Chris Hines
In a perfect world, people would be able to leave their doors open
without having to worry about people stealing, but the sad truth is that
people steel things every day. Ever since humans have placed ownership
over certain items, there has been a need for ways in which to keep
items secure and safe from theft. People have come up with a number of
different ways to keep their property secure, but one of the most common
methods of securing things is with the help of locks.
There are a number of different types of locks, and people have to
choose the ones that are most appropriate for the particular situation
that they’re in. People all over the world use various types of locks to
keep their properties safe and secure. Some locks have to be installed
by a qualified locksmith service, ensuring that they will be installed
correctly.
The right locksmith service can do a lot to improve the security of
an individual’s home, and or business. Most people feel that there is no
cost that is too expensive when it comes to protecting the lives of
their loved ones. Everything has become particularly expensive, and most
people want to do everything they can to protect their valuable
investments. The world has become an ever increasingly violent place,
and people have become incredibly concerned with their safety.
One of the best things about good locksmith service is that it can
give home and business owners piece of mind. It means a lot to some
people to be able to rest assured; knowing that their property is safe
and secure. There are always going to be people who want to take things
that don’t belong to them, and some of these people are incredibly
skilled at bypassing different types of security measures.
Sometimes having a lock in place can deter potential thieves from
even trying to break in. Aside from being extremely vigilant, people can
hire a good locksmith service to help them keep their property safe. A
great locksmith service can provide physical security, as well as some
much needed piece of mind.
Have a look at our site for details about the advantages of hiring a locksmith, now.
Link to the article: https://malaysiapropertysearch.net/your-local-locksmith-can-help-you-know-how-locks-can-be-used-to-protect-your-property/
Related articles: https://locksmithsireland.wordpress.com/
For further assistance in home security, click here for more: http://www.locksmitharvadaco.com/
Sunday, March 31, 2019
Saturday, March 23, 2019
Why You Should Have a Safe in Your Home
by Charnita Fance
Do you have a safe in your home? If not, you may think twice about having one after seeing this infographic. Not only does it go through the different types of safes, but it also explains the importance of having one. Most people own a safe in order to protect valuable possessions like money, jewelry and electronics. They’re also great for hiding firearms away from children and outsiders.
Everyone can really benefit from having a fire safe, since they’re great for protecting important documents in case of a fire or natural disaster. There are a variety of models available, each one with a different level of fire protection. There are also gun and commercial safes.
Once you decide on the type of safe you want, then you have to decide where you want to put it. You can have a standalone safe, which can be placed on a flat surface, or you can choose a floor or wall safe. Floor safes are hidden in a concrete floor, while wall safes are hidden in the wall. If you’ve found this information helpful, be sure to share it with your family and friends.
Link to the article: https://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/why-you-should-have-safe-your-home.html
Related articles: https://homesafes203700930.wordpress.com/
For further assistance in home security, click here for more: http://www.locksmitharvadaco.com/
Do you have a safe in your home? If not, you may think twice about having one after seeing this infographic. Not only does it go through the different types of safes, but it also explains the importance of having one. Most people own a safe in order to protect valuable possessions like money, jewelry and electronics. They’re also great for hiding firearms away from children and outsiders.
Everyone can really benefit from having a fire safe, since they’re great for protecting important documents in case of a fire or natural disaster. There are a variety of models available, each one with a different level of fire protection. There are also gun and commercial safes.
Once you decide on the type of safe you want, then you have to decide where you want to put it. You can have a standalone safe, which can be placed on a flat surface, or you can choose a floor or wall safe. Floor safes are hidden in a concrete floor, while wall safes are hidden in the wall. If you’ve found this information helpful, be sure to share it with your family and friends.
Link to the article: https://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/why-you-should-have-safe-your-home.html
Related articles: https://homesafes203700930.wordpress.com/
For further assistance in home security, click here for more: http://www.locksmitharvadaco.com/
Tuesday, March 19, 2019
How to prevent a mold problem in your garage
Keeping your garage dry and well-ventilated will help prevent mold. (Dreamstime via TNS)
Mold problems are common, and even the most conscientious homeowners can be affected.
The garage isn’t the first place most homeowners think will present a mold problem, but mold can infest your garage just like any other area of your home — and the basics behind preventing it are essentially the same in every space.
Mold thrives in moist, dark, stale environments, so it’s important to ensure your garage stays dry and well-ventilated. Mold problems are common, and even the most conscientious homeowners can be affected.
BUILDING A MOLD-PROOF GARAGE
If you’re building a new garage and are concerned about mold, your best bet is to build your garage out of materials that mold will find inhospitable. A good first step is constructing a garage with metal studs instead of wood. Metal studs require somewhat different skills and tools, but any general contractor with experience using metal studs should be able to build you a quality garage.
Consider using pre-coated aluminum or vinyl siding for the walls of your garage. By choosing materials other than wood, you’ll not only all but eliminate the possibility of mold growth, but you’ll also prevent wood-eating pests and the damage they could do to your new garage.
PREVENTING MOLD IN YOUR EXISTING GARAGE
If you already have a garage, and it’s not made of metal or other mold-preventing materials, you’re going to need to take a more meticulous route to keep mold from infiltrating the space. Your highest priority should be reducing the moisture content of the air as much as possible. Air dehumidifiers are a good start. Making sure your garage is well-ventilated is another good step to take.
Naturally, one of the most common places for water to enter your garage is through the roof, so be sure to keep that in good condition. Fresh, circulating air and a well-maintained garage structure should be enough to prevent mold. Sunlight also helps keep mold from growing, but don’t think that opening your garage door for a few hours a day will be enough to prevent mold on its own.
GARAGE MOLD REMOVAL
Garage mold removal is usually a project best left to the professionals. The general presence of mold can cause respiratory problems in people who have a sensitivity to general contaminants. And the process of removing mold will stir mold spores that can be a serious irritant to even the stoutest of constitutions. Some local codes require that mold removal be handled by a licensed professional.
The good news is that removing mold from a garage is generally less complicated than removing mold from other areas of the home. The biggest problem with mold removal, other than using proper safety precautions and disposal methods, is ensuring that all of the mold is removed. In some areas of the home, this can require the costly excavation of surrounding areas and walls. Even in instances in which mold is found hiding behind your garage walls, locating and removing this mold is usually easier than addressing a mold problem within the interior walls of your home.
Link to the article: https://www.seattletimes.com/explore/nwhomes/how-to-prevent-a-mold-problem-in-your-garage/
Related articles: https://hrgaragedoorrepair.wordpress.com/2017/04/03/do-you-suspect-there-may-be-mold-spores-in-your-garage-heres-what-you-can-do/amp/
For further assistance in home security, click here for more: http://www.locksmitharvadaco.com/
Tuesday, March 12, 2019
How to Choose a Gun Safe
by Chip Lohman – Tuesday, January 16, 2018
The Threat
There are many reasons why you as a gun owner should seriously consider investing in a gun safe. The first is to prevent children who are too young to understand gun safety from gaining access to your firearms…and even if your children are well-educated and responsible, consider that their friends may not be. Furthermore, it’s important to protect your valuable guns from fire damage.
Finally, there’s the issue of burglary. The frontline defense against theft is for people to not know about your guns at all. However, if you’ve been seen with a large number of guns at the range or if your name is associated with a collection through a consignment sale at the local gun store, your first line of defense-anonymity-may have already been compromised.
According to industry experts who contributed to this article, the greatest risk to the firearms owner is fire, followed secondly by the threat of an opportunistic thief. From Doug Tarter of Ft. Knox Safes, “The typical thief rarely targets a firearms vault armed with an acetylene torch or drill. It is more likely that they will discover the safe after breaking-in to your residence and use your tools to gain access, like the sledge hammer in the garage leaning against the safe.”
Floor Attachment
If you hauled it in, a thief can haul it out. Don’t allow a thief to roll your safe out the door with a
simple hand truck. Plan to bolt it to the floor using a safe designed with this feature in mind. And, once again, this tactic assumes the thief knows about your safe to begin with. Be creative.
Box First, then the Hardware
Don’t be distracted by marketing emphasis on bolts, hinges and locks when the safe’s box structure could be nothing but a “soup can.” Shop first for a vault with walls and insulation designed to withstand a high-temperature fire or a beating from an axe. If it meets these criteria, then continue with an examination of bolts, hinges and the locking mechanism. From Mike Baker of Cannon Safes: “How a door is constructed is a big factor in keeping it closed. You want a door that is rigid and has structural support around the edges so it doesn’t buckle under stress. When it comes to what is holding the door in, you can look at two things: First, how is the door jamb constructed? Some safe doors can be flexed with just your hands. Secondly, check to see what percentage of the door makes contact behind the jamb. A safe with 40 1-inch bolts looks massive but only provides 40 inches of contact. A safe with five 1-inch bolts with a jeweler’s lug (special hinge) that goes from top to bottom on the hinge side would provide 59 inches of support on a 5-foot-tall safe.”
Which Lock?
Combination
Pros: Low maintenance; no batteries; more difficult to observe combination sequence.
Cons: Slow to operate; can be temperamental; unless a reputable brand is used, the combination may be easier to defeat; must have locksmith change combination for you.
Electronic
Pros: Easy to use; cost effective; flexible (high-end models can integrate with home security/surveillance systems); more features (multiple user combinations and penalty lockouts); does not require a locksmith to change the combination. Ask the salesman which lock they selected for their personal safe. Several we spoke with use an electronic lock.
Cons: Require battery changes. If you frequently change and, as a result, forget the combination, a locksmith will have a hard time opening it. (Fingerprint wear on electronic locks is a myth. They actually use a non-wearing material.)
Biometric
Pros: Similar to electronic locks-speed, ease and flexibility; most allow for the storage of several fingerprints.
Cons: Not 100 percent reliable (if your finger is dirty, the lock may not work); expensive; still a developing technology. Should be much better in a few years.
Fire
The more likely threat to your firearm collection is a house fire. Even though you may take excellent care of your home, a neighbor’s fire or a nearby lightning strike can send burning embers onto your roof. And unless you have a special insurance rider, the loss could be expensive, to say nothing of irreplaceable heirloom pieces. Consequently, the lining becomes one of the most important practical considerations when shopping for a vault. Watch for the thickness and type of insulation, the existence of gaps in the lining, and how the lining is attached to the safe walls.
A typical house fire lasts about an hour-often only minutes, sadly. The hottest room tends to be the master closet; the coolest is usually the garage or basement on an exterior wall. A house fire burns at about 1200oF and safes are frequently rated to maintain an internal temperature of no more than 350oF for X number of minutes. Paper chars at about 420oF and typical polymer guns begin to melt at 480oF. The use of fire insulation such as gypsum has been a big improvement in gun safes. When heated, the steam emitted from gypsum helps cool internal temperatures during a fire and creates overpressure that keeps outside temperatures at bay. When evaluating fire endurance, don’t overlook the simple criteria of a safe’s weight. If you have two safes of equal dimensions but varying weight, the heavier safe is likely using more layers and/or thicker steel panels to better insulate your firearms from the burning inferno outside.
Fire ratings are problematic for this industry, leaving it up to the consumer to dig for details. Some standards such as Underwriters Laboratory (UL) are intended for commercial structures rather than a home fire. This lack of a standard metric leaves room for well-intended manufacturers to create their own tests, making it difficult for consumers to come up with an apples-to-apples comparison.
Comments Mike Baker of Cannon Safes: “This is a huge ‘buyer-beware.’ Even with the existence of a UL Security Label, most of the gun safe manufacturers do not follow such testing standards when it comes to fire, if they test at all. A few come up with confusing comparisons to make you forget they have not been tested. A very few companies actually test at a third-party laboratory that scientifically studies behaviors of home fires and creates standards for testing.”
Confirming what the experts told us, our search for a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory for gun safe fire protection standards left us empty-handed. As an aside, a UL Security rating may be what’s required for a discount on your insurance premiums, but it has nothing to do with fire protection. Check with your underwriter, as well as your tax preparer. As a security item, the safe may be an allowed write-off on your taxes.
Storage
Reports Jamie Skousen of Liberty Safes, “The number one complaint after they [customers] get their safe installed is: ‘I wish I would have bought a bigger one.’ It’s amazing how many of our customers tell us they ended up putting more stuff in their safe than they ever thought possible.”
Allow for more space than you think you’ll need. You know best what will work for your collection, but plan for growth. The fireproof feature of your safe may have you storing documents and other valuables in a space you originally intended only for guns. Consider drawers, door pouches and filing space in addition to the number of guns in your collection.
Corrosion Control
The best defense against corrosion is a layer of preservative on your gun and dry air. Believe it or not, closed gun cases can be problematic for firearm storage. This is due to the fact that moisture can become trapped inside, because fireproof design makes vault ventilation tough. You can combat this with intercept products: they’re copper-colored sheets become what’s called a “sacrificial anode,” meaning they are the target of corrosion, rather than your guns. When dissimilar metals are in close contact, all it takes is a little moisture to create a wet cell battery that will decay metal. Heating bars can work if your vault is rigged for one, either with an electrical outlet or a fire-protected hole designed for this purpose. Heating bars don’t actually prevent rust, but rather minimize the chance of condensation by maintaining a constant temperature.
There are preservatives intended for long term gun storage including Breakfree’s Collector, MIL SPEC Cosmoline or, from the Marine Industry-BoeShield T-9. If you frequently remove, use and return guns to the safe, then products like VCI protection bags and Bore-Stores gun socks will reduce the chore of removing and re-applying storage lubricants.
Installation
Hopefully by now you’re thinking of a large, heavy safe to do the job correctly. What goes hand-in-hand with this plan is a professional installation. A friend of mine ripped the tailgate off of his truck trying to relocate his 730-pound safe. Shortcuts during installation may be false economy. Many of the top-of-the-line manufacturers include installation as part of their service through local retailers. You’ll need to survey the floor strength unless the vault will be on a concrete slab.
Another thing to consider during installation is appearance. Maintenance workers and guests don’t need to know about your gun vault. Even though some manufacturers go to lengths to make a vault attractive, consider camouflaging it. For example, place the safe inside a metal cabinet labeled “Paint Locker;” add a false wall to the room; or build a sliding façade to roll in front of the vault, made to look like storage boxes.
Shopping Checklist
Here are a few items to add to your comparison checklist:
1. Price: If you want to feel secure, you can get inexpensive safes on sale at the big box stores. If you prefer to invest in actual security, the cost of materials, lock and a quality box design mean that you should plan on a minimum price of about $1,200-$1,500.
2. Choose the lock that suits your needs. Several of our experts use electronic locks on their personal safes.
3. Dimensions that can accommodate future growth and frequent access to records and valuables.
4. Verifiable fire ratings and linings without gaps.
5. Minimum of 10- to 11-gauge steel. (Economy safes often use 12-gauge.)
6. Judge locking mechanisms by the percentage of contact area, rather than simply the number of bolts. If offered, “relockers” provide additional bolts that close during tampering.
7. Climate-control seals and electrical outlet provisions.
8. External hinges for improved door swing and access. (Keep in mind that the bolts and relockers secure the door, in addition to the hinges.)
Link to the article: https://www.nrafamily.org/articles/2018/1/16/how-to-choose-a-gun-safe/
Related articles: https://gunsafebuyingguideblog.wordpress.com/2018/07/10/why-own-gun-safes/
For further assistance in home security, click here for more: http://www.locksmitharvadaco.com/
Sunday, March 3, 2019
How to Safeguard Your Home Against Burglary & Crime
by HomeAdvisor
Here’s the good news: mid-June statistics for 2015 show a drop in home theft. The bad news? There are still plenty of criminals interested in breaking into your home. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t make it tough for them! The first step in home crime prevention is to eliminate opportunity, and it’s up to you to cut those chances.
Though many people only worry about nighttime security, most burglaries actually occur during daylight hours when most people are at work, school, or running errands. It’s important to take precautions during the day, at night, and any time you leave the house to ensure your home stays secure.
When it comes to protecting your family and your belongings, you can’t be too careful, and there are plenty of ways you can protect your home from invasion or burglary. This guide will discuss prevention steps to take both inside and outside your home, and even ways to keep your home protected while you’re away on vacation. Don’t let your home fall prey to a thief: make it a waste of his time and resources!
While you’re checking for vulnerable spots, take note of any expensive electronics, art, or furniture that is easily spotted through windows. You don’t have to redecorate your entire home to keep expensive items out of sight, but it doesn’t hurt to make small adjustments where you can. No need to tempt thieves any more than you have to!
Keep shrubbery around entrances and walkways trimmed. The last thing you want is to make it easier for a thief to hide when attempting to break in, so eliminate his options for hiding spots. He may only need a few minutes of cover to make his entry but with no place to hide while doing it, he’s less likely to even try. You could even plant thorny shrubs by your windows to make it not only difficult to break in, but painful!
Build a fence. If you don’t have one already, a fence can be an excellent way to keep unwanted visitors off your property. Open chain-link or ornamental metal fencing tend to be preferable and are ideally secured into concrete to prevent lifting. Solid fences can be easier to climb and offer thieves a place to hide, though some homeowners prefer them for privacy and noise reduction. You can better secure them by having sharp pointed tops or, if you don’t mind rough barbed wire fencing.
Stow expensive items like grills, cars, and bikes in the garage. Though it may seem like a hassle to roll out the grill for every barbecue, leaving it out makes it an easy target for thieves. They don’t even have to enter your home to grab it, and if it’s got wheels it can be a breeze to sneak away with. If your area only offers street parking, always lock your car and be sure to park in a well-lit area.
Use curtains on garage and basement windows. Chances are these areas don’t need the sunlight, so put up curtains or blinds for privacy and protection. Stowing your outdoor valuables only does so much good if they’re constantly on display!
Install motion sensor lighting around your home, especially at entrances. Shine a spotlight on a potential intruder before he can even touch your doors or windows by adding extra lighting with motion detectors at entrances and especially dark corners of your home. If you live in an apartment, ask your landlord to install sufficient lighting in walkways and halls to eliminate dark corners.
Get to know your neighbors. Crime tends to be lower in tight-knit communities because neighbors are more likely to look out for each other and can easily spot a stranger. Your neighbors can be one of your best assets in home crime prevention because they offer extra eyes and an outside perspective. Plus if they have a different work or school schedule from yours, they might be around during the day when you’re away and can alert you to any suspicious activity that may occur in your absence.
Keep your yard free of toys, tools, and ladders. A yard littered with toys signals to a thief that the house may be filled with equally interesting entertainment, like game consoles, tablets, or laptops. A ladder or toolbox left out even briefly for an afternoon can give an opportunistic thief help in gaining access to your house.
Talk to your neighborhood association about increased lighting on your street. Burglars often case an entire street or neighborhood to determine if it’s a good target, but often prefer to do so in the dark of night. A well-lit neighborhood will likely deter him from your area, or at the very least make it very difficult for him to slip away undetected.
Prune trees around two-story homes. A determined crook may scale a tree and break into an upstairs window if branches are long enough to give him access. If you have a second floor, trim back tree branches to prevent a cat burglar from making his move.
Consider forming a neighborhood watch program. This will give you the opportunity to get to know your neighbors better. and create an invaluable awareness and commitment to crime prevention in your area. You can speak to your local police department about giving your group an informal lecture that can provide insight into identifying a suspicious person and what to do if you spot one loitering on your street, how to recognize a burglary in progress, how to recognize an auto theft in progress, and what to do in an emergency. Local PD will also usually distribute free literature on home safety and sometimes even offer window stickers and ID cards identifying your neighborhood organization.
Work with your neighbors to clean up the neighborhood if needed. A run-down, graffiti-lined, littered street can send the message to criminals that the residents of your area don’t care about the neighborhood or each other. That makes a prime location for theft. You can contact your local public works department to assist in the clean-up. It can be an excellent chance to bond with your neighbors, not to mention make your area a more beautiful place to live.
Keep fences, gates, and garage doors locked. It’s worth investing in a quality padlock for each outside entrance, even if you only lock it at night. However, since most friends and family won’t mind calling ahead to let you know they’re visiting, it’s best to leave them locked at all times. Never leave your garage door open if you aren’t in it or outside and able to keep an eye on it.
Install large, reflective numbers on your house and mailbox. This makes it easier for police to identify your home in the event of an emergency. Burglars prefer dark houses difficult to identify by address as it can buy them crucial spare moments in the event they’re caught in the act.
Secure your car. If you must park on the street, do so in a well-lit area and bring valuables like cell phones, purses, GPS devices, and satellite radios inside. Never leave anything of value in plain view, and always lock the doors and roll up windows. Break-ins can occur in even the safest neighborhoods, and an unlocked car is one of the easiest possible targets. Never leave a spare key in the visor or anywhere else inside, even if the car is locked.
And don’t forget the door attached to the garage. It’s one of the easiest targets and a likely route of entry. Don’t depend on your automatic garage door for full security.
Change the locks when moving into a new place. If you’re a renter, ask the landlord to change them if it wasn’t already done. Even if an old tenant returned all the keys originally issued, there’s no way to know for sure if there were ever other copies made and distributed. It’s better to be safe than sorry, especially when it comes to a stranger being able to walk into your locked home.
Secure valuables in a home safe or lockbox. If it is small and not mounted, consider having your safe bolted to the floor since many burglars will simply take it with them Give your pass code or combination only to a trusted loved one in case of emergency. Don’t leave it posted anywhere in your house easily accessible to an intruder.
Don’t label your personal keys or or hide spares outside. If your keys are labeled and get lost or stolen you could be in big trouble, especially if your wallet with your ID and address are with them. And thieves know to look under mats and in the gravel for fake rocks to find hidden keys, so instead leave a spare with a trusted neighbor. If you live in a rural area and your closest neighbor is miles down the road, opt for a combination lockbox in a discreet area of your property.
Add privacy film to decorative glass on and around exterior doors. Stained and decorative glass displays can be a beautiful addition to any entrance, but they can present a bit of a security issue. Line them with privacy film to distort the view from the outside and reduce the chances of window shopping or alerting an unwanted visitor to your presence (or lack thereof). This can be especially beneficial for anyone who lives alone or in a house with children old enough to be left on their own.
Consider buying a home security system. There are countless features with any security system, and some particularly valuable ones are outdoor motion detectors, sensors at exterior doors, windows, and the door attached to the garage, an outdoor alarm to alert other neighbors to an intrusion, and security cameras. Select the features that best fit your needs and be sure to go with a well-known, reputable company. Once it’s installed, make it a regular habit to use it. Though it may seem inconvenient to have to arm the system every time you leave the house, many burglars are aware that the responsibility is often neglected and may not be deterred by window stickers or yard signs warning of home protection.
Do your best to learn and inform your family about the security system to cut down on false alarms. They can actually bring on expensive fines not to mention annoy your neighbors. Plus, you don’t want to have a boy-who-cried-wolf effect where your neighbors eventually learn to ignore your alarm anytime it goes off!
Reinforce windows with safety glass or metal bars. It may seem an extreme step, but burglars will often break a small window in order to gain entry. Make it impossible for them to break through by installing safety glass or impossible to squeeze through by installing metal bars. There are plenty of decorative options for metal grilles that can make the adjustment both practical and aesthetically-pleasing.
Talk to a trusted neighbor about helping create a “lived-in” look. Have them use your outdoor trash cans and collect your mail, newspapers, and any delivered packages. Stacked up mail and newspapers along with empty trash cans can be a clear sign to anyone that you’re not home and may be gone a while. If you’re taking a winter getaway, ask your neighbor to create tire tracks in your driveway and leave footprints leading up to your front door to create the illusion that someone is home. If you’re taking an extended summer vacation, pay someone to cut your grass and keep the yard tidy.
Don’t forget to give your spare key directly to your neighbor rather than leaving it under the mat or in a faux rock or statue. It’s important to leave a key in case of emergencies, but it’s also helpful to have someone check in on your home periodically to ensure no one has entered in your absence. Make sure you leave a contact number where you can be reached while you’re away. And always return the favor to a neighbor in need!
Put timers on lights. Select a few rooms in your house to remain lit to reduce the chances that any thief casing the neighborhood will notice that you’ve been gone. Have outdoor lights, especially around entrances, set to light up every evening. A bright house welcomes friendly guests, but a dark house welcomes undesirable visitors.
Lock your garage door and disconnect the automatic opener. This is an easy, but often forgotten step to keep your home safe while away. Garage doors seem like impenetrable forces so it’s easy to overlook additional steps in securing them. But if you’re going to be gone for a week and won’t need the automatic lift anyway, why not disconnect it and add an easy extra layer of security?
Leave a radio on and turn down your doorbell. A battery-operated radio is a practical, cheap way to make it sound like someone is around. And since many burglars ring the doorbell or knock to see if anyone’s home turning down the sound of the doorbell combined with a loud radio will make thieves unsure if the house is empty or if the resident simply doesn’t hear the door.
Don’t advertise your trip. It’s pretty common for people to post all about their upcoming trip on social media, but avoid the urge. The more people who know your house will be empty, the more you open yourself up to the possibility of a break-in. Similarly, don’t leave a message on your landline answering machine that you’re out of town.
Home invasion and burglary may never truly be eliminated from society, but their threats shouldn’t cause you to live your life in fear. Take these simple measures to secure your home, and reduce the chances that a crook will even look at it twice!
Link to the article: https://www.homeadvisor.com/r/securing-your-home-from-burglary/
Related articles: https://stoptomwithhomeprotection.wordpress.com/
For further assistance in home security, click here for more: http://www.locksmitharvadaco.com/
Image via Pixabay
Here’s the good news: mid-June statistics for 2015 show a drop in home theft. The bad news? There are still plenty of criminals interested in breaking into your home. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t make it tough for them! The first step in home crime prevention is to eliminate opportunity, and it’s up to you to cut those chances.
Though many people only worry about nighttime security, most burglaries actually occur during daylight hours when most people are at work, school, or running errands. It’s important to take precautions during the day, at night, and any time you leave the house to ensure your home stays secure.
When it comes to protecting your family and your belongings, you can’t be too careful, and there are plenty of ways you can protect your home from invasion or burglary. This guide will discuss prevention steps to take both inside and outside your home, and even ways to keep your home protected while you’re away on vacation. Don’t let your home fall prey to a thief: make it a waste of his time and resources!
Protecting Your Home From the Outside
Walk around the exterior of your home and scout out its weaknesses. The best way to protect your home from the outside is to survey it with the eyes of a burglar. If you can easily tell that a window could be pried open, a thief will definitely be able to come to the same conclusion. You can even contact your local police department and they’ll provide a courtesy home assessment that can help you identify your home’s weak spots.While you’re checking for vulnerable spots, take note of any expensive electronics, art, or furniture that is easily spotted through windows. You don’t have to redecorate your entire home to keep expensive items out of sight, but it doesn’t hurt to make small adjustments where you can. No need to tempt thieves any more than you have to!
Keep shrubbery around entrances and walkways trimmed. The last thing you want is to make it easier for a thief to hide when attempting to break in, so eliminate his options for hiding spots. He may only need a few minutes of cover to make his entry but with no place to hide while doing it, he’s less likely to even try. You could even plant thorny shrubs by your windows to make it not only difficult to break in, but painful!
Build a fence. If you don’t have one already, a fence can be an excellent way to keep unwanted visitors off your property. Open chain-link or ornamental metal fencing tend to be preferable and are ideally secured into concrete to prevent lifting. Solid fences can be easier to climb and offer thieves a place to hide, though some homeowners prefer them for privacy and noise reduction. You can better secure them by having sharp pointed tops or, if you don’t mind rough barbed wire fencing.
Stow expensive items like grills, cars, and bikes in the garage. Though it may seem like a hassle to roll out the grill for every barbecue, leaving it out makes it an easy target for thieves. They don’t even have to enter your home to grab it, and if it’s got wheels it can be a breeze to sneak away with. If your area only offers street parking, always lock your car and be sure to park in a well-lit area.
Use curtains on garage and basement windows. Chances are these areas don’t need the sunlight, so put up curtains or blinds for privacy and protection. Stowing your outdoor valuables only does so much good if they’re constantly on display!
Install motion sensor lighting around your home, especially at entrances. Shine a spotlight on a potential intruder before he can even touch your doors or windows by adding extra lighting with motion detectors at entrances and especially dark corners of your home. If you live in an apartment, ask your landlord to install sufficient lighting in walkways and halls to eliminate dark corners.
Get to know your neighbors. Crime tends to be lower in tight-knit communities because neighbors are more likely to look out for each other and can easily spot a stranger. Your neighbors can be one of your best assets in home crime prevention because they offer extra eyes and an outside perspective. Plus if they have a different work or school schedule from yours, they might be around during the day when you’re away and can alert you to any suspicious activity that may occur in your absence.
Keep your yard free of toys, tools, and ladders. A yard littered with toys signals to a thief that the house may be filled with equally interesting entertainment, like game consoles, tablets, or laptops. A ladder or toolbox left out even briefly for an afternoon can give an opportunistic thief help in gaining access to your house.
Talk to your neighborhood association about increased lighting on your street. Burglars often case an entire street or neighborhood to determine if it’s a good target, but often prefer to do so in the dark of night. A well-lit neighborhood will likely deter him from your area, or at the very least make it very difficult for him to slip away undetected.
Prune trees around two-story homes. A determined crook may scale a tree and break into an upstairs window if branches are long enough to give him access. If you have a second floor, trim back tree branches to prevent a cat burglar from making his move.
Consider forming a neighborhood watch program. This will give you the opportunity to get to know your neighbors better. and create an invaluable awareness and commitment to crime prevention in your area. You can speak to your local police department about giving your group an informal lecture that can provide insight into identifying a suspicious person and what to do if you spot one loitering on your street, how to recognize a burglary in progress, how to recognize an auto theft in progress, and what to do in an emergency. Local PD will also usually distribute free literature on home safety and sometimes even offer window stickers and ID cards identifying your neighborhood organization.
Work with your neighbors to clean up the neighborhood if needed. A run-down, graffiti-lined, littered street can send the message to criminals that the residents of your area don’t care about the neighborhood or each other. That makes a prime location for theft. You can contact your local public works department to assist in the clean-up. It can be an excellent chance to bond with your neighbors, not to mention make your area a more beautiful place to live.
Keep fences, gates, and garage doors locked. It’s worth investing in a quality padlock for each outside entrance, even if you only lock it at night. However, since most friends and family won’t mind calling ahead to let you know they’re visiting, it’s best to leave them locked at all times. Never leave your garage door open if you aren’t in it or outside and able to keep an eye on it.
Install large, reflective numbers on your house and mailbox. This makes it easier for police to identify your home in the event of an emergency. Burglars prefer dark houses difficult to identify by address as it can buy them crucial spare moments in the event they’re caught in the act.
Secure your car. If you must park on the street, do so in a well-lit area and bring valuables like cell phones, purses, GPS devices, and satellite radios inside. Never leave anything of value in plain view, and always lock the doors and roll up windows. Break-ins can occur in even the safest neighborhoods, and an unlocked car is one of the easiest possible targets. Never leave a spare key in the visor or anywhere else inside, even if the car is locked.
Protecting Your Home from the Inside
Keep all doors and windows closed and locked at all times. An open exterior window or door is an invitation for burglars to easily enter your home, so keep them shut and securely locked whether you’re home or not. Don’t underestimate strong window locks, and update them if needed. Thieves know how to spot weak locks that would be easily forced open. Make sure exterior doors have deadbolt locks. Sliding doors should have vertical bolts and a metal or wooden rod in the track to prevent being forced open or doors being lifted off the track. Never leave your home without locking the front door, no matter how brief your trip. Even if it’s pouring rain, don’t forget to take the extra moment to lock up. Burglars don’t take days off due to weather!And don’t forget the door attached to the garage. It’s one of the easiest targets and a likely route of entry. Don’t depend on your automatic garage door for full security.
Change the locks when moving into a new place. If you’re a renter, ask the landlord to change them if it wasn’t already done. Even if an old tenant returned all the keys originally issued, there’s no way to know for sure if there were ever other copies made and distributed. It’s better to be safe than sorry, especially when it comes to a stranger being able to walk into your locked home.
Secure valuables in a home safe or lockbox. If it is small and not mounted, consider having your safe bolted to the floor since many burglars will simply take it with them Give your pass code or combination only to a trusted loved one in case of emergency. Don’t leave it posted anywhere in your house easily accessible to an intruder.
Don’t label your personal keys or or hide spares outside. If your keys are labeled and get lost or stolen you could be in big trouble, especially if your wallet with your ID and address are with them. And thieves know to look under mats and in the gravel for fake rocks to find hidden keys, so instead leave a spare with a trusted neighbor. If you live in a rural area and your closest neighbor is miles down the road, opt for a combination lockbox in a discreet area of your property.
Add privacy film to decorative glass on and around exterior doors. Stained and decorative glass displays can be a beautiful addition to any entrance, but they can present a bit of a security issue. Line them with privacy film to distort the view from the outside and reduce the chances of window shopping or alerting an unwanted visitor to your presence (or lack thereof). This can be especially beneficial for anyone who lives alone or in a house with children old enough to be left on their own.
Consider buying a home security system. There are countless features with any security system, and some particularly valuable ones are outdoor motion detectors, sensors at exterior doors, windows, and the door attached to the garage, an outdoor alarm to alert other neighbors to an intrusion, and security cameras. Select the features that best fit your needs and be sure to go with a well-known, reputable company. Once it’s installed, make it a regular habit to use it. Though it may seem inconvenient to have to arm the system every time you leave the house, many burglars are aware that the responsibility is often neglected and may not be deterred by window stickers or yard signs warning of home protection.
Do your best to learn and inform your family about the security system to cut down on false alarms. They can actually bring on expensive fines not to mention annoy your neighbors. Plus, you don’t want to have a boy-who-cried-wolf effect where your neighbors eventually learn to ignore your alarm anytime it goes off!
Reinforce windows with safety glass or metal bars. It may seem an extreme step, but burglars will often break a small window in order to gain entry. Make it impossible for them to break through by installing safety glass or impossible to squeeze through by installing metal bars. There are plenty of decorative options for metal grilles that can make the adjustment both practical and aesthetically-pleasing.
Protecting Your Home While You’re on Vacation
Double- and triple-check all doors and windows before you leave. Make sure your house is as locked-up and secure as it can be in your absence. (Don’t forget the door leading to the garage!) Be sure to leave some curtains and blinds open to give the illusion that someone is around. Thieves tend to take note of a house that’s clearly been closed up.Talk to a trusted neighbor about helping create a “lived-in” look. Have them use your outdoor trash cans and collect your mail, newspapers, and any delivered packages. Stacked up mail and newspapers along with empty trash cans can be a clear sign to anyone that you’re not home and may be gone a while. If you’re taking a winter getaway, ask your neighbor to create tire tracks in your driveway and leave footprints leading up to your front door to create the illusion that someone is home. If you’re taking an extended summer vacation, pay someone to cut your grass and keep the yard tidy.
Don’t forget to give your spare key directly to your neighbor rather than leaving it under the mat or in a faux rock or statue. It’s important to leave a key in case of emergencies, but it’s also helpful to have someone check in on your home periodically to ensure no one has entered in your absence. Make sure you leave a contact number where you can be reached while you’re away. And always return the favor to a neighbor in need!
Put timers on lights. Select a few rooms in your house to remain lit to reduce the chances that any thief casing the neighborhood will notice that you’ve been gone. Have outdoor lights, especially around entrances, set to light up every evening. A bright house welcomes friendly guests, but a dark house welcomes undesirable visitors.
Lock your garage door and disconnect the automatic opener. This is an easy, but often forgotten step to keep your home safe while away. Garage doors seem like impenetrable forces so it’s easy to overlook additional steps in securing them. But if you’re going to be gone for a week and won’t need the automatic lift anyway, why not disconnect it and add an easy extra layer of security?
Leave a radio on and turn down your doorbell. A battery-operated radio is a practical, cheap way to make it sound like someone is around. And since many burglars ring the doorbell or knock to see if anyone’s home turning down the sound of the doorbell combined with a loud radio will make thieves unsure if the house is empty or if the resident simply doesn’t hear the door.
Don’t advertise your trip. It’s pretty common for people to post all about their upcoming trip on social media, but avoid the urge. The more people who know your house will be empty, the more you open yourself up to the possibility of a break-in. Similarly, don’t leave a message on your landline answering machine that you’re out of town.
Home invasion and burglary may never truly be eliminated from society, but their threats shouldn’t cause you to live your life in fear. Take these simple measures to secure your home, and reduce the chances that a crook will even look at it twice!
Link to the article: https://www.homeadvisor.com/r/securing-your-home-from-burglary/
Related articles: https://stoptomwithhomeprotection.wordpress.com/
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