Why is it important to protect your home in the summer time?
Is it because many of us take vacations?
Yes, that’s absolutely one of the reasons.
Burglaries are up across the country but they go up even more so in the summer, especially in July and August when people are away for extended time.
Burglars know that and they take advantage of that, so your house becomes more and more vulnerable.
Security Tips You Should Have in Place Before You Leave On Vacation
You wanna make your house a hard target, something that makes it appear to be more difficult for them to get in.
Three criminals can get in your house and cover the entire house in just five minutes. So you wanna make it harder to do that. Some of inexpensive ways to do that is to make it appear that you have a dog – a large dog bowl or the Beware of Dog sign in front of your house.
Homes that use this door jamb reinforcement kit can’t be broken into!
Put your lights on timers so when you are away in the evening, it appears that you are actually at home.
Having a sign that says your home is secure is a good way to deter them, so they skip your home and go to the next one.
Better than that is actually having an inexpensive, practical way to secure your home. Number of systems are out there.
There are systems that work with your cell phone, network via WiFi that is completely controllable.
You have motion sensors and door/window sensors.
For just about $200 you can secure your own home.
A practical, yet very effective way to secure your home is the wireless alarm kit. It allows you to secure your front door with a keypad device. Multiple door/window alarms so you can secure the basic entry level for your home. That’s where most burglars like to go through.
A smart thing for you to do for your home is not to have trees or shrubs blocking windows and doors in a first floor. That allows them to get in without being seen. If you get rid of those and make those windows and doors visible from the street, it is a great way to deter burglars.
A motion-sensing alarm, once they are in your home, you want to stop them. If you have your windows open during the summer, it’s easy for them to access. This will catch them once they are inside. It sounds a 120db. That’s going to scare them off, it’s gonna wake you if you are sleeping, your neighbors might even hear that. It’s a sound emitting from a speaker at a rock concert. It’s very, very loud.
A very good product is door stop alarm. Not only does it sound a 120db alarm but it prevents inward-opening door from opening.
When it comes to home security, there are three areas to double check: inside your home, outside the house and where you park.
Here is what you can do on the inside to increase your personal security. This many seem obvious but make sure deadbolt locks are installed on all exterior doors. They should not require key from the inside but that they are easily unlocked so you can get out quickly, for instance, if there is a fire.
Second, install peepholes on those outside doors so you do not have to physically open the door to see who is on the other side.
Finally keep your blinds and curtains closed, especially on your main floor. If you have a sliding glass door, consider adding a defense other than the standard lock such as blocking the tracker or installing a protective film which prevents the glass door from being smashed in.
On the outside of your home, one of the main goals is to make it difficult for an intruder to make it on the inside without actually being seen. You can help reduce the chances of someone making it in unnoticed by trimming the bushes and maintaining the landscape which eliminates unwanted hiding spaces outside your home.
The outside of your home should also be well lit. Consider installing motion detector lights to help with this issue.
If you are parking in a parking lot, on the street or on the driveway, make sure that your vehicle is completely locked and valuables are kept out of the sight. This includes laptops, GPS, cell phones and even the spare change that you have in your cup holder.
You should also park under a light if possible and make sure that your windows are rolled up.
If you have a garage door, always close it. If it is open, it is an invitation to come in and take whatever they see. Thieves can also easily make their way into your house, so make sure that the door leading to the garage is closed and locked, whether you are at home or not.
How to secure exterior doors with sidelights
John Clark is a seasoned locksmith and security maestro with an impressive 11-year tenure in the realm of lock and key mastery.