Home Security Tips Help Protect Family And Home

If you are concerned about home security you are one of the vast majority of Americans that consider this as one of the most important matters they currently face. As we all are aware crimes of burglary and theft continue to grow alarmingly. Even cities and suburbs that were once considered to be safe and crime free are now experiencing unparalleled levels of crime including theft, burglary as well as violent and armed hold-ups.

Well what can you, as a concerned homeowner, do to protect yourself, your family and property from the prospect of experiencing crime? Here are a number of quite simple and straightforward home security tips on how you can protect your home, family and assets.

While sophisticated security and alarm systems can make the homeowner feel more comfortable and secure often the cost of these systems are beyond the financial means of many people. So for people who are not able to afford the cost of installing alarm systems we have a few home security tips and suggestions that will help you in your war against petty crime.

First off you should check all doors leading into your home. Inspect the door to ensure they are not hollow because hollow doors are relatively easy and quick to break and this allows for quick undetected entry into your home. If you have any hollow doors (or doors with windows) consider replacing them with solid timber doors or better still with metal ones as this will be a serious deterrent to would-be thieves.

Where possible use loud alarms which are likely to scare away the vast majority of burglars. If you have sliding doors or windows it is recommended that as well as having a secure locking mechanism you also reinforce them by placing a wooden or steel pole in the sliding track to prevent the door or window from being forced open.

One of the best ways to assess the security of your home is to walk around the exterior perimeter and look for any weakness in your security precautions. For example it is strongly recommended not to allow trees or shrubs to grow in front of windows, especially in the rear of the home. The foliage is a perfect camouflage for any burglar while they are attempting to gain access to your home.

A further home security tip is to eliminate dark areas around the home by installing small lights near shrubbery so as to allow you to light up these areas at night or to connect the lighting with motion sensors so as to help ward off potential thieves.

View Your Home Through The Eyes Of A Burglar

It is well known that most burglars, even the most professional and proficient, will only try to enter the house that offers the least resistance. Their method of operation is almost universal in that they want to get in and get out as quickly as possible without drawing attention to themselves. As a deterrent why not put up signs warning that your home has a security system installed as this can often cause burglars to ignore your home and keep moving to the next house in the neighborhood.

Other home security tips include always keeping the curtains drawn at night and when ever the property is unoccupied always keep your valuables out of sight. It is common knowledge that many burglars target the theft of expensive, high-demand electronics which they can see sitting on tables and desks. So as a precaution ensure that these items are placed out of view.

If burglars can not observe easy accessible property from their vantage point outside then it is highly unlikely that they will try to gain access to your home on the off chance that you possess something worth their effort.

Always close and lock windows and doors at night and when you are out. Draw your curtains at night or when the house is unattended. Install external security lights, preferably those that are activated by motion sensors and ensure your valuables cannot be seen from the outside. By taking a few simple precautions with these home security tips will be well on your way to protecting your family and property.

Protect Your Home With a Home Security System

So, finally you have bought your dream home and also decorated it with all the contemporary accessories. Now comes the question of implementing home security measures. Often, we tend to overlook the importance of a home security system until it’s too late. It’s better to consider applying the safety measures before hand and save ourselves from any situation. Let us take a look at the best home security practices.

Add a whole house security alarm
system. You can add separate alarm for the doors and windows of your home, deciding which doors or windows to have alarm enabled. Keep in mind that it will be more expensive if you want to install the alarms to a lot doors or windows, depending on how many you have. Ask your alarm system installer if they have any special offer that will help you in saving some money.

Add a live monitoring system service. It is definitely a good idea to invest into a home monitoring service. Home monitoring services can automatically contact police or fire when the alarms you have in your home are triggered. Conduct thorough research to find out the best service provider as quality of services may differ from company to company.

Home Security Systems and Home Security Measures

A security alarm system is not at all a complicated set up. First, you have to decide upon where you want to install the alarm control box. It can be your front door, back door, main window, anywhere. Once you have chosen the place, then you have to program a code in to the alarm. You are required to do this in order to successfully set the alarm and also to turn it off while you are at home. There may be a motion sensor included with the home alarm system. With a motion detector, your alarm will go off when it detects movement inside the house. This motion sensor acts as a back up in case someone gets into your house without tripping your alarm.

Outdoor alarm system. Outdoor home security alarm systems are programmed in such a way that they switch on the floodlights as soon as they detect some motion just outside your home. In the early years, an outdoor alarm used to go off even if there was just a cat or a stray dog strolling near your house but the modern ones are configured in such a way that they determine the weight and size of the intruder. So the chances of false alarms are almost zilch!

Use proper locks. If you have bought a second hand home, then make sure to change all the locks. You never know, the previous owner might keep a duplicate key with him. It’s better to take no chances at all and replace all the old locks with new ones. Not only should you put locks in the front doors but also install locks in the windows, if there isn’t any at the moment. This way you can ensure that nobody can enter your home through an open window.

Introduce yourself to your neighbors. Once you move into your new neighborhood, with no delay, introduce yourself and your family members to your immediate neighbors. If your neighbors know you well enough, then they can report to you or take necessary actions if they see any stranger trying to make an entry into your house.

Participate in community watch programs. If there is any thing such as community watch program in your locality, do take active part in it. This way your neighbors can keep a watch on your property in your absence and vice versa. This would definitely cut down a lot of crime.

Add video surveillance or wireless cameras. Adding CCTV or video surveillance is a very effective home security measure. You can use a wireless camera security system for video supervision, there are several transmitters and only one receiver that is linked to your TV. Some of the best security systems are those that include wireless security cameras.

Install a smoke detector. By installing smoke detectors in your home, you can have an advance warning if your house should happen to catch on fire.

Besides these aforementioned home security measures, you also have to be careful that your doors and windows are sturdy enough. Put grills in the windows if you have to. Also, see to it that there are lots of lights outside your house and that easy to get to ground floor windows have thorny bushes planted beneath them.

Thus, you see that there are a lots of home security options to take into consideration. In order to choose the security options that would suit you the best, you can go in for a risk assessment of your home. Several home security service providers offer risk assessment modules that will help in determining your individual needs, thereby letting you decide the correct type of security measure for your house.

Whichever home security system you have installed, make sure you understand how it works, so that you can enjoy your getaway without having to worry about the safety and security of your home.