Home Security, Securing Doors and Windows Effectively

Home security continues to be a very important topic for many families. This is especially relevant today since crime rates (especially for burglaries) typically increase when the economy is struggling. Consequently, I felt it would be a good idea to review ways to enhance home security by making doors and windows more secure.

Since it has been reported that illegal entry into homes occurs more often through the front door than through all other points of entry combined, lets start with discussing ways to make doors more impenetrable. All exterior doors should be made of reinforced steel, or solid hard wood. However, even these doors are not very secure if the door frame (especially the door jams) are poorly constructed, e.g., made out of cheap pine. For maximum security I recommend utilizing either heavy-duty strike plates, or a door reinforcer kit, and installing 3 inch nickel-plated or stainless steel screws in all exterior door jams (making sure that the screws penetrate at least 2 inches into the underlying framing lumber).

Sliding glass doors are a favorite target of burglars. The quickest and cheapest way to secure these doors is to simply wedge a broom handle, at about a 45 degree angle, into the door track on the inside. Additional security is easily obtained by screwing several screws into the door's upper track, with just enough clearance to allow the door to slide freely, but not allowing the door to be removed.

Your garage door can also be easy pickings, unless you have an electronic door opener, which is usually fairly inexpensive these days and makes it very difficult to force open the door from the outside, without breaking through the door panels. However, be sure you change the security code (for the electronic door) from the pre-installed settings (which are usually set to all zeros), since the more professional burglars know this and can take advantage of this knowledge, if you don't change the settings!

Now let's turn to windows. I've heard that burglars usually break windows as a last resort, or maybe by accident. They prefer cutting an access hole through the window frame and using a stiff wire to open the window's locking device. I feel that the safest windows are glass block ones, which are almost impossible to break through. Of course, they cannot be opened and some people think they are ugly to look at. So, I mainly recommend them for use in basements, or other areas near ground level and out-of-sight.

Most double-hung windows have cheap locks. An old, inexpensive remedy, for this type of window, is to install eyebolts in both corners and, if done properly, they make it almost impossible to open the window from the outside, when the eyebolts are in place. A more sophisticated solution is to install heavy-duty sash locks, or keyed locks, if you can tolerate the inconvenience. I do not recommend screwing the window shut, since this approach is a safety hazard in case of fire!

All of these measures can be very effective. In addition, it can be useful to install surveillance equipment in key locations. This provides insurance in case the security measures mentioned above do not prevent a break-in. If this should happen, the evidence captured via the surveillance system can be critical for the capture of the bandit(s) and quick recovery of all stolen goods!

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Home Security Basics - Three Top Ways to Secure Your Home

Your home serves as a safe haven for both your family and your property. The first step that should be taken in securing your home should be habitually locking all doors and windows. Studies have shown that this alone can be a strong deterrent to would-be burglaries. Because most home robberies are what is called "crimes of opportunity", most burglars would rather wait for an easy target (one with unlocked doors or windows) than spend the time and energy breaking into a secured home. In the case that your home becomes a target regardless of this fact, there are three main methods that you can follow to further ensure your security.

Security Doors

A good steel security door can be a great barrier between you and any unwanted company. In most cases, a would-be burglar cannot kick in steel security doors. To accomplish this, steel security doors are positioned outside the normal front door, and designed to open outward. Kicking the door can only serve to pull the deadbolt out of its socket. To increase the security, the door is secured by the entire doorframe, which will require battering rams and other advanced devices to knock down. Furthermore, security doors typically take at least twice as long for someone to pick the lock. In the event that someone does try to break yours down, they will probably just end up waking the neighbors before they make it inside.

Deadbolt Locks

One of the simplest ways to avoid having your door kicked in is to install a deadbolt with a steel strike plate. This will also help to prevent anyone from opening a standard latch-style lock by inserting a credit card or other similar object in between the door and the doorframe. Because a deadbolt must be operated by a key to be opened, this is impossible to do.

Home Security Systems

In addition to strong locks and doors, you should consider installing a home security system. These systems come in a variety of styles and levels of protection. On the most basic level, a security system can provide you with an audible alarm whenever one of the magnetic connections installed on a door or window becomes broken. This alarm serves not only as a warning to you that something is amiss, but is often enough to scare a burglar right out the door.

In order to strengthen your security system, you should also install motion sensors, vibration sensors and security system monitoring. This combination of security technologies will ensure that even if a criminal is able to outsmart a portion of your security system, they will not be able to get past another element. If someone breaks a window to avoid the magnetic sensors that detect open windows, for example, vibration sensors or motion sensor can detect their presence in your home. By monitoring your system, you add an additional line of safety in the form of a third-party company who will call the appropriate authorities in the case of an invasion.

Regardless of the level of security that you choose to install, you are best served by employing multiple methods. By doing so, you essentially multiply your safety because you are not relying on a single safety method or device to keep your home, your family and your valuables safe.

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Increasing the Security of Your Home

It is common to take a closer look at the security of your home after becoming aware of crimes in your area. Whether those crimes are burglaries, home invasions or other similar events, there are a number of steps that you can take today to increase the security of your home and prevent your home from being targeted in a crime.

Analyze Your Home One of the first things you should do is take a look at your home by standing across the street or at a distance. Look at your home as if you were a criminal who is trying to find a way into your home. Does the landscaping offer excellent cover from visibility of those passing by on the street? Are there other obstructions that may allow a burglar or robber to easily gain access to the home without others noticing? You can remove obstructions and make landscaping changes to ensure that all doors and windows are easily visible from the street.

The Presence of a Dog Many criminals can disable a standard home security alarm with relative ease, so a security alarm sign in the front yard is not a major deterrent. A barking dog, a dog standing watch at a front window or a sign that warns that a dog is on the property are all more effective deterrents. A criminal would much rather prefer to visit the house next to you that does not have a dog than to hassle with your home and dog.

Don't Flaunt Your Luxury Items It is common for criminals to stake out a home before targeting it. They want to ensure that the home offers sufficient rewards for them to pursue. If you have expensive items in the garage, be sure to keep your garage door closed. If you have high-end electronics, beautiful works of art and more, keep these items away from visibility from the street as well as away from view from the front door. Keep in mind that criminals often pose as door-to-door salesmen to scope out the items you have available before deciding to enter your home later.

Install Better Locks Criminals want to find a home that offers great rewards, but they also want to find a home that is easy to access. Some locks, such as spring latch or slip bolt locks are easier for a criminal to open than a deadbolt lock or other similar locks. You may consider contacting a professional locksmith to review your home's locks and to provide you with advice regarding the need to upgrade the locks for additional security.

Nobody wants to experience a home invasion, burglary or other event. By taking just a few steps today, you can minimize the risk of being targeted for such a crime.

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What to Look for in Hidden Spy Cameras

Though cameras were invented long ago, hidden spy cameras were launched only recently by Kodak in 1983. The idea was to record videos secretly, and to transmit them to a secret receiver. Since its invention, the looks, features and uses of spy cameras went through continuous changes. And even today, different brands come with more advanced and more high-tech models of spy cameras at regular intervals. Thanks to advancement of technology that these cameras have made the safety of your loved ones easier than ever before. However, when it comes to buying a camera out of the lot, it is quite a daunting task. Read this article to know some useful tips on what to look for when buying hidden spy cameras.

Things to Consider when Buying Hidden Spy Camera

Before you go on to purchase a hidden spy camera, you must make sure what you want to do with the camera. Depending upon your individual requirements, you may want to include or exclude certain features in your camera. Moreover, reputation and background of the store should also be taken into consideration. Following are the three important things to consider when buying hidden spy cameras.

Design - Since you are buying a hidden spy camcorder, outward designs do not matter much. However, the thing to note here is the amount of space it takes. Moreover, it should not look like a camera. This is because you don't want other to identify it quickly. Make sure that the camera is such that it can be easily connected to other electronic items, such as computers and laptops. This makes it easy for you to store and review any footage easily. It is even better if the hidden spy camcorder is featured with a USB plug-in port and an RCA video input or output. This enables you to review footages as and when they are recorded. Additional Features - Apart from the design and the technical features, hidden camcorder must have some additional features, such as built-in DVR or an external memory slot. This allows you to have a look at the recordings without actually connecting the camera to any external device. Apart from these, to add credibility to your recording proof, make sure that your spy camcorder comes with options of color video recording and time stamping. 24 /7 Customer support - The simple fact that you are opting for a spy gadget is that you want to ensure the safety and security of your loved ones. Thus while ordering or purchasing spy camcorder make sure that you are buying it from a reputed store or brand. Also, make sure that the company has an active customer care system to solve technical problems, should they arise.

So, consider all these factors before buying hidden spy camera, and ensure the safety of your loved ones.

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Why Home Security Systems Are Necessary?

Normally, for human beings, particularly men, career would be the top priority. The reason for looking to build a good career is to make enough money to lead a comfortable life with their families. Once you have attained a good financial state, it is natural to want to buy a good home with all the usual household items that people usually have at homes. They include wooden furniture, TV set, desktop computer, kitchen items for your wife which can include costly ones like dishwashers, ovens etc. Buying gold is also commonly seen among people with good money since it is seen as an investment strategy. However, most people buy gold and other jewelries and keep them at home.

Even though doing everything told above is perfectly natural and that is what every normal human being would do, there is also a huge risk involved. The same items listed above may get stolen if you are not careful. The number of Burglary cases is constantly on the rise even in a well-developed country like the United States of America. Even though the American police system is advanced and is always on high alert, you wouldn't want to take a chance with all the expensive products that you have bought for your house with your hard earned money.

Thankfully, due to the huge development that has taken place and is constantly taking place in the field of technology, there is a solution to this potential life-changing problem of burglary in the form of home security systems. The term 'home security systems' can be deceiving since these systems can be used to secure offices as well.

However, the issue with home security systems is the cost of these systems since they can be pretty expensive. In some cases, the cost of these security systems can be more than the cost of all the household items put together in a house. Hence, it may not be cost-effective for all homes.

But, if you have spent a lot of money to buy expensive products for your house, then it would be necessary to invest in these security systems especially if you have women and kids at home when you are away. They won't be strong enough to stop burglary attempts. Sometimes, trying to stop these attempts may end up hurting them seriously.

You need to think about investing in home security systems as life-long investments to fully secure your home for a long time to come.

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Home Protection Tips: Why A Diversion Safe Will Protect Your Valuables

A diversion safe offers an excellent way to protect your valuable belongings form theft - it looks just like a regular household item such as a book or electrical outlet. However, its true purpose is to function as a place to hide valuables such as jewelry or money. The use of this type of safe is an excellent way to protect your most valuable possessions. Even if a thief knows about these types of safes, it will be impossible to discover which items in your home are really what they appear to be and which ones hide your cash.

A thief who has broken into your home is not likely to check all the food cans in your cupboard or every cleaning product under the sink. The thief wants to work fast to escape detection. Traditional safes are frequently targeted by thieves but diversion safes are often not recognized. Thieves simply do not have the time to check every item in the home.

Burglars rarely spend more than a few minutes in a home. While they search your home quickly for valuables, they will look in the most obvious places. They are not likely to check to see if money is hidden in your electrical outlets - there are probably way too many in your house for the intruder to check them all anyway. It is time to stop hiding money in your sock drawer and use a clever diversion safe instead.

Where Thieves Check First

Thieves are usually in a hurry and will check the commonly used hiding places first. These places include closets, refrigerators, and any place around the bed.

These are the places that thieves check first because these are the locations where many people hide their valuables. A diversion safe can protect your valuable possessions in the event of a burglary. Since most burglars work very quickly, you should fool the burglar into thinking they have already checked all the places where your valuables might be.

The master bedroom is usually the first place that is searched. Thieves know that most people hide their important possessions and cash in their dresser drawers. You may think you picked the perfect spot to hide your cash but it will be the first place that a thief will look.

There are many bad choices you can make when you try to hide your valuable possessions. The economy is currently very difficult for many people so there are more victims of home burglaries. Be sure to take all the appropriate steps in order to prevent burglars from targeting your home. In addition, you should also take extra steps to protect your valuables in case thieves do manage to break into your home.

What Sort of Diversion Safe Works Best?

There are many types of objects which can make good diversion safes and will keep your possessions out of the hands of thieves.

To hide items such as cash, coins, or jewelry, a small can of food or a drink can will make an effective safe. A wall clock can function as a safe for larger objects. There are many types of safes available so you will easily find one that suits your needs and looks as if it fits into the objects in your home.

If you use something that might be picked up and rattle, be sure to test it first by shaking it. If you hear a rattle, fill up the space with some wadded tissue or cloth so that a prowler does not discover that there is something inside. Loose coins or jewelry will make a rattle if they are hidden inside an object so you must be sure to muffle the sound. This is particularly important if the item is out in plain sight and easily accessible.

These days it is more important than ever to safeguard the contents of your home. A diversion safe is an excellent and inexpensive way to protect your belongings from thieves.

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