It is critical that each homeowner educates himself on proper home security. It is necessary, though, to sort through the large volumes of information that exist on the subject. The article that follows can provide you with essential concepts and help you create an effective home security system.
Home security systems offer additional features besides loud alarms during a break-in. They can actually be set to chime whenever a monitored door is opened. This is useful for parents who have small kids, as it helps keep them from leaving the house.
TIP! Home security systems offer additional features besides loud alarms during a break-in. Many systems sound an alert whenever people enter the house.
Buy a safe so you can conceal your valuables in it. Doing so can protect your valuables in the event of a robbery. Put the safe somewhere difficult to get to, like the attic.
Buy fire resistant flooring, roofing and ceiling. Having your home built with fire resistant materials will help safeguard your home in case it catches fire. Keeping fire hazards away is a great safety precaution since fire can cause lots of destruction.
TIP! Get roofing, flooring and ceilings that are fire resistant. This will help ensure the safety of your home, particularly if your home is located in a dry area.
Make sure the ringer on any phones in your home is turned off when you leave for vacation. A burglar might hear your phone ring and ring and ring, then realize that you are not home to answer it.
Secure your attached garage. You can prevent this from happening easily. You can use a C-clamp to secure the door and prevent it from being opened by strangers.
TIP! Check out your garage to ensure that it is secure. Lots of people are afraid that burglars will be able to break into their garage, which will result in them breaking into the home.
Don’t open up your door for someone who is a stranger. Criminals find ways to get people to open doors so they can commit crimes. Enforce a rule within your house that no one opens the door to unexpected people.
Skylights could be a problem for the safety of your home. They look great and provide light, but also are another access point. Be certain to have skylights that incorporate strong, durable hardware.
TIP! Your home may be equipped with skylights, and if so you must not neglect them in your security planning. Skylights are a great addition to any home, but they are also tempting entryways for crooks.
Attached Garage
A secure hiding place can be created in a wall. If you have small valuables you want to protect, consider hiding them inside your walls. Just open up an electrical outlet or a phone jack that is not in use. You can also just put in a false plate to cover a hiding place.
TIP! Walls are great for hiding things. Keep small, valuable items inside the walls of your home.
If you have an attached garage, make sure it is secure. There is a solution for people that are worried about burglars going into their home through an attached garage. A C-clamp is very useful for garage doors that lift on tracks. It will prevent garage doors from opening up whenever it is near the roller and is tight on the track.
You can hide your valuable items inside your walls. You do not have to cut pieces out of the walls to do this. Find a place where there is already a hole to get in through. Perhaps you can use an old electricity socket as a place to hide your valuables.
TIP! Keep your most valuable possessions inside your walls. You don’t have to cut out pieces of the wall to do this.
Use your garage for your car and not for storage. Keeping the car inside is a good way to keep criminals from stealing or harming it. Storing your car in the garage will also make it difficult for anyone casing your home to figure out when no one is going to be there.
Purchase an alarm system that has a few “bells and whistles;” you don’t just need protection for your doors. All of your windows are possible entry points for a thief too. Each point of entry for your home should be monitored by the system. You want the best security possible for your family.
TIP! Purchase an alarm system that has a few “bells and whistles;” you don’t just need protection for your doors. The best systems are those that cover windows as well.
Always change the locks if you have someone move out of your home. Maybe you’ve had a roommate leave or a bitter ex-lover, so changing the locks can keep you safer. It is pretty cheap and the job won’t take more than a few hours.
After making major (i.e. expensive) purchases, don’t dump the packaging out front if your next scheduled garbage pick-up is several days away. Having these boxes around will let thieves know the type of items that are inside your home.
TIP! If you purchase big-ticket items, don’t throw their boxes in the trash before trash day. If you leave the boxes out all week, it lets people know what type of items you have in your home.
The walls are a perfect hiding place. You can hide small valuables in your walls. Target any unused phone jacks or electrical outlets for an easy hiding spot. If you don’t have unused plates, it’s easy to put in a fake one.
Believe it or not, the wires on your house are worth stealing. Many folks are not aware of this until a thief steals it. A skilled intruder could remove all the copper from your home within less than an hour. Keep your wiring hidden or inaccessible to potential burglars.
TIP! Are you aware that your home’s wires are worth something? People often don’t think about this until they have it stolen from their home. Copper, found in many wires, can be removed in little time, and is worth quite a bit of money.
When in the process of selecting an alarm system, you should select a system that protects more than simply the doors of your home. Intruders can enter through your windows too. Attach the alarm to each window and ask for monitoring for them. This helps ensure your family stays safe.
Think about what you need to feel safe before considering security systems. Security systems are a proven method of reducing your chance of break-ins, but it is not always the right choice. Some neighborhoods may do better with self-defense classes or having a dog, while others may require the best home security technology you can get. Understanding your neighborhood, risks and budget constraints can help you to make the best choices.
TIP! Consider your security risk and safety needs before purchasing home security systems. While these systems could be good for protecting your family, they aren’t for everyone.
Alarm System
It might be time to get yourself a paper shredder if you haven’t already gotten one. You would be surprised at how often thieves look through trash to find personal information to find out when you will be away from home so they can break in. If you don’t have a paper shredder, tear the papers up.
TIP! Shred any documents and junk mail that contains identifying information. Thieves are likely to steal documents that include your personal information if they can find them.
While an alarm system or other security measures can make your home much safer, you must be sure that your security wiring isn’t exposed. 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. Don’t make it easier for them, so have wires hidden in the house’s walls or buried. You will be much more safe.
If you plan to go away and have asked someone to get the mail, see if they will also remove fliers that may have been left at the door. Thieves will drop off flyers to see if home owners are away. Intruders can get a good idea of what your schedule is like or figure out that you are on vacation if the flyer stays on your door for a long time.
TIP! If you will be away from your home, arrange to have whoever is collecting your mail to also pick up fliers placed inside your door. Thieves will drop off flyers to see if home owners are away.
Are you aware that the wires located on the exterior of your house have value? A lot of people do not know this until a thief steals them from the house. Experienced criminals can make a decent amount of money quickly by stripping copper wiring off of houses in order to sell it at a scrapyard. Keep your wiring hidden or inaccessible to potential burglars.
Your pup is a great crime deterrent. They generally bark when someone comes close to their property. Your dog doesn’t have to be a big, burly attack dog. Small dogs are noisy and unpredictable and very good at deterring burglars.
TIP! Man’s best friend can be one of the most effective anti-burglary systems. Dogs are very protective of their turf and usually make noises when something is amiss.
Ask your home security company about coming to your residence and creating a system that is tailored to your personal needs. Each customer wants certain things as far as home security goes. If you’ve found a company that can tailor a system to you, you can receive the greatest amount of security to make you feel much more comfortable.
Don’t use locks of the spring latch variety. They give intruders and easy time breaking in, since they can be unlocked with a credit card. Intruders just have to slide a card in between the latch and door for the lock to pop open. Add a deadbolt if you do not want to replace your spring latch locks.
TIP! Do not use locks with spring latches. These locks are very easy to pick with something as common as a credit card.
Make sure the outside of the house is well lit. Criminals like to blend into the shadows, so do your best not to provide too many for them. Install lights by each and every entryway to your home. This includes porches and doorways, the garage, as well as ground floor windows, which can invite an intruder.
Avoid making the password your birth date for numeric locks. Personal information, such as a birthday can be acquired on the Internet. If you use this as your password, you may make it easy for a burglar to rob you. Think of a number which is the answer to a mathematical question so you can just remember the answer to the question.
TIP! Be sure not to use your birthday as the password on your door lock’s numeric key pad. Anyone can get your birthdate off mail or your Facebook page and will therefore have access to your home.
Safeguarding your home is one of the most important things any homeowner can do. But there are so much information about home security that may not suit your situation. This means that this article will help you if you need advice about maintaining your home’s safety.
Always keep your valuables secure. This can include items like important photos, passports, pricey jewelry, and legal documents. Floor safes are excellent locations for keeping these particular items safe inside your home. Safety deposit boxes are another great idea.
TIP! Make sure your valuables, or things that can’t be replaced, are safe. Irreplaceable valuables, including financial records, family photos, legal documents, passports, etc.