Could This Be The Holiday Season Where Crooks Target Your Home?

October 18th, 2023

The safety and sanctity of the home have always been important. More people are now following Work From Home guidance, which can sometimes mean bringing more valuable work and data home.

For homeowners, this means that security is a greater concern. A home should always be safe, but there’s more to home security than just surveillance cameras and burglar alarms. Cameras can deter thieves, and alarms can notify you and the authorities or a break-in, but what can make all the difference sometimes is making it too hard to break into a home, and that’s where door and window security come in.

Securing Your Doors

This will be a surprise to some, but in many cases, the front door is an entry point for burglars to invade a home. This occurs for several reasons, one of which is that people forget to lock their doors. However, the most common method of entry is that homeowners leave a spare key hidden nearby in case they or children get locked out. Thieves are good at finding these spare key locations since they’re usually close to the door.

Beyond not keeping a spare key hidden nearby, however, thieves will also break a door down or remove it from its hinges if they know you’re not at home, and they know there’s no alarm. Metal insulated, or solid wood doors are stronger than typical hollow core doors.

Deadbolts are another excellent way to prevent entry through doors. Access control systems, such as biometrics, key cards, or other mechanisms, are also good at allowing you to use an electronic deadbolt even when no one is home.

Securing Your Windows

It’s essential always to remember to lock your windows. Many thieves get into a home by testing windows to see if they open. This applies even to a house with a second floor, as people assume that because they are one floor up, it’s safe to leave windows unlocked.

Beyond remembering to lock the windows, the windows themselves, like doors, can be reinforced. For some who don’t mind compromising appearance, installing bars, for example, makes it impossible to get in or out through a window even if it’s open. Switch to plexiglass or polycarbonate windows can also create a barrier that is extremely difficult to break without proper, noisy, industrial equipment.

Other Precautions

Of course, a comprehensive security system also makes a big difference. People in a residence will not forget to close doors or windows if an alarm sound. More importantly, should an actual break-in occur, at doors or windows, the alarms will ring, and a notification will be sent to authorities.

Beyond that, surveillance cameras do an excellent job of deterring criminals since they record important details that can be used in investigation and prosecution. Cameras can be reinforced with motion tracking lights at night so that if someone comes in view of the sensors, the lights come on.

If you’d like to make your home, safer, contact us. We can look at your property and find the right security configuration.