Proper home security is needed to protect your family from danger. The key to securing your house properly is educating yourself on all of the latest up-to-date security methods. Study the security tips and advice discussed within this article and apply what is useful to your particular situation. Your family’s safety depends on it.
When getting a home security system, you need to consider if there has been one previously installed. If this is the case, you can actually have a cheaper or easier installation by choosing to go with what was done before. Remember that this can be a wired or wireless installation.
There are cheaper alternatives to installing a home security system that deters criminals from breaking into your home. Simply putting up a fence or a “large dog” sign can help immensely. Criminals want to make the process as simple as possible for themselves, so dealing with a large dog would deter them.
Consider using your dog as a place to store your spare key. This is a great idea if your dog is outside all the time, or they can get out through a doggy door. Simply affix a spare key to the collar of the animal. You’ll always have a backup plan if you lose your key!
Never leave spare keys under doormats or any place on the exterior of your home. This is vital, as burglars will look here first to see if you made this mistake. Keep keys and lock combinations with you at all times to maintain the highest level of protection for your home.
Do not leave your garage doors open, even if you are currently home. Burglars will try to get in through the garage, and if it is open, they can easily break through the door to your home. Use a keypad that requires a combination to allow access into your house.
When people come to your door unexpectedly, ask who is there before you open the door. Even if you live in a neighborhood that does not have a high crime rate, it is still a good idea to be careful. If the person on the other side is hesitant about replying, never open the door.
Don’t put your extra key under your doormat, in a planter, or in a cleverly disguised false rock. While you may feel that you are keeping yourself safe by allowing a way in for yourself, you are also allowing everyone else to visit whenever they want. Burglars are well aware of such hiding places. A better solution is to give your key to a neighbor you trust.
Each of your exterior doors needs to have a solid lock installed, which means a deadbolt. If there is an existing deadbolt on the door, check to be sure it is at least one inch long. If not, you should be able to replace the lock yourself. Simply go to a hardware store and shop around.
Install metal security bars on all sliding doors and widows. Sliding doors and windows are vulnerable to being forced open by a determined intruder. A simple metal bar set into the track adds considerable security for a small price. Make sure that the bar is long enough that the door or window cannot be opened far enough to fit through.
If you are going on vacation, don’t cancel the delivery of your mail or your newspaper. When you do that, you never know who may stumble across the information that you are going to be away from home. Instead, ask a friend or a family member to help you out.
To secure your sliding doors, put a metal pipe in the track and then jam it against the door frame. This will stop the door from sliding and ensure that it can’t be opened from the outside. To choose the right length of pipe, measure the entire track and buy a piece that big.
A big mistake that people make when making home improvements is they will leave their tools lying around during the process. This is an invitation for a criminal to either steal the tools or utilize your own tools to break into your home. Ladders, hammers, pry bars, and other home improvement tools can help a crook break in and steal from you.
If someone knocks on your door when you’re not expecting company, check to see who it is before you open the door for them. Ask them to identify themselves, or check through a window, peephole, or even a video system. Taking this precious second to check out a visitor can spare you a lot of trouble.
You should install a keypad lock on your door if you are worried about people having access to your home who shouldn’t. This means that you can change the code every time you feel you are vulnerable. This is much easier than worrying about who may have keys to your home, including exes and previous owners.
A lot of people try avoiding neighborhood gossip. Try to listen to them when you need to. If there are unfamiliar people hanging around, the busybodies in your neighborhood will notice. Being friendly will bring you great security.
If you want to include cool technology in your home while also protecting it, invest in fingerprint locks. These will only open if one of your family members is there, ensuring that no one can break in thanks to a key they’ve found, picking the lock, or foiling a lesser-grade lock.
Even if you don’t plan to be out for long, lock up all windows and doors, even those on the second floor. It isn’t hard for someone to show up at your home with a very tall ladder claiming to be there to repair something, and many neighbors won’t want to get involved.
As was mentioned in the opening paragraph of this article, good home security measures are needed to protect your family’s health and well-being from outside threats. You need to educate yourself on the latest home security trends. Utilize the info you have learned from this article and take action to protect your family’s security.