A vital part of securing your home is the installation of a home security system.  Home security systems come in many different forms and levels of protection.  Whether you are hiring a professional security installation company, or you are going to do it yourself, there are critical design elements that should be considered that are covered here.

First you need to determine what you are willing to spend on a security system.  Most alarm monitoring companies offer a free or reduced installation of their basic package which usually includes 3 door contacts, 1 keypad, 1 passive infrared motion detector, 1 back-up battery, 1 siren, and yard sign if you agree to their monitoring agreement.  For many homeowners, this is a way to have a basic security system installed without breaking the budget.  But if you wish to increase your security on your home, it may cost you more.

The most important areas of the house to cover is the back and the sides.  Burglars look for the point of entry that will give them the most cover so that it reduces their chances of getting caught.  If a burglar is looking to break in the front, they will usually ring the doorbell to see if anyone is at home.  If no one answers the door, they will kick the door in and close it behind them.  From the street, it is hard to tell that there is anything going on.  But if they were to break a window on the front of the house, your neighbors can easily tell that something is not quite right.

Most burglaries occur through the doors.  The doors most often targeted are the back and side doors.  Windows are also easy points of entry.  Contacting all of the accessible windows will provide a warning of possible intrusion if someone were to raise a window at night while you were at home.  If however, you are primarily interested in protecting your property while you are away, then it may be more cost effective to consider using passive infrared motion detectors and glass break detectors.  The reason is that even if the windows are contacted, it is possible on most windows to simply break the glass and climb in.  The contact never sets the alarm off if the window is not opened.

An interior trap of some sort is a critical part of an effective home security system.  The most common interior trap is a motion detector placed in the living area as a way of catching an intruder that got by the perimeter contacts.  Pet motions are available in different sizes that will detect intruders but filter out the animals.  These pet motions are not recommended for homeowners with cats however.  Most cats are notorious for jumping on counters and tables. When the cat jumps, it jumps so quick that the motion thinks it is a person standing up.  A good alternative in this case is to use an interior door contact on a closet or bedroom door that is kept shut.  When the burglar opens that door, the alarm goes off.  But if the system is armed in the stay mode, the interior contact is bypassed so that you may open the door if necessary.

Homeowners with animals often request glass break detectors for their home security system.  Although glass break detectors are suggested by many alarm salespeople, you need to understand their limitations before spending your hard earned money on them.  For a glass break detector to be effective, it has to have a mostly unobstructed view of the glass it is to protect.  The glass break detector is listening for the sound and vibration of breaking glass, and it has to occur within milliseconds of each other.  This dual technology is designed to reduce false alarms.  A glass break detector likely will not work properly if the windows you are trying to protect are covered with heavy draperies, shutters, or even faux wood blinds.  Common places where a glass break can be effective in a standard home include protecting the glass above the master bath tub, and the back door glass.

Something else to consider in your security system design is to add a cellular back up to the system.  A cell back-up unit is designed to transmit the alarm signal even if the burglar decides to cut the home phone line.  It is an additional cost due to the cost of the monthly airtime and cost of the unit, but it is the ultimate as far as alarm communications are concerned.

In conclusion, the minimum home security system that you should consider would at least have an interior trap of some form and all of the exterior doors contacted.  Do not be afraid of using your alarm system because all of the keypads manufactured today are relatively easy to operate.  As we tell our customers all the time at my company, “It will not do you any good sitting on the wall”.

Many people these days are installing a home security camera at various vantage points around their home and property.  These can be used for either indoor or outdoor applications, to keep an eye on anyone approaching your home and anyone that’s already inside your home.  A home security camera can scare away potential intruders, find out who has been stealing your mail, keep an eye on your babysitter or full-time housekeeper, and let you check in on your kids while you’re still at the office.  

The type of burglar alarm systems to be considered will different for every homeowner, and really boils down to just why you want home security cameras in the first place.  Some may immediately say that this is an easy question – you want them for security.  But ask yourself, security from what?  Potential burglars when you’re away or during the night?  Or are you concerned with activities that may be going on in the home when the kids are there, when you have household help present, and so on?  Having home security cameras installed that record to a VCR or DVR may be a good idea for typical security scenarios, such as wanting to scare away burglars.  A potential thief may see the camera and be motivated to leave or move to a different target.

For those who want more than just a basic home security camera, you can purchase an entire kit or package.  Depending on how much you want to spend, you can get a basic kit that includes a camera, monitor, and VCR or DVR.  Some will include more than just one home security camera; sometimes up to eight.  For most homeowners, this will be more cameras than you need, but sometimes getting more than one is a good idea too.  

But for some families, a parent may want to protect their children or an elderly relative who may be home alone, or keep a watchful eye on them.  For example, you may suspect that your child has friend over after school when you’ve told him or her that this wasn’t allowed.  By having home security cameras that broadcast over a website, you are able to log on and view what’s happening in your house at any given time.   

Another type of popular home security camera is one that broadcasts the signal to an internet site so that you can log on and watch from anyplace with an internet connection.  This is very handy for those who want to check in on the kids, the nanny, or just their home and property when they’re at the office or on the road.  And of course there is what’s called spy-size home security cameras that are very small and that can be hidden behind virtually anything in the home.

Of course there are some precautions needed about installing home security cameras.  If you have someone working for you such as a nanny or full-time housekeeper, this person could be considered an employee and it would be illegal to tape them in certain circumstances, such as the bathroom or their private bedroom.  You may also want to let people, including your children, know that you’re installing home security cameras so that they don’t get caught doing something embarrassing, or they begin to think that you don’t trust them.  But if you install just one or two home security cameras outside your main entrances to scare off potential intruders, this can actually go a long way toward protecting your home and your family.