Home Security

Perhaps it’s time you expand your idea about home security. Many people believe it sufficient to add a security system and forget about taking any additional steps to increase one’s home security. Those individuals may soon discover that the home alarm is only as efficient as the home’s weakest link allows it to be.

In other words, a homeowner can have one of the best home security systems but still experience a crime against property if they have not secured the home first. Each point of entry, the doors and windows, needs to be secured. This includes adding locks, securing the doorframe or window frame to the wall stud, and other measures.

Furthermore, one must expand the definition of what constitutes their property. The home with four walls is not the only structure you may be trying to secure. Home security can include separate garages and sheds as well, along with the land that surrounds those structures. Within a fenced-in area, a homeowner often leaves valuable objects and perhaps even keeps windows and doors unlocked.

Here, you will be given a short list of questions to ask yourself in order to focus your efforts to garages and sheds specifically. A lot of talk is made with regard to one’s windows and doors, but often to the exclusion of the secondary structures that homeowners try to secure. The garages and sheds often contain highly valuable items but go unprotected. Here is a brief list of questions to ask yourself to learn more about your property and focus your efforts to make it more secure.

1. Do you have heavy-duty locks on your garages and sheds? You don’t have to necessarily have the strongest locks available but it depends on the valuables being stored as well as personal tastes.

2. Is your shed within a fenced-in area; and if so, is the fenced-in area secured with a heavy-duty lock?

3. If your garage is connected to your home, like many are, do you have a deadbolt installed in the door that connects to the house? All exterior doors should have a deadbolt, even the door that only connects to the garage.

4. Do you regularly lock the door that connects the garage to your home or do you rely on the garage door being closed? If this has become a habit, you never know when you might leave your garage door open for too long and allow a burglar to enter your home. It is a good practice to regularly lock the door leading into your home from the garage.

5. What type of items do you have stored in the garage and sheds? Does the value of the items legitimize spending additional money on home security measures? This is about thinking about the value of the items you are protecting in order to give you a better idea as to the amount of money you are willing to pay.

Now that you better understand the nature of your property you can employ specific steps to make your garages and sheds more secure. Since these additional structures aren’t generally secured with a home alarm, you need to take additional steps to secure them properly. Together, these steps will increase the level of home security you enjoy.

By: Laila Jefferson

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The earliest home security systems date back to the early 1900′s. These systems were generally expensive and very hard to monitor. In the past 100 years as technology has changed, as technology changed home security systems have also changed.

Early home security systems were very expensive and surprisingly ineffective. They were very similar to car alarms. If the security system was tripped it caused a loud siren to sound, but in order to monitor these systems you had to be within hearing distance. As time passed and more and more consumers purchased these local alarm systems false alarms increased at such a rate that many times when an alarm would sound it would be neglected. Intruders quickly learned how to defeat these systems making the home security system essentially useless.

The first home security systems were triggered by the release of a button fitted into a door or window frame. Once the alarm was triggered the intruder could easily silence the alarm by closing the entry way used to enter the property. Today home security systems are extremely advanced, offering inexpensive professionally monitored DIY solutions up to highly sophisticated systems requiring professional installation.

Today’s security systems are extremely effective in preventing burglary and thefts as well as helping police respond to emergency situations. The mainstay of the home security system is definitely the high decibel siren. Today the siren is used to ward off would be intruders not for monitoring purposes. In most cases home security systems are monitored by large companies with multiple monitoring centers.

These centers house countless trained professionals who are there in times of need for residences and businesses across the country. These monitoring centers also can provide support for other potential disasters such as carbon monoxide, fire, freezing pipes, and much more.

Home security has changed a great deal over the last century and will continue to do so as long as technology continues to progress.

By: William Hynes

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You want your home to be a safe haven for your family. Whether you have children, a spouse, pets, or a combination of these family members, you want to protect them at all costs. Even if you live alone, your possessions are important to you and you want to protect them. One way to protect your home, possessions, and family members is through installing a wireless home security system.

A wireless home security system is going to represent a sizeable investment. Before you purchase one, you need to know what to look for. For instance, do you want wireless security cameras in your home, or do you simply want home protection that involves an alarm in the event of a break-in? Do you want to be connected to a third party company that can alert the authorities when your alarm goes off? Answering these questions will help you to find and install the best home protection for your needs.

Most wireless home security systems involve some sort of alarm that goes off if the perimeter of your home is crossed. Basic systems come with door and window sensors. You will install these sensors along the edge of the door or window frame, and then attach the magnet half of the sensor to the door or window. If the door or window is opened, it will trigger the alarm. If you are concerned about a break-in that might occur on your land, rather than in your home, consider installing a wireless home security system that has a PIRS, or Passive Infrared Motion Sensor, type of detection system. This type of sensor will detect if someone crosses it, so you can protect the perimeter of your land, not just your home. You can also find broken glass sensors, which will detect a break-in that occurs through a broken window.

When installing a home protection system, where you place the control panel is important. While it needs to be near a power outlet, preferably one that is not controlled by a light switch, you also want to install it near the door you use the most often, so that you can quickly disarm it when you come home. Otherwise your alarm will start going off when you legitimately enter your home.

Once you have installed the control panel, you will want to program it. Most of these systems will need a password. Choose a number combination that will be easy to remember, but not predictable to potential thieves.

If your home protection system comes with wireless security cameras, carefully consider where you want to be able to view the images from the cameras. Your computer is a good option, as this will allow you to switch to the camera whenever you want to see what is outside. Wireless security cameras are a good way to identify people at your door before opening the door. Criminals often gain entry into homes through open front doors, posing as delivery people or friends, and then overwhelming the homeowner and taking what they want. Wireless security cameras give you the ability to identify anyone knocking at your door before you open it.

Finally, consider whether or not you want third party monitoring services with your security system. Almost all wireless home security systems can be connected to third party security companies. This is a great feature, because if you have a break-in these third party companies will contact the authorities for you. Even if you are on vacation, the police will be alerted to the crime and be sent to your property. However, this is considered an additional service, and you will pay a monthly or yearly fee to have your system connected to the third party company.

By: Ken Potter

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