Are you seeking ways to make your home more safe? If so, you have made a good choice, as you never know what could happen to your house. You need to do everything you can if you want your home to be safe. Read this article for great home security tips.

Always make your house appear to be occupied. Put timers on the TV, lights and radios. This way it will always look as if someone is home, even when you are away. This should help you make your home safer and not attract the attention of potential intruders.

Does your dog stay outside while you are gone? If so, the dog can be a terrific spot to keep a spare key. Secure the key on the inside of the dog’s collar. This works especially well as storage if your pet isn’t too fond of strangers.

If you want to have a spare key close to your house in order to prevent lockouts, make sure you give its hiding place some careful thought. Intruders will think to look on the top if a door frame and under a doormat. A possible solution is to attach a key to your outdoor dog’s collar.

Fire-resistant building materials are the way to go, both inside and outside the home. This will help you protect your home under all circumstances. Home security also includes taking steps to prevent a fire from completely destroying your home.

There are more features to a home alarm system besides making sounds when people break in. They often even alert you to any time a door is opened. This is a good way to know if your small child has opened a door or closed it.

Get advice from loved ones about home security systems. They may have had experiences with certain companies and can lead you in the right direction. Ask around to get lots of advice for making a better choice.

It can be a good idea to only leave one ringer on in your home when you are away. Intruders might be attracted by a phone that rings constantly without anyone picking up.

When looking to buy a security system, shop around. Prices can be very different from one product to another. Try to get two or three quotes before making a decision.

There’s no security system so durable that it can go without regular maintenance and inspections. Have yours checked out once a year. The security company should have a specialist come to look at it. A number of things may cause your alarm system to have problems, including mother nature and wild animals. Sometimes, you may need a professional to locate the problem.

If your home has skylights, don’t neglect to secure them. They look great and provide light, but also are another access point. Any skylights in your home should be secured with strong hardware.

Talk to people you know about their security systems. Others may have had bad and good experiences that they share with you so that you may be able to save time and stress. Taking a little time to listen can make you a much better decision maker when it comes to home security.

Walls are a good place to hide things. Hide valuables inside of your walls. You can use phone jacks or electric outlets as hiding spots. Even if every single plate in your home is being used, you can purchase a fake one purpose-built for concealing valuables.

Keep your most valuable possessions inside your walls. This doesn’t require tearing into your walls, of course. There’s plenty of places in a house with pre-cut areas that can be used. How about unwiring an electricity socket and using it as cover for a place to stash valuable jewelry?

Turn off your phone’s ringer when you go on vacation. A phone which rings forever is a sign to burglars that you’re not there.

Be certain your wires are hidden, if you have installed a security system in your home. Easily-accessible security wiring is a definite weak point in your home’s protection; the best alarm system in the world is useless if it’s easily disabled. Make it hard for a burglar to avoid your detection. Your safety will increase.

Talk to any companies you’re considering hiring to install a security system about how long the company has been around. A company with a long history has proved they can survive and provide great service to people. Being in the hands of a good company helps you have peace about your decision.

Your garage should be as secure as your home. There is a way to stop thieves from entering your home from the garage. Get a C-clamp to secure your garage door if it is mounted on a track.

Before you think about home security, consider personal security and safety. Some systems aren’t necessary for some, while others may have a need for them. In some neighborhoods, you might be better off taking a self defense class or owning a dog, while in others, the latest innovations in home security will protect you best. Understanding your neighborhood, risks and budget constraints can help you to make the best choices.

Don’t give anyone an opportunity to see inside your garage in order to ward off robbers. Frosted windows will keep a burglar from being able to see inside. The material needed to do this can be found at home improvement stores. Keep your garage door closed as often as possible, too.

During the summer, remove all vegetation and dead wood from your yard. These could catch on fire during the summer, especially if you live in a dry area. Keep your yard clear so it is a safe area.

If there are certain rooms you want to keep unoccupied, then you don’t want to keep track of all the keys and locks. Instead, key-less key code locks can work just as well. They are fairly simple to install, or if you don’t feel comfortable doing so yourself, you can ask your home security company about it.

Spring Latch Locks

Talk to the police department in your area to see what safety programs they have. There are many that offer programs that include items, such as home inspection, how to use engraving tools to mark code numbers to identify valuables if yours are stolen, and protective measures advice. Call them up to find out more.

Don’t utilize spring latch locks. These are the easiest for criminals to open with a credit card. The card is slid into the crevice between the latch and the door, pushing the latch back and springing the lock open. If your doors sport spring latch locks, add deadbolts to beef up security.

No home is safe from thieves. You can make your home safer though. This article has several great home security tips. Use them in order to ensure that you do all that can be done to secure your home.

Walls are the perfect place to hide. You should think about hiding certain small valuables within your walls. Place them in switch plates, phone jacks or an electric outlet. A security store will sell fake plates you can install anywhere.