Do you have a security system for your home? Many people think of burglar alarms as a security system, but they are only one component of security. A complete system requires a number of components. Following these tips will help you develop a more comprehensive security plan for your home.
Remove Temptation:
While we are all proud of our homes, it is important to remember to keep the contents of your home private. Retail stores know the best way to lure walk-in traffic to their stores is to prominently display their merchandise in the windows. Do not tempt would-be intruders. Keep curtains and blinds drawn in the evening and whenever you are out of the house, burglar is more likely to break into your home if he is certain there is something he wants inside.
It may seem obvious, but keep all doors locked 24/7. What could be more tempting than leaving an open door (or window) to your valuables? You should also avoid leaving things in your yard that could be used to gain entry to your home. Items like ladders, that could be used to reach an open window or large rocks and loose bricks, that could be heaved through a window, need to be removed.
But Not Too Private:
We all value our privacy, and while this almost seems like a contradiction to the first point, it is important that your house be visible from the street. Fences, tall hedge rows, and secluded entry ways may give homeowners a sense of privacy and even security. However, they actually provide criminals with cover in order to do their business without being noticed by neighbours and passers-by.
Planting large shrubs and trees near windows and doors can also provide desirable cover for intruders, this should be avoided.
Many intruders prefer to act under the cover of darkness. You can avoid this by ensuring that your property, particularly near entry-points, is well lit. In these energy conscious times, motion sensor activate lights are a good option. Ensure that they are place in such a way that they will pick-up motion from all points in your yard, light up entry points, and are out of reach (so that lights cannot be broken or removed).
Make Entry Points Difficult to Attain:
Take a look at your doors and windows. Are they easily reached? Are they hidden from view? Ensure that benches, sheds, trees, playscapes and other lawn décor are not providing a ladder for intruders to reach windows.
Consider planting thorny bushes, such as roses, in front of windows that are easy to reach from ground level.
Noise
There is a reason for burglar alarms being so loud:No intruder wants to be announced!
Create a little noise in your yard and an intruder may not bother getting to the point of triggering your alarm. Consider hanging wind-chimes near entrances and a sturdy bell on gates. Loose decorative stone or gravel near ground floor and basement window could create enough noise to be a deterrent as well as creating a less secure footing for one trying climb into a window.
Barriers and Deterrents
Knowing that your home has a burglar alarm will deter break-and-enter. However, many criminals know that if nobody is home they can trip the alarm and still get a lot of work done before police will arrive.
To stop these brazen intruders, you need to create security barriers to your entry points: doors and windows. Conventional (and valuable) security barriers include: Window locks and deadbolt locks on doors as well as burglar bars on basement windows. It is important to ensure that bars meet with your local fire and building codes.
Newer to the marketplace are fold-away security gates that do the same job as burglar bars but tuck away when you do not need them for a more aesthetically pleasing look and feel. These are particularly valuable for patio doors which are notorious weak-points in terms of security.
Security window films act like invisible bars for your windows. These polyester films go on much like window tint, but through bonding actually make glass nearly impossible to penetrate. An intruder can smash away at the glass without breaking through, and in the process make so much noise that they are sure to attract attention. Window security films should be considered for vulnerable doors with windows and sidelights. It is quite common for a thief to smash out these small windows, then reach in and unlock the door.
Many break-and-enters occur by breaking down the front or side door. Consider installing a door protection sleeve and plate system that will make it much harder to kick-in your exterior doors. These are virtually unnoticeable, but very effective, increasing door strength by up to ten times.
Consult a Professional
If in doubt, contact your local police department or security service provider. Many will offer free resources or consultation services.
A thief’s greatest weapons are seclusion and ease and speed of access, variables that are actually in your hands. Remove cover and create barriers with locks, window security films, burglar bars and security gates and you will make your home a far less tempting target for break-and-enter.
By: Vin Domino
Posts Tagged ‘Windows And Doors’
Home Security Tips
February 14th, 2010Sunroom Porch Designs – Beautiful Sunlit Additions for Your Home
February 12th, 2010
Sunroom porch designs allow you the best of both worlds. You can enjoy natural sunlight without the elements of the weather or bugs and other pests. A sunroom is defined as a room that offers fully insulated walls and ceilings and uses of insulated glass for the windows and doors.
Sunroom porch designs offer a variety of choices with unlimited potential. No matter what your current situation, there are sunroom porch designs to suit your needs. You can choose from totally glass sunrooms, patio rooms, pool enclosures, glass walls under an existing roof, screens under an existing roof, conservatories and solariums.
One very popular style available is the solarium. With these, your entire porch will be glass thus allowing you to see above you. The solarium design typically offers glass on both the walls and the roof. Built on a frost proof base the solarium sunroom porch designs should include, heating/cooling, electrical and interior finishes that will provide you necessities of a standard room as well as offer protection from harmful UV rays form the sun.
Sunroom Porch Designs
Another favorite is conservatory sunroom porch designs. These are characterized by a unique roof design styled like the Victorian glass houses of the 19th century. Typically, you’ll find more decorative style and a wider choice of plans available in conservatory sunroom porch designs. Just as with the solariums, these rooms should have climate control, UV protection and treated glass.
Current sunroom systems offer many advantages not available in earlier designs. Things like: wall-to-wall glass with hidden screw systems, guaranteed leak proof systems, screens on windows, dirt resistant treated glass for the exterior, as well as several other options.
Today’s sunroom porch designs allow additional living space to use as you choose. Den, play area, home office, exercise room…your choices are limitless.
By: Gregg Hicks
Which Home Improvements Pay Off (and Which Ones Don’t)
November 2nd, 2009
There are two main reasons people take on home improvement projects: for their own pleasure and in hopes of increasing the resale value of their homes. As long as you spend time and money for the first reason, you’ll be okay. It’s when you start thinking more about the second reason that you may be in for a disappointment. Even if improvements add value to your home, few recoup the money they cost. For example, a swimming pool, which costs tens of thousands of dollars to install, adds little to no resale value to a home. People are turned off by the maintenance aspect, and parents with small children will worry about safety issues.
So, what improvements do add enough value that you’ll come close to making back what you spend? It’s the highly visible improvements that will help most. Unfortunately, the less visible ones don’t impress. Replacing the roof or furnace, while they may need doing, won’t convince a home buyer to pay more. Likewise, new energy-efficient doors and windows are not likely to recoup the cost of installation (However, if you are going to continue living in your home for the next few years, $1,000 spent on insulation and caulking existing windows and doors can help you save on your energy bills).
The biggest home improvement you can do to impress homebuyers (and make them want to pay more) is one of the cheapest. Paint. As long as you pick colors that will appeal to a wide audience–and you do it right before you list (before it has time to get mucked up)–you’ll increase appeal. Likewise crown molding is relatively inexpensive to install but adds the wow factor to otherwise regular rooms.
So, what else is worth doing? You may have heard that kitchens and bathrooms are what sell a house, and this is true, but don’t think you have to spend tens of thousands on a whole-room remodel. Getting rid of outdated wallpaper or paint will help tremendously. Also sand and paint/stain old cabinet doors to make them look new. Switch out the dated cabinet hardware for something stylish and modern.
Any time you can take dead space (i.e. an attic or basement) and turn it into functional space (i.e. bedroom, office, media room), you stand a good chance of recouping much of the money you invest in the project (85% of the cost returned at resale is the national average).
If your house only has one bathroom, you can recoup about 90% of the cost by adding a second. (Adding a third gets you back less).
Landscaping can also improve curb appeal and salability of a home, but don’t spend thousands on hiring a professional (it won’t increase the value anywhere near that much). Tackle landscaping projects you can do yourself instead.
Keep this advice in mind before you open your pocketbook to hire contracts and buy materials for massive remodeling projects. If you’re going to spend a lot, make sure it’s–first and foremost–for you and your family, with resale of the house a distant second consideration.
By: TC Thorn