Home Security Alarm - Have Peace of Mind

Have you ever really thought about how safe your home is? The world can be a nasty place sometimes - are your family protected from that? It's very easy not to think about the security of our home, but it's worth spending some time considering your family's safety. It's quite possible that you live in nice neighbourhood, and so think a home security alarm system is unnecessary. But have you thought about the fact that a criminal may target your neighbourhood for exactly that reason - because it's nice, and probably has houses full of nice things? If your home doesn't have any obvious safety devices or an alarm system, then it could well be chosen as an easy target.

The good thing is that a good home security alarm can drop you right back to the bottom of the list as far as a criminal is concerned. Which is great - after all, what would you do if some shifty character slipped in through your window in the middle of the night? Would you even wake up if you tend to sleep very heavily? You don't have to worry about that sort of thing, because a home security alarm will do the watching for you.

Even better, it doesn't have to cost you a fortune to buy a home security alarm system. You can pay that much if you want to, but there are plenty of simple, cheap products that can help to protect your home without breaking the budget. One example is window alarms - they're very effective and reasonably inexpensive. These work by activating a siren if someone tries to climb through your window uninvited. Apart from the fact that you'll get woken up and can call the police, the loud noise will undoubtedly cause the potential thief to vanish as fast as possible. No criminal wants to call attention to himself.

By doing some research, you can find other products to help make your home more secure. Sometimes it's hard to pay out money for "what if" situations that may never happen to you. Reality is, though, that they are happening to people every day, and you don't want to be added to that list. Prepare yourself with a decent home security alarm. You'll feel a lot safer knowing that thieves and other bad guys will always prefer to target a house without a home security alarm. They like to do things as easily and quietly as possible.

Remember, too, that even something as simple as keeping your doors and windows locked even when you're home during the day, is a step in the right direction. You never know when someone may decide to just walk into your home, maybe not even realising that you're there. Don't take that chance!

Finally, get online and check out the options for a quality home security alarm for your house. Make sure you take responsibility, and keep your loved ones safe.

To discover more about home security, check out Info About Home Security

Home security tips

HOME SECURITY TIPS

Did you know a single-family home is twice as likely to be burglarized than apartments?

Cash, small electronic equipment, home computers, cameras, jewelry, furs, tools and handguns are the most popular items for a burglar Few people really bother about security until something happens to them or a neighbor. Your lack of home security is the burglar's best friend and your worst enemy. There are many things the average person can do to make their home less of a target.

A burglar needs to get in, commit his crime, and get out fast without being seen or caught. Some basic precautions you can take are listed below which will greatly increase his reasons not to choose your home A burglar will typically attack an empty home, so anything you can do to make the place secure and look like there is someone home will help move him on to another target. When you are away do not change the look of the house. For example do not close up all the drapes and send the dog to someone else's house. Pay a kid to come and walk it and feed it each day you are away.

Put a timer on some of your main room lights and TV so they come on and off at the usual times. Have a neighbor put the trash cans out for you etc. Making the place look lived in will help a lot. Put yourself in the place of the criminal. If you were to break in to your house where would you start? Do the same drill with a friend and see what he comes up with.

Talk to you local police and get their recommendations for making your house safer for you and your family. Here are some other helpful hints that may save you a heartbreaking experience.

Trim back overhanging branches so a burglar can't get access to upper floors. Check to see if there are any other easy ways to get on the roof or in through an upper window i.e. ladders lying around, lattice against the house walls, roof drains etc

Plant thorny shrubs and bushes outside any low windows. Trim any shrubbery that a person could hide in against the house

Do you have skylights can that be removed from the outside or easily broken? If so get them secured.

Inspect your roof area and see if there are any possible entry points where a person could gain entry. Even a loose roof vent could provide access or a child burglar

Do not store you spare keys outside. What you think is a good storage space will be obvious to any experienced housebreaker. Everyone puts their keys under a pot plant or over a ledge. Leave the key with a trusted neighbor or friend so anyone who does legally need to get into your house will know where to get it.

Install exterior lights with motion detectors by all doors. Set these so a person will set them off but not a pet. They can be aimed a little high or the sensitivity can be raised a little

Ensure that your exterior doors are at least 1-3/4 inch thick 9 they probably are already) and made from solid wood or reinforced with metal? Any decent quality exterior door will provide good protection. All exterior doors should have a dead bolt as well as the regular door lock. Make sure this dead bolt is installed with a heavy-duty strike plate and long heavy screws that go well into the door jamb and framing lumber behind it. A weak strike plate and screws will give way to a good kick or heavy shoulder.

Do not have a mail slot that a person can get their hand through and reach the door locks. Also glass panels in a door can defeat the whole plan, as they are easy to break and the locks can then be reached. CAUTION: A double keyed dead bolt, with a key to operate each side is a fire safety hazard and are not recommended in a living space. A pet door is also easy access for a child to get in and unlatch the door for a burglar. Upstairs windows are also easy access for a thief.

Any exterior glass doors need to have a security lock on the inside. These can be clamps that go on the top and bottom rails, a broomstick cut to fit in the lower track or even a dead bolt type system. Also you can add a few screws in the upper track after the door is installed. Do not screw these all the way in, just enough to allow the door to slide easily. This will prevent a burglar from lifting the door out of its frame to gain entry

Pay special attention to the garage. Often a side door to the garage gets overlooked and is not a high quality door like the rest of the house. There should also be a dead bolt from the garage to the house so this can be locked at night. If you do not have an electric garage door opener then make sure you can bolt the garage door from the inside to prevent forced opening. Also lock you car and set the alarm when it is in the garage as added precaution.

Check your windows. Are they easy to open from the outside? Ask a friend to try and break in, as he will see it differently to you. Windows in easily accessible positions should have a secure locking system or bars to prevent access. CAUTION: Any bared window should have a release devise so the window and bars can be easily released for emergency exit. Consult you security specialist for this.

All your irreplaceable items should be stored in a fireproof safe or a bank safe deposit box. Computer backups should also be kept in another location. Make a video of your house contents and store this off site also. This is a great reminder tool should something go missing or to help the insurance company in the event of a disaster. Keep a record of all serial numbers, make and model numbers and file these. Mark all TV's and important items with a readily identifiable mark that can be seen easily by police or anyone who may be thinking of buying stolen items. There are many products on the market for this. You can also store all this data online at http://www.osldb.com/ Contact them for data on this program

Also take still photographs of your possessions so you have the record in case of emergencies.

Are you going away on vacation? Here are some things that can help protect you home and valuables

Arm the security system if you have one when you leave the house. In a dangerous area an internal security system just covering certain rooms that would catch an intruder at night may help you sleep better. Make sure a pet will not set these off. There is also an automatic dialer that can be added to security system that will automatically call the police and 1-2 other numbers if the alarm goes off.

Have neighbors on both sides watch your house for you. Leave them an emergency number where you can be reached. You can also leave a key with them if you know them well enough.

Get your lights and TV, radio etc on a timer so they come on and off at normal times.

Do not cancel the gardeners. DO cancel the mail and newspaper delivery or have a trusted friend or neighbor collect the mail daily. The post office will do this for you and you can go and collect you mail when you return. Lastly, call your local police and inform them you will be away for an extended time and ask if they can keep a watch on the house. Make sure they know who has keys and how to get hold of you.

If all the above fails go to http://www.osldb.com where you can list your stolen or lost property. This is a new web site where you can enlist the help of others to find your valuables. Better still use the advice above and don't get burgled.

CTW Inc is the owner of http://www.officialstolenlost.com web site. The company founders have done red carpet security for celebrity events, movie premiers, large concerts, general event security & personal celebrity security. We have extensive experience with private investigations with the legal profession. Personal and home security have become our specialty. Free articles at http://www.osldb.com

How To Successfully Use Home Security Cameras

Increasing home security can be accomplished in several ways. Some of those include home security systems and alarms, neighborhood watch programs and more. But home security camera systems are growing in popularity lately. Let see why.

A home security camera system does not have to be expensive or extensive to help you keep in touch with what is going on around your home at all times. Just a few well-placed cameras at very strategic locations can be all that you need. For instance, cameras that are placed at opposite outside corners of your home can provide good coverage of most of the perimeter of the house. You can even connect these cameras to motion sensitive devices that only turns them on when motion is detected in it's surveillance area.

A couple of cameras inside the home can also be used in a very similar way and because many surveillance cameras are very small these days they can be practically invisible to the casual observance. In fact, oftentimes something as simple and cheap as a webcam can be used to capture enough video to give you the information that you need to be able to successfully monitor your home. And these are very small and inexpensive cameras to use.

With these cameras in place, you can monitor what is happening at your home from a great distance by combining them with appropriate software and connecting through the internet to view the results. There is software available that will alert you by email when motion is detected in a particular area. Or you can choose to have the cameras record video continuously for you and save it to a server where you can then access it and review it at your leisure.

Some use these setups to keep an eye on babysitters, or to monitor what their children are doing while they are away.

Of course, even if you do not have children, a home security camera system can still be beneficial for peace of mind when you are away from home. It can help you make sure that no nasty surprises will be awaiting you upon your return home.

So give consideration to incorporating a home security camera system in your security arsenal. It's cheap and very effective.

Find out more about a home security camera system and home security surveillance by visiting our Home Security website.

Smart Home Security Measures For Your Windows

Of all of the spots where your home is most vulnerable to intrusion during a burglary, the doors and windows are the most important areas to keep secure. They are potentially easy entry and exit points for the home, and burglars are very experienced in using ways to gain access through them. As a homeowner you want to give advance thought to their vulnerability and take steps to make it more difficult to break in through them. This article will deal with the subject of securing your windows.

One of the most important considerations regarding windows is the kind of glass that is used in them. If it is standard single pane glass, it will be very easy to break and the window will present a real security risk. Oftentimes, older home will have this kind of glass in the windows, so it would be good to put upgrading the glass in your windows on your list of things that need to be done to update the house, and do it as soon as you can.

Windows now come with glass that is hardened, much like your car windshield glass, and it is very hard to break them. And an added layer of protection is provided when you have double-pane glass of this type installed as it makes it that much harder to get through both panes, and a great side benefit is that it will also help with insulating your home better. Also pay attention to the quality of the window frames too. They need to be made of strong material that cannot be easily taken apart or destroyed by a crowbar or some other similar tool.

Installing locks on windows is a great home security improvement. Many homes have locks that are nothing more than levers that can be easily flipped by someone inside the home. The problem is that they can also be easily unlocked if someone does manage to get through the glass and gain access to them. It is best to have locks that require a key to activate instead. It makes getting the window open so much more difficult, and burglars don't like to have too many obstacles in their path when breaking in. Stealth and speed are essential to their successful burglary, so the more that you do to slow them down the less chance they will be able to complete the job.

Finally, a good alarm system that monitors not only the doors but the windows of your home is a great home security tool as well. If the burglar somehow gets past all of the other security features and manages to get the window open, the alarm that sounds will usually be enough to foil the intrusion attempt at that point.

Windows can contribute to the beauty and enjoyment of your home, and if you take the proper security measures they can also provide a great deal of security as well.

Find out more about home security alarm and home security video system by visiting our Home Security Review website

Home Security: Your Yard Is The First Line Of Defence

You may not believe it but most burglars do not plan their break ins. They are crimes of opportunity. They pick what appears to be a simple target. If they see a greater risk than they anticipated, they move onto a safer target. Therefore the more effort you take to keep your home from seeming to be a simple target, the safer you will be.

A multilayered structure is the best way to approach arranging your home security, and the first layer is the landscaping and other features of your yard.

Landscaping and Yard Security

A few simple changes to your landscaping can help to protect your home from would be burglars. They are looking for a home they can get into and out of quickly; the more time they spend in your home the more chance of getting caught. Their best target is a home surrounded by tall hedges and shrubs, which restricts visibility from the street and your neighbours' houses.

Trim your shrubbery and trees so that your doors and windows can be seen by neighbors, and from the street, by forgoing a little privacy you will not be providing a hiding place for a burglar. If you have more than one floor, prune trees away from upper floor windows to prevent an intruder using them as a ladder, also make sure any trellises won't provide a convenient ladder to gain entry to the upper floors.

All planting close to the sidewalk, driveways, doors or gates, should be kept low say no more than two feet in height. As you move further away from the sidewalk you can increase the height but keep it down to no more than four feet.

Any plant under the window should be kept below the windowsill.

Trees should have their lower branches trimmed to at least seven feet off the ground.

Be sure to keep your lawn trimmed; an uncut lawn will indicate to a potential burglar that you have been away from your home for some time.

By placing gravel on the ground under windows you will be warned if someone walks on it, this can be a useful psychological deterrent. Remember not to have any large rocks or stones near glass windows or doors. There's no point in providing a burglar with his tools!

Plant spiny (thorny) plants along fences and under windows, and on border fences, roses are ideal. Protecting your home with spiny plants is as good as using barbed wire, and it looks a lot better too.

Street Numbers.

Make sure your house number can be seen easily from the street. This can save time for the police and emergency services if they need to find your home.

It is best to use numbers made of reflective materials, or alternatively black on white, they should be at least six inches high to facilitate visibility from the street. Keep the number clean and trim any plants, so it can be seen. The number should be illuminated and near the front door or the garage entrance.

Limiting Access to Yards and Store Rooms:

The main thing burglars are looking for is an obstruction free and speedy exit. Fences will stop burglars from carrying away your larger processions, if the gates are locked. Gates should be locked at all times!

Make sure that any ladders and tools are stored in a garage or a storage shed, and these should be locked when not in use. To increase security chain your ladder to the wall of the garage when it is not being used.

The idea is to use the landscaping to control access to your property. Proper fencing hedges etc. create barriers that will make a potential burglar feel uncomfortable as they approach your home, but will not prevent a neighbour or passer by from seeing any unusual activity.

I will be covering additional steps you can take to improve your home security in the next article in this series.

Roger Overanout

For more vital home security tips and information about how to protect your home and family please visit www.homesecuritynews.info.

You may reproduce this article provided you maintain an active link back to www.homesecuritynews.info.

roger@report-on.com