Home Security Systems

Not all homes are secure. Family members need to make it safe from intruders and calamities such as fire. People try to make homes safe by keeping doors locked, lights on, and valuables hidden in clever places. But burglars are a clever breed who try to devise ways to break into the safest of homes. One of the best ways to keep them out is to use a quality electronic security system. A security system is a comprehensive arrangement of control panels, touch pads, sirens and smoke and motion sensors. There are several kinds of security systems available in many prices. Choice depends on size of the house, features, number of products used, and advancement of systems. A suitable combination can be worked out according to specific budgets. Many professional companies help decide on what is suitable and available for a given home.

Basic machinery of a home security system includes control panel, touchpad, backup battery, telephone line seizure, a digital dialer linked to a central monitoring station, a siren, inside motion detectors, door and window sensors. A control panel operates the whole process and a touch pad is required to enter our command. A siren is required to announce arrival of intruders and also scare them. Some alarm systems dial police station automatically or sound loud. Poor quality alarms may also raise false alarms and just harass everybody around. There are different kinds of sensors available such as magnetic contacts, infrared, photoelectric, ultrasonic or microwave detectors, window shock sensor and so on. One can also install closed-circuit TV and private television system to monitor inside or outside activities. While installing a centrally operative security system there is choice between wired and wireless, each of them having their own advantages and disadvantages.

A good system can give protection to possessions, peace of mind and a sense of being secure. It should cover the whole home. If at all one decides to implement a home security system, one should go for good quality even if it costs little more. Reliability is the most important thing.

Home Security Systems provides detailed information on Home Security, Home Security Systems, Wireless Home Security Systems, Home Security Cameras and more. Home Security Systems is affiliated with Home Security Alarm Systems.

Choosing a Home Security Company

It seems like robberies and break-ins are in the paper or on the news all the time. You're smart to be concerned about your own welfare and that of your family. You also want to protect your house and your belongings. For this reason, you may be considering buying a home security system or a burglar alarm.

There are do-it-yourself systems and there are professionally installed systems. Most DIY systems aren't worth a lot, because they're easy for burglars to thwart, and they aren't monitored (if someone breaks in, you won't know until after all your stuff is gone). Oh, you can install timers for your lights, motion sensors for your yard, and upgraded locks for your doors and windows, but if you want to feel truly secure, you may feel safest investing in a monitored home security system.

Monitored systems are installed and watched by professional security companies. When the alarm is tripped they'll send someone over to investigate or call the police, depending on the plan you sign up for. They'll also help you maintain your system year in and year out.

As you might have guessed, they're going to charge you for this. Expect to pay an installation fee, which will cover the cost of the equipment and the labor to set it all up. You will also have to pay monthly fees as long as you want them to monitor your home. (One bonus is that this expenditure can actually lower your homeowner's insurance, since many insurers will discount their premiums for more secure homes.)

Because installing a monitored alarm systems represents an ongoing investment, you want to make sure to find an alarm company you'll be happy with. Let's take a look at some tips:

--Choose a security system that will accommodate your lifestyle and protect your valuables.

--Ask friends, relatives, and neighbors for recommendations. You can also ask your insurance company for suggestions of reputable companies.

--Buy from a company that offers good customer service and technical support.

--Choose a company that is a member of the Better Business Bureau.

--Get written estimates from at least three companies before you decide on one (but keep in mind prices for security systems vary dependent on equipment features and the level of monitoring offered--compare systems to like systems).

--Find out whether or not the company screens employees before hiring them. You want trusted people installing your system, since they'll have access to your passwords and security codes.

--Check to see if the company is licensed and is a member of the National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association.

--Ask about guarantees and warrantees to see what's available. Make sure you're protected in case a piece of equipment malfunctions.

--Ask if the alarm systems have backups, including batteries in case the power goes out or radio in case the telephone lines are cut.

--Lastly, make sure to read the fine print of the contract. Find out if there is a cancellation policy (it's not a good idea to get locked into a years-long contract--you may decide you'd be happier with another company after it's too late to change without amassing fees).

Home Security - Protect Your Properties with Property Marking

Ultra violet technology is used in security products to protect property. With the use of an ultra violet pen, property is marked with a specific sign, number or code. That mark is called an ultra violet mark, however, the mark will not be visible in normal light, but will glow when an ultra violet light is shed on it from an ultraviolet lamp. The mark does not damage property in any way. This technology is used to mark property at home, school, office, on boats, and recreational vehicles. In case of a theft, once the goods are recovered you can confidently claim them.

Any personal property can be marked with ultra violet pens. It is ideal for marking and identifying: PCs, Servers, Kitchen Appliances, Mobile Phones, Lap-Top Computers, Home and Office Equipment, Audio Systems, TV and Accessories, Vehicles and their parts, Cycles and Motorcycles, General Household Valuables, Gardening Equipment, Leisure and Sports Equipment.

UV lamps are available in both portable and stationary models. Ultra violet lamps can detect fake currency, mechanical and chemical erasures.

Ultra violet pens are used to mark property with an ultraviolet mark. Ultra violet pens can be used on surfaces like wood, plastic, metal, glass, cloth, and paper to write and mark. It is advisable to mark property every two years as the ultra violet marks may fade with exposure to sun light or by washing. In addition, ultra violet marks should be put in places where it has the least human contact or contact with other things. This again prevents faster fading. The best way to mark properties with an ultra violet pen is to write the driving license number or first two initials of the name or other special code that you would like to use.

The best use of ultra violet marking is when certain item that is marked with ultra violet pen goes in for repairs, if switching of the item occurs it can be easily detected. Recovery of goods after theft becomes possible and the job of police officers becomes easier in identifying your goods.

Ultra violet lamps can be found that use either batteries or electricity. You can find ultra violet lamps and pen sold together in one kit or separately according to your preferences. There are some ultra violet pens that promise life long marking, but eventually the markings will begin to fade. It is advisable to mark property periodically to ensure that the mark is visible and clearly legible when exposed to ultra violet light.

4th Media Corporation

Natalie Aranda writes on home and family

A Step-by-Step Guide for Choosing a Home Security System

Two million American houses are burglarized according to the National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association. A majority of these houses have no alarm system to warn off the burglars or to notify the occupants or neighbors that a burglary is taking place. Installing security equipment - security hardware and software for your home provides a peace of mind and alerts and reacts to any unauthorized entry. Below are the basic steps to purchasing and installing a home alarm system:

1. Survey your home and decide how many of the doors and windows of the house will be included in the alarm system.

2. Talk to a security system adviser, an insurance agent, or a local police department for names of security companies.

3. Call up each of the companies and ask for an inspection by them as well as a recommendation and a price quote.

4. Depending on the reason for the security alarms and your family's normal lifestyle, pick the appropriate type, brand, and locations for sensors around the home.

5. A basic part of the security system to decide is the 24 hour monitoring system for an extra monthly fee. When there is an attempted robbery, a signal is automatically sent to security professionals that will contact the proper local police. A less expensive monitoring system will call pre-selected numbers for help when there is a break in.

6. Make sure all the zones can be controlled with one control panel. A zone is any window or door that is incorporated into the security system. The basic system can only control eight zones but it can be upgraded to control up to thirty two. These systems usually range around $350-400. Pick where the control panel will be placed as well as any other keypads throughout the house. The keypads in most houses are placed at the front door and in the bedroom, allowing certain components to be turned on or off while the control panel manages the entire system.

7. When looking for a home automation system, make sure that they connect to lighting, smoke, carbon monoxide, and flood sensors. A problem that quite a few systems have is that during the winter their switches freeze so consult an authority for its practicality during the winter.

8. Once the system is installed, the code should be easy to remember by everyone in the family and should be kept private under most circumstances. Make sure the keypad is user friendly and can activate and deactivate alarms in seconds.

9. There are many advantages to choosing wireless burglar alarms. One of the main ones is that there is no reason to drill too many holes in the wall. And if a retrofit comes into the scenario, having a wireless system becomes a huge convenience.

General Tips: 1. Check that the system has a backup battery power. 2. Ask about maintenance tests, how does them, and how often. 3. Choose the monitoring service before buying the system because the type of system limits what type of service you will receive.

Natalie Aranda writes about home and family

Increase Your Home Security With Video Surveillance

The modern homeowner has been aided considerably by advancing technology and nowhere is that more evident than in the field of home security. The tools that are now in the hands of the average homeowner were considered practical for only the wealthiest of people and large corporations only just a few years ago.

For instance, consider the subject of video surveillance. In times past the only solution offered was an analog closed circuit television system which was expensive and had serious drawbacks, including the fact that it was not possible to actually monitor events around your home from long distance as they happened. They had to be saved to some type of recording device, most often video tape, and then viewed later at once to provide any useful information.

But with the advent of the computer age, networking, and the internet, great improvements have been made to the advantage of the average homeowner. Chief among these is the rise of digital recording devices instead of analog equipment. By capturing the video in digital format, it could then be broadcast to another distant location and even viewed live as it happens. It also improved the captured images considerably, and made for much better image quality.

Because of the internet, we now have the ability to log onto the web and view video feeds from cameras at our home live as they are recording. By combining this technology with the right software product we can even view more than one camera's output at the same time. So if you have for instance 5 cameras around your home, you can watch them on your monitor screen whenever you wish to keep an eye on what is happening even though you are many miles away.

Having such a digital home security camera system is not all that expensive either, and with the rising number of people becoming familiar with setting up their own wireless computer systems, it is also becoming a home security measure that many can install themselves.

So if you have the need to keep up with what is happening at home when you are away for any reason, why not consider getting a digital camera system for your own peace of mind?

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

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roger@report-on.com