Home Security - Protect Yourself Against Burglary

By: Michael Russell
Submitted: 2007-01-17 16:21:27
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Burglary is a phenomenon: thieves seem to discover each day new ways of violating our homes. There are so many countries where people live each day with the fear that when they come back from work they might find their homes burglarized. Police cannot do much and many burglars go on unpunished. Burglary represents for thieves an easy way to make money. Most of them will not bother to develop scenarios for complicated burglary, unless the target can bring them the "queen's diamond". So the burglars look for homes with easy access. Therefore, the best thing you can do to minimize the risk of having your house on the burglars' list, is to make it difficult to enter. To do this you need to fortify your entrances, secure the windows, employ good lighting and use reliable alarm systems.

Fortify Your Entrance Points

Although they don't look very pretty and bring a "heavy look", metal entrance doors transform your home into a difficult target. Most burglars do not possess the skills we see in movies. If a house is too difficult to burglarize, they will simply avoid it. Statistic, housebreakers prefer to enter via the garage door. Followed by the back door, the garage door is known to be the most accessible point of entry in a house. For this reason do not use metal doors solely to fortify your main entrance, but to secure all the other points of entry as well. Remember: a door with a wooden jamb is very easy to kick open. Fortify such entrances and make sure to use quality locks that resist lock-picking attempts for all your doors.

Secure All Accessible Windows

Despite the common belief, burglars are not intimidated by the daylight. Statistic, most of the break-in incidents happen during the daytime, when people are away at work. An open window is an invitation. Do lock your windows when you are away from home. Windows with latches are very easy to slide open, that's why you should use secondary blocking devices that will discourage burglars. Usually housebreakers prefer ground floor windows and windows that are accessible from a balcony, fence or a stair. When you secure the windows make sure burglars cannot reach and remove the blocking device. If you have an alarm system in your home, connect it to the accessible windows as well.

Use Lighting to Show Signs of Activity at Night

When away from home in a business trip or in vacation, make sure your home will not stay darken night after night. To avoid sending such an invitation to the thieves, use light timers. The light timers can be also used to turn on and off lights, radio and TV sets that will intensify the false impression of occupancy.

Don't undervalue the importance of exterior lighting. Since burglars do not want to be seen or identified, good exterior lighting will discourage them to come near your home. For this purpose use security lights with infrared motion detectors.

Use Reliable Alarm Systems

Burglars do not want to be caught, that's why most of them will bypass a home with visible alarm signs. An alarm system is effective and reliable when properly installed and maintained. Take care of your alarm code and don't write it in visible places. Your purpose is to make it difficult for burglars to break in into your home and not to make their job easy.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Home Security

Article source: Expert Articles