Here are some of the more common safety features that you should expect to install in your new home.

• Your home's electrical system should have only the latest approved components. The wiring behind the walls is brand new, and the electrical service is sized to your home’s requirements. New homes have lots of electrical outlets. In bathrooms and other wet areas, the outlets should be equipped with ground-fault circuit interrupters.
• Materials with the appropriate fire ratings should be used throughout your home, from drywall to carpeting. A smoke detector should be installed on each level of the home and wired directly into the electrical system -- far safer than battery-operated detectors.
• New homes should be carefully designed to prevent backdrafting of potentially harmful combustion gasses from your heating system, and to ensure adequate fresh air for you and your family at all times. Consider installing a carbon monoxide sensor in living areas with fireplaces.
• Glassed shower stalls and tub enclosures should use safety glass, which crumbles rather than breaks into sharp fragments upon impact. Likewise, exterior doors, sidelights and patio doors should use either tempered glass or wire-mesh glass.
• Window installations should be designed to resist forced entry. You might also want to discuss security or alarm systems with your builder. It is not unusual to pre-wire a home for a security system at the time of construction and then add the system later.
• Beyond Building Code requirements, there are many other safety features that can be added to your home easily, such as non-slip flooring in the bathroom and grab bars for the bathtub.
   
  If you have questions about the safety of any aspect of your new home or you have specific concerns related to your family, be sure to discuss them with your builder. A professional new home builder will be able to provide answers and suggestions to make your home safe and secure for you and your family.

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