Home break-ins and burglaries happen all the time around the country and in the past decade home invasions have become more frequent. This isn't to say that your home will be broken into tomorrow but if you believe that you need extra security for your home then you are not paranoid. Burglaries do happen and thieves are not picky about the homes they break into. As with many things the saying, "Its better to be safe than sorry." definitely applies in this case. The safety of ones home should be paramount since you and your family live there and your most valuable possessions are there as well.
I have personally experienced home break-ins and burglaries in my life. It is a terrible feeling. You feel angry, helpless and violated. Now there may be nothing you can do to make your home completely burglar proof but there are many things you can do to make your home a much harder target for would be thieves. Just doing one of these things could make the difference between a break-in and a thief moving on to choose another home.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Doors and Windows
_________________________________________________________________________________
Deadbolts
Probably the single best investment you can make to secure doors. Deadbolts are very tough and slide into the frame of the doorway. They often come with metal plates that surround the locking mechanism and a plate for the door frame as well. This makes deadbolts very difficult to break.
Even if a thief can break one it would make a lot of noise which is not good for the thief. Sliding chain locks and bar locks which are common on apartment building doors are weak and easily defeated.
How to Unlatch a Door Chain from Outside
Glass Block Windows
Glass blocks large blocks of glass or imitation glass that are about 6-8 inches thick. They are also translucent which means it is difficult to see through but will still allow light in. Their thickness makes them very hard to break.
You don't have to change all the windows in your home to glass block but certain ones really should be if they aren't already. If you happen to have french doors which are mostly glass then consider replacing the glass with glass block or getting french doors that have reinforced glass which do exist. Same goes for ground level windows. These are a big target for thieves because they don't need a ladder and any sound they make will be confined to the basement which you may not hear. The other place that should have glass block is a bathroom window if you happen to have one in your bathroom.
Curtains or Blinds
Having thick curtains or blinds that you cannot see through is another very simple change you can make that can go a long way to protecting your home. Many times a burglar will "case" a house first before breaking in. The easiest way to do this is to just look in the windows. This can be prevented simply by installing heavy curtains and closing them at night. If the burglar cant see in then they will most likely move on the the next house.
Secure Sliding Doors
Sliding glass doors are common on balconies and houses with walk-out backyards. They are attractive and convenient. Unfortunately people don't secure them as well as they should. The simplest way to secure them is to find a thick wooden dowel and put in in-between the back of the door and the door frame. This is a low tech solution that works surprisingly well.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Exterior
_________________________________________________________________________________
Landscaping
Paying attention to the landscape around your house is not something many people think about but this too is something that can make your house just difficult enough for a burglar to give up on.
If you have low windows then consider planting thick evergreen bushes. These are tough, hardy plants that will stay alive all year around. They are very hard for a person to navigate through and would most likely force a person to try and go over the top which is much more difficult. The other plants that are recommended to have around your windows are plants with thorns such as roses, cockle burr or common holly.
Motion Sensor Lights
This is a very smart investment to make to the exterior of your home. Most break-ins occur at night and the more light there is the better.
Have a motion sensor light pointed at the approach to your doors. The burglar may ignore it assuming that its just a motion sensor but they will not want to try and break in with a bright light shining on them. The added bonus to this type of light is that it will save you from having to manually turn it on when guests come over and will save electricity by turning off when not needed.
Security Camera
Security cameras are extremely useful tools. In the last few years they have come down in price and increased in quality and features. You can find cameras that have night vision, motion sensor, recording options and even associated smartphone apps.
Mount the camera high enough that it cant be reached and tampered with. For added security construct a wire cage around it so it cant be damaged by thrown objects. Having the camera clearly visible with act as an excellent deterrent to theft and having one that is hidden in the right spot will capture the criminal and crime for later prosecution.
Lock Auxiliary Buildings
A lot of people focus on their house where they sleep at night and ignore other buildings. Other buildings such as tool sheds, pool rooms and other such building should also be locked.
Tool shed and other building could contain tools and other implements that could make breaking into your house easier. If a thief were to get there hands of a ladder, hammer or screwdriver they could easily break into an under secured house.
A lot of people focus on their house where they sleep at night and ignore other buildings. Other buildings such as tool sheds, pool rooms and other such building should also be locked.
Tool shed and other building could contain tools and other implements that could make breaking into your house easier. If a thief were to get there hands of a ladder, hammer or screwdriver they could easily break into an under secured house.
Secure Mailbox
A very common tactic that would be burglars use to target a house is looking for names on mailboxes. With the last name and address they can look up the phone number and call to see if anyone is home.
If you have a mailbox with your last name on it then consider replacing it with a blank one. Having your name on it may look cute but it is a big liability to have. While you are at it buy a mailbox with a lock on it. Mail theft is not uncommon and is an easy way to see who is living at an address. Even-though the mailbox and lock could be destroy relatively easily it is still one more deterrent that could make the difference.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Interior
_________________________________________________________________________________
Caged Letterbox
Some houses, much like apartments, have mail slots built in the door for letters. These are good since it doesn't give a thief easy access to your mail. Even-though a mail slot is good, it also has a built-in flaw which gives someone access to your home. Stories exist that describe burglars using a long probe to pick keys off a table or chair through the mail slot.
The easy solution to this is to install a caged letterbox. This is another cheap and easy to install solution that solves a problem. It will also keep your mail in a convenient place so its not scattered on the floor.
Get a Dog
Burglars hate dogs. Bottom line. Of course the best bet for protecting your home would be a large, strong dog but you can also get a small noisy dog. A noisy one will work as well.
The other added bonus is that dogs make great companions. Treat them well and they will return the favour. Consider adopting, don't buy from a store.
Window Alarms
Window alarms are cheap and they do the job as advertised. They can be bought separately and attached to any window. When the window is opened and the connection is broken it makes an audible noise. This has a twofold result: it alerts the home owner to a break-in and discourages a would be thief who is looking to be silent.
Heavy Safe
There are a variety of safes on the market a homeowner can purchase. The two most common are wall safes and fire safes. Fire safes are designed to keep important documents safe in case of a fire. They are not good for keeping valuables in since they are small, light and easily cracked. Wall safes are better for valuables. They are heavy, hard to crack and can be hidden. Even though having a wall safe may not prevent someone from breaking into your home it will do a much better job of protecting your valuables.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Behaviour
_________________________________________________________________________________
Finally, the other thing you can do to prevent burglars from entering your home is to change your behaviour or use the behaviour of the thief to your advantage.
Be Careful of Guests
Letting the right people in your home is one thing but keeping the wrong people out is more important. That doesn't mean you should treat everyone like a potential burglar but use your judgement when it comes to people you don't know. If you are going to let people in your home that you don't trust then make sure they wait by the door to keep them from seeing any valuables. Temptation is a strong desire to overcome.
Hide Valuables
This goes along with the tip above. People who would steal from you are more likely to do it if they see something they want. People get tempted all the time. The best way to make sure this doesn't happen is to hide valuables.
Many people out there want to be able to display things they are proud of and many of those thing may be monetarily valuable. Hiding things like this annoys people who believe you shouldn't have to change your lifestyle because of someone else. This feeling makes sense but what you shouldn't leave out to be seen are things that normally shouldn't be out of display such as jewellery, money or other small valuables that are not intended to be displayed.
Leave Out Something Inexpensive
Whenever I think about this point I am reminded of a story where a man had his house burglarised. He was initially very worried because he had very expensive pieces of artwork hanging in his house. This artwork reached into the tens of thousands of dollars in value. Fortunately, none of the artwork was touched. The thief instead stole worthless items such as a dvd player and an old video game system and a flashy, colourful glass smoking bong.
The moral of this story is that thieves try to get in and out as fast as possible and in so doing grab whatever catches their eye first. Most likely they will go after electronics first since they are easy to sell. Most of the time in their haste, thieves will not stop to think about what they are taking. If you have something flashy and expensive looking which isn't valuable, the odds are better that the thief will take that instead.
Shred Important Documents
Paper shredders are cheap and they do exactly what is advertised. While its true that shredded paper can be pieced back together, it is very time consuming to do. A lot of information can be gathered about a person by their garbage and it is not uncommon for thieves to go through a person's trash looking for important documents.
No comments:
Post a Comment