Basic Home Security

Burglars are typically after the low-hanging fruit. They want to get in to your home or business, grab your valuables and get away in a very short time frame. If you make it difficult for them to enter your home and get your valuables, they are likely to pass your home by in search of an easier target.

To make it more difficult for criminals, please consider taking these precautionary measures in order of what I perceive to be the order of priority.

Secure your Doors:

Doors are the preferred form of entry for residents and burglars. Residents normally use a key to gain entry, but burglars typically force the door in until the door jamb fails. Put deadbolts on all exterior doors. If the deadbolt is within two feet of a window, use a double cylinder deadbolts so that the criminal won’t be able to simply break your window and unlock your door.

Instead of using the strike plate that comes with your deadbolt, replace it with an extended strike plate . Use 3 or 4 inch wood screws to mount the strike plate into the door frame, which is a structural component of your house. This will make it much less likely that your door jamb will fail. Use the same wood screws to replace every other screw in the hinge plates on the hinged side of the door frame. This will make it less likely that any burglars will be able to kick in your door on the hinged side.

If you want to take extra precautions in securing your doors, you can install Door Jamb Armor in place of an extended strike plate. Door Jamb Armor lines your door frame with powder coated metal, which makes it nearly impossible for the door to be kicked in. Another extra precaution that one can use to secure doors is to use a security bar to reinforce the door and reduce the likelihood of it being forced open.

Secure your Windows:

First, to prevent prowling eyes, take the time to put up any kind of blinds . This prevents burglars from simply looking in your windows to determine the layout of your house and what valuables you may have.

I am no expert at securing windows, but for those of you who have double-hung, wooden sash windows, window pins can be used as an economical and effective way to secure your windows. Burglars typically will break the window pane, then unlock the simple sash lock and open a window. The window pins prevent the sashes from opening or closing, which makes entry and exit difficult. For other types of windows, there are numerous products. You can check out the local hardware stores or online for solutions for your home.

Securing Property Outside the Home:

To prevent theft of tools, lawnmowers, outdoor furniture, etc. it is best to secure all gates, fences, sheds and storage spaces. The simplest security measures are standard padlocks or weatherized padlocks . If you are concerned about outdoor furniture, lawnmowers or bikes, a cable lock or simply a padlocked chain securing your valuables to a fixed object such as a rail, deckpost or tree will add significant protection.

Criminals hate lights, so install security floodlights on corners of your house to illuminate your perimeter at night.

Securing Property Inside the Home:

The best way to secure property inside the home is to secure all the entrances to the home, as explained above. However, if you want to take extra precautions, I would first suggest a monitored alarm system. However, if you would prefer not to pay monitoring fees, you can install an unmonitored alarm system .

If burglars do successfully make entry into your home or business, you can ensure that it is difficult for them to leave with your valuables. Placing valuable documents, jewelry, firearms and other smaller valuables inside a heavy-duty safe or gun safe .

Finally, home surveillance systems have become much more functional and much cheaper in recent years. Packages can now be purchased that stream video over the internet or send email alerts when motions or alarms are activated. Video surveillance systems can now be purchased in complete systems that essentially allow plug & play functionality.