the time to test it to ensure that it's working properly. A properly functioning smoke detector doubles your chance of surviving a fire by warning you of a dangerous situation before it's too late. For minimum coverage, have at least one smoke detector or alarm on every level of your home and in every sleeping area.

Gas line safety might not be on your mind, but of all emergency preparedness topics, gas lines deserve extra consideration — both in the event of natural disasters and for day-to-day living. If not properly installed, monitored, and maintained, natural gas is without question the most potentially dangerous item in your home.

What's a little water under the house going to hurt, you ask? Excess moisture can lead to a glut of problems, such as repulsive odors, rotted framing, structural pests, foundation movement, efflorescence, and allergy-irritating mold. A musty or pungent odor usually accompanies efflorescence and excessive moisture.