Primrose Above Bear Creek

Home Security - Invest in it now.

Mar 12, 2000

CHECK THE LOCKS
Did you know that in almost half of all completed residential burglaries, thieves simply breezed in through unlocked doors or crawled through unlocked windows?

Sliding glass doors can offer easy access if they are not properly secured. You can secure them by installing commercially available locks or putting a broomstick or dowel in the inside track to jam the door.

Make sure every external door has sturdy, well-installed dead bolt locks. Key-in-the know locks alone are not enough.

To prevent the door being lifted off the track, drill a hole through the sliding door frame and the fixed frame. Then insert a pin in the hole.

Lock double hung windows with key locks or ?“pin?” windows by drilling a small hole at a 45 degree angle between the inner and outer frames, then insert a nail that can be removed. Secure basement windows with grills or grates.

CHECK THE DOORS
A lock on a flimsy door is about as effective as locking your car door but leaving the window down.

All outside doors should be metal or solid wood. If your doors don?’t fit tightly in their frames, install weather stripping around them.

Install a peephole or wide-angle viewer in all entry doors so you can see who is outside without opening the door. Door chains break easily and don?’t keep out intruders.

CHECK THE OUTSIDE
Look at your house from the outside. Make sure you know the following tips:

Thieves hate bright lights. Install outside lights and keep them on at night.

Keep your yard clean. Prune back shrubbery so it doesn?’t hide doors or windows. Cut back tree limbs that a thief could use to climb to an upper-level window.
Clearly display your house number so police and other emergency vehicles can find your home quickly.

If you travel, create the illusion that you?’re at home by getting some timers that will turn lights on and off in different areas of your house throughout the evening. Lights burning 24 hours a day signals an empty house.

CONSIDER AN ALARM
Alarms can be a good investment, especially if you have any valuables in your home, or live in an isolated area or one with a history of break-ins.

Check with several companies before you buy so you can decide what level of security fits your needs. Do business with an established company and check references before signing a contract.

Learn how to use your system properly: Don?’t ?“cry wolf?” by setting off false alarms. People will stop paying attention and you?’ll probably be fined.

Some less expensive options are: A sound-detecting socket that plugs into a light fixture and makes the light flash when it detects certain noises, motion sensing out-door lights that turn on when someone approaches, or lights with photo cells that turn on when it?’s dark and off when it?’s light.