Published September 12, 2017
Home Security is always an important subject to talk about. Just image, it’s late at night and you are lying in bed trying to fall asleep. Suddenly, you hear a sound and a series of thoughts overwhelm you. Was that sound my fridge? Maybe there’s an intruder? Should I warn my family before I go check out the sound? What if I go check out the sound and there’s an armed person that greets me? There’s numerous more questions that cross your mind in that moment. There are also numerous things you can do to help secure your home, and give you that peace of mind you crave when you hear a noise. The following is 5 tips to help you on your way to a more secure home
1. Install a home security system – A home security system has been proven to deter burglaries. The system will siren as soon as a device has been breached. Every security system is scalable to meet your homes’ needs. Your alarm system can include motion detectors, door contacts, window contacts, glass break detectors, smoke detectors, and more. The alarm is not only loud enough for your neighbors to hear, but the system also communicates to a 24/7 monitoring center that will dispatch the authorities in the event of an alarm. All monitored burglar alarm systems should come with a sign and stickers so that way it is clear to anyone and everyone that your home is monitored. Check out our residential page for more about burglar alarm systems
2. Secure your doors- All doors that lead inside your home should have single cylinder dead-bolt locks. When installing locks, it is recommended that you switch the screws for the strike plates to screws that are at least 3 inches long. The longer screws make it more difficult to kick down your door. If you have dead bolt locks already, ensure your screws are at least 3 inches long because usually the stock screw is less than 3 inches. Doors should also be made of a solid material such as hardwood or metal clad. Mounting a steel reinforcing device on the lock side of a wooden door will also prevent a burglar from kicking in your door. Wikihow has a nice step by step explanation on how to better secure your exterior doors. Securing your locks is crucial to home security.
3. Lock your breaker box and secure the perimeters of your home – Many times your breaker box is located on the outside of your home. This makes your home security vulnerable because it’s easy for intruders to shut off your power, and gives them the upper hand to enter your home. It is also recommended to lock all gates surrounding your home especially if you have a large dog door that intruders can squeeze through. Sometimes your gates being locked is all it takes to deter a burglar. If you have a dog door many people recommend building/attaching a dog house to it. This works best if you do not have your dog door in a sliding glass-door. The dog house makes it look like you don’t have a dog door. There are even more intricate dog houses that require the dog to follow a path inside the dog house, making it impossible for an intruder to enter your home through the dog house and dog door. Below is a picture of dog door HomeTalk.com disguised.
4. Don’t leave spare keys in easy-to-find places – In today’s age there are so many ways to hide a spare key. Retailers sell all kinds of yard ornaments that can store a key. If you have access to what these yard ornaments look like via the internet or the store, don’t you think a burglar does too? There’s also Pinterest bloggers who have clever ideas to make your own yard hide-a-key ornament such as a bird house. Again, burglars can access Pinterest too. In short, hiding any key in your yard is not recommended. If you need a spare key available, leaving it with a trusted neighbor is a better alternative. Don’t hand intruders a key to your house to breach the home security perimeter you work so hard to maintain.
5. Look like you’re home – There are many ways you can automate your house to look like you are home. The most common way is to put your radio and lights on timers (or schedules if you have z-wave automation with your burglar alarm system). Outdoor motion activated lighting is also recommended making it harder for an intruder to hide in the shadows. Another way to look like you are home is to refrain from leaving notes outside your home. Many people will leave a note for their landscaper or pool maintenance person. Leaving a note makes it very clear to anyone within viewing distance of your house that you are not home. As an additional precaution, frost or cover the windows to your garage. If a thief can see into your garage, they can see if your car is there and they can also see what goodies you have. If you look like you are not home, this makes you more vulnerable to break-ins.
