Notify Before Remodeling

Always contact your alarm company prior to starting any remodeling project. You need to work with your alarm company to make sure the remodeling process does not cause false alarms and that your system will continue to work properly after the work is completed.

Discuss the following situations with your alarm company to determine the best course of action:

Wiring concealed in your walls, floors or ceilings can be disrupted by remodeling projects.
Consider adding your cell phone as a second contact before law enforcement dispatch is requested. If you know contractors are on scene doing work, a false alarm dispatch can be avoided.
Erecting new walls may inhibit the area your motion detector was designed to see, preventing detection.
New walls can shorten the area the detector is sensing, which may cause a false alarm due to increased sensitivity. New walls may also block radio signals that allow some systems to indicate an alarm.
Tearing down old walls may cause a motion detector to pick up movement it would not normally see with the wall in place. This could include cars on the street, sunlight streaming through a window, or your pet walking through “his part of the house.”
Work outside your home including the installation of new siding, roofs, windows and doors will cause a huge ruckus and produce vibration and dust. In some cases alarm wiring may be concealed behind exterior siding. So, even if you are not letting trade people into your home, you still need to be aware of the effects of outside work on your alarm system.
Removing doors or windows that have alarm sensors can make your system inoperable. Ask your security company about bypassing these zones during construction and have them send a technician to reinstall sensors when the work is complete.
Dust and dirt are a necessary evil in all remodeling projects. Particles will adhere to smoke and motion sensors and will affect their proper operation.
If you will be away from your home or business during any portion of the remodeling project and decide to provide contractors with keys to your home, ensure that they know how to properly operate your system, understand the procedures to cancel a false alarm dispatch and are provided with temporary passwords.
If a contractor causes a false alarm, you, the alarm user, will be responsible for the unnecessary public safety response.

When the remodeling is completed, have your alarm company inspect and evaluate your alarm system to make sure that it will continue to operate properly.

Discuss the following situations with your alarm company to determine the best course of action:

Wiring concealed in your walls, floors or ceilings can be disrupted by remodeling projects.
Consider adding your cell phone as a second contact before law enforcement dispatch is requested. If you know contractors are on scene doing work, a false alarm dispatch can be avoided.
Erecting new walls may inhibit the area your motion detector was designed to see, preventing detection.
New walls can shorten the area the detector is sensing, which may cause a false alarm due to increased sensitivity. New walls may also block radio signals that allow some systems to indicate an alarm.
Tearing down old walls may cause a motion detector to pick up movement it would not normally see with the wall in place. This could include cars on the street, sunlight streaming through a window, or your pet walking through “his part of the house.”
Work outside your home including the installation of new siding, roofs, windows and doors will cause a huge ruckus and produce vibration and dust. In some cases alarm wiring may be concealed behind exterior siding. So, even if you are not letting trade people into your home, you still need to be aware of the effects of outside work on your alarm system.
Removing doors or windows that have alarm sensors can make your system inoperable. Ask your security company about bypassing these zones during construction and have them send a technician to reinstall sensors when the work is complete.
Dust and dirt are a necessary evil in all remodeling projects. Particles will adhere to smoke and motion sensors and will affect their proper operation.
If you will be away from your home or business during any portion of the remodeling project and decide to provide contractors with keys to your home, ensure that they know how to properly operate your system, understand the procedures to cancel a false alarm dispatch and are provided with temporary passwords.
If a contractor causes a false alarm, you, the alarm user, will be responsible for the unnecessary public safety response.

When the remodeling is completed, have your alarm company inspect and evaluate your alarm system to make sure that it will continue to operate properly.