Home Protection Tips: 6 Best Ways to Secure Your Home
There are several preventative measures to make your home burglar-proof and protect your family and belongings.
25/02/2021
People have used everything from guard dogs to hired private security services to protect their homes from burglars. These days, homeowners tend to rely on advanced alarm home systems to scare off thieves. Installing the best DIY home security system is not just a question of price. It’s vital to understand what products you need to manage self-monitoring effectively.
You can take several preventative measures to make your home burglar-proof and protect your family and belongings. Let's proceed to them without much talking.
1. Install smoke and Carbon Monoxide detectors.
A DIY security system will help you protect your home from environmental hazards, leading to more devastating results than burglary. There are about 430 deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning in the U.S. each year and more than 3,000 deaths from fires.
So, fire and CO sensors are the necessities. Make sure to install them right, test them monthly, and replace the batteries twice a year.
How do smart sensors work? Once a smoke or CO leak is detected, the triggered sensor sends a signal to a security system's control panel. A notification is sent to your smartphone immediately. Also, the appropriate authority is contacted.
2. Put up alarm system stickers.
It's becoming increasingly popular to post warning signs of monitored security to deter potential intruders from a house even if there’s no alert system installed. People will know that they are likely to turn an alarm on if they decide to enter the house without an invitation.
Place alarm system signs in the visible spots:
- ● Doors (front, back, side, and garage
doors)
- ● Windows
- ● Beside the doorbell
- ● Letterbox
- ● Near to the front gate.
Wisely placed alarm stickers are a bonus for your safety. But they might not do the trick themselves. Only installing home security devices will turn your home into a safer and protected place.
3. Reinforce doors, windows, locks, and hardware.
FBI statistics on home break-ins show that burglars prefer easily accessible targets. About 58% of burglaries involve forcible entry. So, protect the access points in the first place. Once you place the sensors on the doors and windows, you’ll be notified whenever someone opens them.
According to the same FBI source, about 7
percent of burglars attempted forcible entry but
failed to do that. So, reinforce your doors,
windows, and locks. Here are some tips:
- ● Start with replacing exterior doors
with steel models. Most burglars avoid such
challenges as trying to break steel doors.
- ● If there’s no need to replace the
doors, check door hardware and strengthen
it. The strike plate (a metal plate affixed
to a doorjamb with a hole/holes for the bolt
of the door) should be installed with screws
at least ¾ inches long.
- ● Update all unreliable locks. Choose
tamper-proof models that cannot be easily
picked, hacked with a crowbar, or bump
opened.
- ● Make your windows burglar-proof, add quality window locks or bars, or get a more robust glass (like tempered glass or plexiglass).
4. Use motion sensor lights all over the place.
Illumination is associated with safety. The more you can see when it’s dark outside, the safer you feel. Motion-sensing lights are used to identify things or people that bring potential hazards.
Outdoor light bulbs illuminate criminal activity, such as breaking a window or picking a lock. In a crowded, busy, and connected neighborhood, light helps the community to respond when you can’t.
Unlit home seems unoccupied. It’s an easy target, especially if neighboring houses are bright and busy. A well-lit house creates the illusion of residency even when there is no one at home. Also, indoor versions will complicate an intruder’s task of moving around a house undetected.
So, switch to motion-activated light bulbs. Or simply turn your regular lights into motion-detector ones by adding motion detection adapters between sockets and standard bulbs.
5. Be creative about your hide-a-key.
Putting spare house keys in a flowerpot or under a doormat is like making your password "password." It's so obvious that you might as well leave your doors unlocked.
Some people give an extra key to their trusted neighbors. Others think out of the box and find unexpected secret hiding places. The home security market allows you to go further in securing your keys. Install a cheap lockbox in a well-hidden place.
A lockbox is opened with a number code or combination. This item is popular among real estate agents and Airbnb hosts. You can follow this safe trend as long as you can memorize that code or write it down in a discreet place.
6. Keep your valuables out of sight.
A comprehensive study of 5 years of statistics shows a link between an increase in alarm systems and burglary reduction. Enough studies prove that most burglars avoid alarm systems, but this was the first one to show that security systems actually decrease the crime rate. However, nothing can give you a 100% guarantee. It’s best to avoid the possibility of becoming a target for a burglar.
Don’t expose expensive possessions. Lock up your bike, tools, and other costly and easy-to-steal stuff in the garage. Hang curtains to prevent passers-by from inspecting your home.
Inside, put expensive items in a safe place
when you are not using them. Consider getting a
safe or lockbox to keep jewelry, cash, and
essential documents. It’s recommended to have a
safe bolted to the floor. This way, a burglar
won’t be able to take it away. Even if they try
to do it, the task will require time. And the
average intruder doesn’t want to be in the house
that long.
People often don't take enough
security measures until they or someone they
know has been burgled. But why wait until it's
too late? Consider the listed steps to make your
property much more protected and get peace of
mind.