Tips for Home Security

December 29th, 2007    Subscribe To Our Feed

Home security is something that can be put on the back burner right behind excitement, decorating, and house warming parties.

However, checking to make sure that you have the right home safety and security issues taken care of before you move your things in could save you from potential headaches and court fees later. Unfortunately, when you take on possession of a new home you also inherit a world of accountability for every person that sets foot into your new domicile.

You should be proud, but protective, of your new investment and take the provisions necessary to ensure life long happiness in your secure home.

Everyone feels different about home security; so don’t rely on a previous owner to do what is necessary to keep your home free from hazards.

Many people will pay close attention to all areas of their home, and forget about the most dangerous parts.  The two most precarious areas of your home are the garage and the basement. Both of these areas are home to chemicals, fuses, circuits, and other hazardous materials. When you start to organize your home, think of it being child and pet friendly. Put all of your charcoal, pesticides, and gasoline far out of reach.

A good product that can help you to remove all of your risky objects is the RacorPro Heavylift that attaches to your ceiling and is lowered by remote control. If you don’t want to buy and assemble anything, Home Depot and Lowe’s both offer storage shed construction for a relatively low price.

There are also things that you can do to make the general living areas of your house safer. For instance, make sure that you have smoke detectors conveniently located throughout your home; this includes hallways and general areas. You should also check with your local health department to see if your plumbing contains lead or lead solder in order to maintain the best home security possible.

Exposure to lead can be fatal, and if you suspect that your plumbing has lead in it, make sure that you run your water for thirty seconds before you drink it. Also remember that boiling your water does not take the lead out of it. Make sure that your family has a planned escape route in case of emergency, and have important numbers, like the police and fire departments in an easy and convenient location.

It is also a good idea to check your outlets when you move in to see if any are excessively hot or cold. Extreme temperatures in your electrical outlets could be a hint to faulty wiring.

Having a pool is fun for the entire family, but there are necessary home security measures that cannot be ignored by anyone who has permission to swim. For instance, there should be a telephone located somewhere close to the pool in case of disaster.

There should be a fence or some sort of barrier surrounding the pool, making it difficult for young children to get to the pool, fall in, and possibly drown. The fence around the pool area is required by most cities and you can be fined for not following regulation if they ever decide to pay you a visit.

Your home security efforts will never be foolproof and accidents do happen, but at least you will know you did everything you could.

Just when you were thinking that home security was a lesser issue, you start to remember the woman who claimed that she found a finger in her chili.

The police found out that she was lying in order to scam money from Wendy’s, she made a formal apology, and then went to jail. The point is that if there is someone who is willing to steal a severed finger in order to make a buck, don’t think that your future house guests are any different.

Okay, your friends may not go to ridiculous lengths, but they may get hurt enough sticking a finger in a socket to try and get a little money from you. Do what you have to do to protect yourself, so that you can minimize potentially harmful situations.

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Home Window Security Home Security Tip - Thwarting the Typical Thief

September 28th, 2007    Subscribe To Our Feed

Numerous homeowners pay all sorts of money ensuring their front doors are secure yet turn lax when it comes to strengthening the windows in their households when given this home security tip. “Why go through the trouble?” one man said. “If a burglar wishes to break through the window, he’ll just break the glass.”

Actually, that is not true, as a burglar might be willing to break through a small pane of glass so he or she can reach in and unlatch a window, but shattering the entire window would make too much noise and draw too much attention. Burglars want ease of entry, privacy, and value for their effort. With a few simple tips, you can deny them all three.

Denying Ease of Entry

There are many different ways in regards to having home window security, and discourage burglars from making the windows in your home into an impromptu entryway. One simple step you can take to have home window security is to use storm windows. No, it doesn’t take a genius to remove them, but that’s one extra layer of protection a burglar has to work his or her way through. Just the extra time it takes to deal with the storm windows may discourage some burglars.

If you have wooden window frames, you can use home window security by pinning the top and bottom frame together so the window cannot be opened. Another option for home window security is simply to cover your windows with metal grates. This need not make your home look like a prison. Window guards come in many different designs, and can actually be made to look like part of your décor.

Denying Privacy

Strategically place exterior lights around your windows. No burglar wants to work in the spotlight. Although tall hedges around your windows may make you feel more secure, they actually provide a perfect hiding place for the burglar to do his or her work. If you like shrubbery around your home, why not use some prickly or thorny plants like a few large rosebushes?

Finally, whether you have a burglar alarm or not, prominently place alarm decals on your windows. Most burglars won’t call your bluff.

Withholding Value

Anothor goof home security tip is to try to keep expensive objects concealed from the windows. A thief who can peer into the window and discover a high-priced entertainment system might be more driven to learn a way in than the thief who glimpses in the window and encounters little of value.

The windows in your household may feel like a defenseless spot, only it is practical to have home window security so that many thieves will be demoralized from even trying to come in through them. Generally, home window security is an extremely significant and important subject.

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Straightforward Home Security Tips That Anyone Can Use

August 31st, 2007    Subscribe To Our Feed

Have you ever come across one of those home security magazines and after reading it felt like you have to work for over a month to turn your home into a a place like Fort Knox like the article suggested?

Unless you’re trying to protect the Hope Diamond, then home security tips pretty much  don’t need to be that much of a challenge.  Primarily, when a burglar surveys or “cases” your home, that individual is considering a few basic questions. Can I break into this house easily (i.e., quickly)? Will I have privacy? Is there anything in this home worth stealing? If all the answers come up yes, your home may very well be a target. If you can change the answer to even one of those questions into a resounding “NO,” you can increase your home security.

Important Home Security Tips

One of the best and most obvious home security tips is that you should always be sure to lock your house up before you leave. Doors should be metal or have a solid wood core with hinges located on the inside. Don’t count on a typical doorknob lock to deter a burglar. A thick deadbolt lock that extends at least an inch into the door jam, on the other hand, will discourage most burglars who don’t want to take the time to mess with it.

Windows and sliding glass doors should also be locked. Also, you can place a blocking or anti-lift device on windows, and use a blocking device like a sturdy piece of wood or a steel bar to hold your sliding glass door shut.

Shrubbery around the windows and doors can give burglars a place to hide while they work, unless you choose prickly plants like that of rose bushes or a pyracantha, for instance. Crooks want to walk away with a handful of cash, after all, and not a handful of thorns.

Another one of the best home security tips is that no burglar wants to call attention to what he or she is doing. Anything that interrupts privacy, like a loud dog, a bright light, or an alarm system will discourage the average burglar from putting your house on his or her list.

Even if you don’t actually have a dog or an alarm system, put up a sign in your yard that says “Beware of the dog,” and post an alarm decal prominently on your window. When it comes to criminals you don’t have to be honest.

Don’t go boasting about expensive items you may have, and don’t leave your entertainment system, computer system, or other types of valuables where they can be easily noticed through a window.  The less the burglars are tempted, the less the odds  that they will make you a target for their criminal activity.

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