1. Get an Alarm System
It’s hard to figure out exactly how many possible intruders are put off by home alarm systems. You’ll see disagreeing answers as you browse the web. Some intruders won’t screw with security systems. Some are comfy disabling certain brands.
But irrespective of how they feel about alarm systems, most would-be burglars don’t want to be busted. So get a security system keep your home safe, ideally one that still alerts even when impaired. Chances are an intruder that will leave out your place to go for a simpler target.
2. Add Window Sensors
Window sensors are also called open/closed or entry sensors. When put into a window or a door, they’ll let you know if it opens or shuts. Securing potential entrances is a great step to keep your home safe from burglaries.
Sensors can be a piece of both a home safety system and a home automation system. You can create cause and effect actions that span both. For instance, you could set the sensor to turn on your bedroom light if your house door opens after midnight. Or you can have it send you a text if the door opens while you’re away.
3.Add glass break sensors
A glass break sensor pays attention to the sound of glass breaking in your home. These little beauties are particularly handy in a room with more than one window.
Most door/window sensors sell for around $40 each, and you have to get one for each window you want to be watched. Whereas, a single glass break sensor can keep track of an entire roomful of windows for $80ish.
4.Add security stickers
An unexpected number of burglars enter through a door, but a window’s also a potential entry point. Add security alarm stickers to all first-floor windows as a caution to secure your home.
Like security signs, stickers can confuse thieves, but there are no guarantees—particularly if you don’t really have a house security system.
5.Turn old cell phones into security cameras
There are lots of free applications that can turn your old phones and tablets into home security cameras. We suggest Camio for this.
Most phones and tablets aren’t waterproof, so you can’t use your new cameras outdoors. But you can place them around the house to keep your property safer. (These are most effective if you live with someone you don’t trust, like an adult child who might be taking from you. Most people won’t think twice about an outdated phone sitting on a bookshelf.)
6.Create a burglar decoy
No, not a decoy of a burglar, a bait for burglars. Some burglars “smash and grab,” especially if a house alarm goes off. Fill a box with some cash, costume jewelry, and a few papers to shove in your sock drawer. A harried burglar will check the sock drawer in the bedroom, get the box, and go.
7.Answer the door the right way
Tell your children not to open the door without your explicit permission. Even someone they know can pose a threat to them. And when you see an unexpected stranger at your door, don’t let them inside. It’s better to be safe than considerate.
Add a door brace more safety
Bolt a door brace at the rear of your entryway door. When in the locked-up position, the bolt helps a door prolong several hundred pounds of blunt force. If someone thinks they’ll kick down your braced door, they’ve got another think coming.
8.Lock your doors and windows
Getting into a home can be super simple for an intruder. Way too many people leave the door unlocked in Thunder Bay! So even if you live in a little, sleepy neighborhood . . . just lock your doors and windows keep your home safe from burglaries.
A burglar sneaking into a house also depends on the type of house you are in, anyway it’s always best to play safe.
9.Secure sliding doors
Sliding glass doors are, well, made of glass, so a lock might not slice it. Protect a sliding glass door from sliding open with a metal or wood rod to strengthen the door.
10.Reinforce door jambs
Non-glass doors can be fragile too. In general, the most fragile points on a door are the lock, jamb, and the hinges. We suggest strengthening all three points on all external entryways. You can get the materials from Amazon and do the job yourself—no carpentry skills required
Nothing is more essential than keeping your family safe.
Knowing what to keep an eye out for and which safety measures to take makes your job as a family protector a little simpler, but no one can be on duty all the time, so you may want to get some help securing your loved ones with a monitored security system.
For more content related to houses in Thunder Bay check out the blog section of Tbay Houses.