Securing your home has never been as important and necessary to protect against unwanted intrusion as it is now.
Incidences of theft and home invasion are at an all-time high. Nobody wants to become a victim of such an occurrence.
People that have experienced an incidence of home theft report a lot of negative feelings about their homes after the event.
They don’t feel safe, they feel that the thief will return as they’ve already been successful in their attempts once before.
Some victims report the need to move away from their homes to alleviate the feelings of trauma and PTSD-like effects. This is particularly unfortunate if you own the home.
And that’s just the result of simple theft. Imagine your feelings if the event is a home invasion. Better yet, don’t imagine it.
Instead, spend your time and energy figuring out how you can make your home more secure in the event of attempted theft or attack on your family.
There’s a lot of things you can do to protect yourself from intruders. The range of preventative measures is extensive and most people should at least be able to do a few of them whether they do it themselves or get some assistance from a friend or professional to get the job done.
Doors and Locks
Of course, the primary method of entry into the house will be the doors. As such, they should be the first area of fortification.
Door security comes in several forms. The method you use will be best determined by the structure of your house and the financial resources you’re willing to spend on this area of your home.
Most kinds of locks can be completed at home in a DIY fashion with a little research into home improvement methods.
The most obvious way to improve the security of your doorways is to install a variety of high-quality locks.
Locks come in different forms and the form you choose will come with different advantages and disadvantages.
Locking doorknobs and handles are the lowest security option available. Their main advantage is that the door can be locked while it’s still open and then be closed and remained locked.
No key is necessary until reentry. The biggest problem is that this kind of lock can be jimmied open with a credit card quite easily and with a tool or two the knob can typically be removed allowing access to the room.
This lock is mostly to prevent access from casual attempts. Any serious attempt to breach the door will be successful.
Deadbolts are the other go-to locking mechanism. This lock is significantly more secure. It can’t be jimmied open, the door jam must be breached or the lock must be picked to open it.
This is the obvious advantage. The major disadvantage is that the lock must be opened and closed with a key from the outside.
This is a minor problem but isn’t convenient in some situations. Of course, nothing is keeping you from having a locking doorknob and a deadbolt. Multiple deadbolts can also be installed.
Anytime you use locks, you’re running the risk of getting locked out. If you lock yourself out, you’ll need help to get back in from a locksmith.
Texas residents can find advice from locksmith San Antonio if they do get locked out of their homes. This can be a very inconvenient and frustrating problem.
The other popular options are a variety of locking mechanisms that can only be used when at home as they must be applied from the inside of the home.
These come in a few different forms. They can range from a simple sliding chain lock to a sliding bolt to a special floorboard that’s installed to block the opening of the door.
These add a level of security against breaches when you or your family are inside the home.
Other considerations are the strength of the door itself and its supporting jam. The locks can only be as secure as the overall strength of the jam and door.
The best locks in the world can’t protect you if they’re attached to a flimsy door and jam.
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Secure Other Points of Entry
There are several other ways to get inside a home and you need to consider each of them carefully.
You may have several additional points of entry depending on the design of your home. Make sure to account for each one.
Think carefully about your home’s access points:
Windows
consider all windows even second or third-floor windows. Pay particularly close attention to the attic windows if you have them.
Skylights
these are often only secured by a bit of tar, some small nails, and a few shingles, a utility knife and a nail puller are often all it takes to remove a skylight.
These are usually not protected well by security systems either.
Garage Doors
these doors are not nearly as secure as they appear to be. They are usually made from cheap and lightweight metals that bend easily and their locks are usually quite cheap.
They can be secured from the inside with an additional lock.
Garage Access Door
This internal door leads from the common area of the house to the garage. It is often made of cheaper materials and people tend to consider it as an internal door and are therefore likely to neglect its security.
This isn’t the case, however. These doors are essentially exterior doors. An easily breached garage door or window plus a breached garage entryway door do not add up to a secure home.
They are simply two easily breached doors instead of a single security door like the front door.
Digital Security
Another popular option is to install a security system. This can be either a private system or a professionally installed service.
The former option is essentially a DIY system that allows full customization to meet your needs. But it is typically a stand-alone system that will need your detection and intervention to get the cops out.
This is usually constructed from a combination of cameras, motion detectors, and smart home features.
The other option is to install a security alarm system. These are camera and alarm systems that are connected to a monitoring service.
The monitoring service is always online and in the event of an alarm trigger, a third-party service will take action.
This action comes in the form of calling you the moment something happens to alert you and check on your well-being.
This is immediately followed up by a call to the authorities. And that kind of service is well-suited for busy people that are not often at home as it does not require your monitoring to take action in the event of a home security breach.
There are many ways to secure your home. They each have their advantages and disadvantages. Depending on your needs and budget, there are lots of things you can do to further secure your home and your family’s safety.
It just depends on your needs. Careful consideration of your home’s layout and the installation of a few security features will greatly increase the strength and deterrence level of your domicile.
