One of the benefits of buying a brand new home is that it will be built to modern construction standards and codes using up-to-date materials and products, and its systems and equipment will be designed to operate effectively. Here are some of the more common safety features:
The electrical behind the walls is brand new, and the service is sized to your home’s requirements. New homes have plenty of electrical outlets. In bathrooms and other “wet” areas, the outlets will be equipped with ground-fault circuit interrupters.
Fire-rated materials will be used throughout the home, from drywall to carpeting. A smoke detector will be installed on each level of the home and wired directly into the electrical system.
Walls between the house and the garage should be sealed, and doors should be self-closing. This will help to prevent fumes from the garage from spilling into the house.
New homes are designed to prevent back drafting of potentially harmful combustion gasses from your heating system, and to ensure adequate fresh air. A carbon monoxide sensor should be installed in the home.
Glassed shower stalls and tub enclosures should use safety glass that crumbles rather than breaks into sharp fragments upon impact. Exterior doors and patio doors should use either tempered glass or wire-mesh glass.
Window installations should be designed to resist forced entry. It’s not unusual to pre-wire a home for a security system at the time of construction and then add the system later.
There are many other safety features that can be added to your home, such as grab bars for the bathtub, non-slip flooring in the bathroom and on stairs, proper lighting throughout and a whole house sprinkler system.
A builder will be able to provide answers and suggestions to make your home safe and secure for you and your family.