To keep your house safe from burglars, you will need to invest in home security. It is possible that this may never happen, but it is always better to be cautious than sorry. While the majority of burglaries are the consequence of rash decisions, others are deliberate. There are thieves who research the homes they aim to loot, noting the people who live there and their habits. If they know you are going to be gone, they will have plenty of time to steal your belongings.
If burglars are determined to break in, it is nearly hard to keep them out unless you transform your house into a fortress. Breaking glass with something heavy is all it takes to gain entrance. Even if the windows have bars, they can be removed with hi-tech devices that are available today in the market! You may, however, make it so tough for opportunistic thieves that they won’t try breaking in and will go on to another location.
To assist you with your home security guideline, we have put up a simple list of some of the greatest – and most economical – DIY measures that you can take to safeguard your house and repel would-be attackers.
1. Use Secure and Reliable Locks
Secure Your Doors with Mortise Lock
A mortise lock is one of the safest types of household equipment available in the market today. What distinguishes mortise locks from other equivalents in terms of security? A pocket carved into the door allows a mortise box to fit into the door easily, offering more protection. The mortise box is extremely sturdy and fits perfectly. You will discover that these locks need proper door preparation. As a result, mortise locks are more costly than standard cylinder locks.
Installing mortise locks is mostly one of the requirements for insurance coverage. For added strength, the central locking system is usually coupled with two extra bolts that protrude from the top and bottom of the door frame to provide extra protection.
Secure Your Windows
Although it may seem self-evident, when did you last examine the state of your window locks? The wood in a window frame can expand and stretch with time with changing weather, forcing the glass out of the frame rendering the most common sash locks for windows unusable.
It is very important for you to replace any outdated or damaged locks and make sure they stay secured while the window is closed to make your windows safer. Even if the locks are in good working order, you may add inexpensive additional locks to safeguard your windows better. Intruders won’t be able to unlock window sashes with pin locks, and double-hung windows will not be opened in either direction by installing hinged wedge locks.
2. Use Light To Enhance Security
Outdoor lighting is necessary because it keeps burglars out of your property. This is because they understand that they can be more easily noticed and recognized on security cameras in the presence of outdoor lighting.
Security lights can also be utilized to keep individuals who reside in the house or those who come to visit safely. If you have any dark areas on your premises where accidents are a possibility, these lighting may be able to help.
Furthermore, it is crucial to note that security lighting is not just necessary in areas where crime is a concern. Many homeowners in secure communities want security lighting because their bigger, more costly houses are more likely to be targeted by robbers or vandals.
These days motion sensor lights are the talk of the town because of their effectiveness in providing security to homeowners. A motion sensor is the foundation of your security system since it identifies when someone is in your house who should not be there. In the same way, a motion sensor light detects movement in a place by utilizing one or more technologies.
When the sensor in the light detects any motion, it transmits a signal to homeowners through the security system, notifying you and the monitoring center about the potential threat in your house.
3. Install A Security Alarm For Your House
A burglar alarm system consists of several components that work together to protect you from intruders. These alarms detect movement through motion sensors or the opening of doors and windows using doors and windows sensors and contacts, and a loud alarm is triggered to inform others nearby of the unauthorized entrance.
There are fake alarms also available in the market today. These alarm boxes can be easily installed on the outdoor walls to fool intruders into believing that they are under surveillance. Many of these fake alarms also work with solar energy to give off lights to show that they are operable.
4. Hide Away All Your Valuables!
One of the main themes on this checklist is basically not putting yourself in danger! This is perhaps the most critical piece of advice we can provide. If you do not really appear to have much to take from, it may be enough to entice thieves to go on to the next residence. Keep your excellent automobile in the garage if you have one. Keep the windows shut during nighttime if you have a large TV. If you have just purchased something new and costly, don’t dump the boxes on the street for the world to know.
Jewelry, money, computers, iPhones, and huge televisions are items that thieves want, so keep them out of sight from a window. Do not leave significant quantities of money lying about. Keep keys in a safe place and avoid leaving them on tables or places from where they can be pulled out through the aperture.
5. Use Natural Barriers to Limit Access To Your Home
While walls, wooden fencing, or chain link fencing can provide an effective barrier if they are tall enough, they can be easily crossed if they are not reinforced with barb wires, razor wires, spikes, glass, or other impediments. A chain-link fence may be cut using bolt cutters, and a thief can mount a low wall if his partner helps him out.
Hedges, on the other hand, can be far more effective. Various bushes and trees are studded with venomous thorns, and a thief would be too tired to hack their way past such a barrier. Holly, berberis, hawthorn, gorse, and japonica are a few examples.
6. Use Surveillance Systems
CCTV cameras can be useful for recording people’s movements outside your house. If they are visible, they may work as a barrier, but they may also show that you are too security conscious and have goods worth stealing! You can even put that old mobile to good use by converting it to a CCTV camera.
In addition to CCTVs, tiny hidden cameras are also available that have the ability to record and capture people. Make certain the cameras create high-quality images and are placed near windows and entrances to get clear shots of possible intruders.
7. Show Your Presence Even If You Are Away!
If you are going to be away from your house for a considerable length of time, have your neighbors gather your mail and do other things to keep your house from seeming vacant. Even keeping your vehicles in the same location might give robbers the impression that your property is unoccupied and a possible target.
If you are not too cordial with your neighbor, try leaving some light bulbs on in the house to give the impression that someone is home. Most robbers are terrified of facing a homeowner, so ensure that you are present in your house even if you are away.
8. Secure Your Garage Space
People spend a lot of time and money guarding their houses, but they frequently overlook their garages. Sadly, that can be a simple way to obtain access to your property.
First, make sure all of your garage’s standard doors and windows are locked. Next, consider keeping the keys and garage door opener at home rather than in your car, where they may be stolen. Finally, keep the inner door between your garage and your home shut. In that manner, even if someone gains access to your garage, they will be unable to enter your home.
9. Get a ‘Safe’ For Your Belongings
If an attacker does break into your house, you want to be certain they take as little as possible. In that case, you must consider buying a safe to store valuables such as cash, jewelry, important papers, and other stuff you do not want a burglar to take. When it comes to larger products like electronics, you may make them inaccessible by keeping them in a hidden place when using them.
Now That We Have Reached The End
Nobody wants themselves to be the victim of a burglary. Using the ideas on this checklist, you can help deter and avoid intruders and keep your dear ones and your property secure. You may initially focus on easily achievable targets. Once you’ve completed those, you may go on to the rest of the tasks on the checklist. Every minor modification you make will make your house and loved ones feel safer.