Place Smoke Detectors for
Maximum Protection

The National Fire Protection Association recommends having one smoke detector outside each bedroom or sleeping area. If you sleep with the bedroom door closed, install a detector inside the room as well.

If you have a work shop, it probably has a number of flammable liquids and wood, so put a smoke detector in this room, too.

It’s a good idea to make sure that each level of your house has at least one smoke detector. Place them in the center of the ceiling at the top of stairways or at the highest point on sloped or vaulted ceilings.

If you’re putting a detector near the top of a wall, avoid the dead air space. This is the area four inches from the edge of the wall and four inches from the ceiling. The ideal location for a detector on a wall is 4 to 12 inches below the ceiling.

Avoid putting detectors near heating and cooling vents. In a fire, the smoke might be blown away from the detector, keeping it from triggering the alarm.

No matter how well you place your smoke detectors, they won’t provide the reliable protection they’re designed to if their batteries are dead. So replace batteries every six months. Both battery and cord units should be tested once a month.

The National Fire Prevention Association has valuable information about preventing fires. The address is NFPA Public Affairs Office, Department FHA, Batterymarch Park, Quincy, Mass. 02269.