Most home fires start accidentally, and the effects can ruin lives. Plus, research shows that in today’s landscape, fires can spread more quickly than in the past. Because of this, having enough smoke alarms at home is crucial to your family’s safety.

But where should you exactly place smoke alarms in your house? Should you put it in fire-prone areas only? How about places with a few fire hazards?

In this post, we’ll talk about where to place smoke alarms in your house. 

Where to Place Smoke Alarms At Home

Where is it best to install smoke alarms to protect your loved ones and property in a fire emergency? Let’s find out below. 

Bedrooms

If a fire starts in a bedroom while you’re asleep, you’ll want the smoke alarm to wake you up. For this reason, you should install a smoke alarm inside each bedroom. 

Bedrooms are also often closed, which delays the detection capabilities of smoke alarms placed outside. Putting fire a smoke alarm in each bedroom immediately warns people inside, reducing the risk of being trapped there. 

Plus, you are most vulnerable when asleep because you can’t easily notice smoke or fire. A smoke alarm is loud enough to wake you up, giving you and your family enough time to evacuate. This is especially important in households with kids or guests unfamiliar with your fire exit strategy. 

Kitchen

Many people avoid putting smoke alarms in their kitchens because they’re afraid of false alarms. However, you shouldn’t skip the kitchen because most home fires start there. 

If you’re worried about false alarms, place smoke alarms at least ten feet from your oven or stove. But if you have a small kitchen, place the smoke alarm just outside of your kitchen. The important thing is that it’s at least ten feet away from your stove or oven. 

Every Floor

Each floor of your home should also have at least one working smoke alarm, including the basement and attic. If you have an attic, make sure it’s equipped with a fire escape ladder in case a fire breaks out there. 

Installing at least one smoke alarm on each floor guarantees you get early warnings no matter where the fire starts. Plus, having smoke alarms on all floors improves the audibility of alerts. Considering that sound goes low with distance and barriers like closed doors and walls, this strategy ensures everyone can hear the alarm. 

Living Area

We also recommend putting at least one smoke alarm in your living area, especially if it has a fireplace. Living areas also usually house fire hazards such as candles, curtains, and space heaters. 

Staircase

The stairs may be the quickest way out of your house during a fire. Putting a smoke alarm on your staircase can alert others upstairs or downstairs. Hence, each staircase, including those leading to the basement or attic, should have a smoke alarm. 

Conclusion

While you haven’t given it much thought, there are ideal locations for your smoke alarms. Knowing the best places to install smoke alarms maximizes their effectiveness and efficiency. And if you haven’t installed smoke alarms in these areas already, it’s time to start doing it now.