Home Security Tips Every Family Should Know

Regardless of whether you rent or own your home, you want to be safe where you live. You might not know how to improve security, which is why this article is here! Keep reading to learn what you can do to make things safer.

Your home should always look like it is occupied. Put timers on the TV, lights and radios. Potential intruders will stay away from your home if they believe someone is inside. This is a great way to keep your home safe and avoid burglaries.

A home security system has many more features than sounding an alarm during a break-in. Most security systems can be set to sound an alert when anyone enters the home. This is a valuable safety feature for parents of small children so that they know if their kids open or close doors.

When you buy a new house, change the locks. The person who previously owned the home may have made copies of keys. Get a locksmith in right away. If you lose your keys, you should do the same thing.

Above a door frame or under a mat are much too common to hide them and potential criminals will check them first. One good place to hide a spare key inside the collar of a dog that does not take kindly to strangers.

Buy fire-resistant building materials. This will help you protect your home under all circumstances. You can enhance home safety with excellent fire precautions.

Turn the ringers off on all your phones if you are going to be away. A constantly ringing phone lets thieves know that you’re not there.

Never allow a stranger to enter your home. Even if this stranger has a believable story or is trying to sell you something, do not let them in. This person might just be casing the joint to see if there is home security equipment.

There is a solution for people that are worried about burglars from entering your home through the garage. You can use a C-clamp to stop the door and prevent it from being opened.

A skylight is another area that needs to be protected for home security. Although skylights provide your home with a lot of light, it is also very helpful for burglars to break in. Make sure that you use safety hardware when the skylights are installed and maintained.

These items have a fire hazard due to heat and storms with lightning. Clear up your yard often if you want to prevent a fire from starting.

Don’t put your spare key in an obvious place near your front door. You may believe you are making life easier for yourself, but you may just be giving thieves simple access to your house. Thieves are aware of the best hiding spots. Rather, give your spare key to a neighbor or friend that you trust.

Hide the wires of your home security system’s wiring.Intruders can get around security systems and into a system if they see the wires. This can make you much safer.

The wires that are on your house are very valuable. Some intruders could strip your home of every bit of copper. The copper wiring can be stripped and be turned in for money. Hide your wiring to secure it.

Rotten Wood

Keep flashlights in your rooms. Flashlights are essential since they let you move around in an emergency. This can come in handy if someone has cut your power and is attempting to break in.

Replace rotten wood around any door frame that is rotting. An intruder could pry the rotten wood and enter your home. Replace wood with fresh wood to keep your home as safe as possible.

The Internet is your friend when searching for a home security company, so you should use it wisely. Take a look at various websites and read over customer testimonials and details about various packages. After that, choose your top three for consultations.

If you are moving into a home that had a previous owner, you should first change your locks. The person who used to live there may still have made some copies of the key. You can do your own installation to make sure that no one who has a key.

Don’t limit security to the inside of your home; the outside needs attention too. Don’t obstruct windows or doors with shrubs, plants, fences or trees. If they can be seen, there will be no place to hide. Plan features like these further from your home to have a safe, beautiful design.

A great way to increase your home security is to add motion lights around the house. If you position motion detectors properly, the motion detectors make it virtually impossible for an intruder to sneak onto your property.

Wireless alarm systems are a great investment. While a wired system is more affordable, it also requires more extreme modifications of your home’s existing wiring. This could be a potential problem in the event that your power goes out. The easy of installation and maintenance when it comes to wireless set-ups makes them the best bet.

Be sure to read the fine print to any contracts you hire a security firm. There could be fees for terminating the contract early or acquiring additional equipment. You should avoid such expenses if you can, you need to know of their existence.

Equip your home with a system designed for home surveillance. You can have great home security with both hidden and visible video cameras. Also, you can capture the intruder in the act. Many surveillance systems will allow you to access them through your cell phone; therefore, you can ensure your home is safe even when you’re gone.

Ask your security company how long they have been in business before you sign up for service. A company with a while has proven that their service to people. Knowing you are not dealing with a fly by night company can keep you extra peace of mind when making this important decision.

Keep your garage shut and locked so burglars can’t peek inside. Cover your windows with frosting; this could be purchased at hardware stores. They prevent people from peeking inside. Also, avoid leaving the door open for prolonged periods of time.

Never enter your home if the door open. This can be quite dangerous because the burglar might still be on your property. Call the cops and let them take care of the initial walk through.

Make sure your address numbers are clearly visible from across the street. If an emergency occurs, the police will not be able to find your home as quickly if these numbers are too small or are obscured in some way. Luckily, this is a quick and inexpensive fix if you notice that there is a problem.

Can you locate your house from the street? If you need assistance, it will be hard for the police to find your house quickly if your numbers are hidden or too small to read.

When you aren’t home, be sure to close your blinds, curtains or shades. Leaving your windows unguarded exposes the interior of your home to everyone, including criminals looking for tempting targets. If they see something they like, they will then break in. Also lower them while you are sleeping.

You can instead get key-less locks that need a code.You can even install them yourself or you can hire a home security firm.

Always keep your irreplaceable valuables secure. Passports, jewelry and expensive electronics must be secured at all times. Floor safes are great for keeping items secure in your home. What is even better is the safe deposit box at your bank.

Don’t hide your key in an obvious hiding place. It is easy to find fake rock. The thief will check under the doormat. A better key holder than an inanimate object. If you must keep it elsewhere, think outside the box when you hide it.

See if your security firm offers lighting that is motion-sensitive. Lots of companies will provide this feature. Motion sensitive lighting causes your home’s outside lights to turn on whenever anyone gets too close. Motion sensitive lighting can scare off an intruder and allow you to safely enter your home.

A home alarm might be a good investment if police are notified when it sounds.The only way to ensure this is to use a centrally monitored alarm so that calls the police for you. You cannot depend on just your neighbors to call.

Try not to get sliding glass doors in your home if security is a serious issue. Shaking the doors or even simply lifting them can unlock them. If a security system isn’t attached to these doors, then insert pipe to place into the door channel. This will prevent the door from moving or becoming unlocked.

Deadbolts that have captive keylocks are usually your wisest choice. These have a thumb latch that prevents others from opening it by using a nearby broken window pane to reach in. When at home, leave the key in the lock so that you can get out in case of a fire.

Make friends with a talkative neighbor who is home a lot. You never know who might be watching when someone is sneaking around your home. As a friend, they will be sure to notify you.

Women living alone or along with only children are easy targets for burglary. Place big muddy boots near the front door so it looks like a tough impression. This will help keep criminals think twice before breaking into your home.

You want to always make sure your second story windows are locked. Many folks forget about these, thinking ignorantly that burglars don’t check. They do use this method of entry though. This is often a weak area that criminals know about.

Clean your home’s carbonic monoxide and smoke detectors. Lint and dust could build up in these and make them less sensitive. This compromises the device’s ability to secure your home in the presence of carbon monoxide or smoke.

While locks which are sealed up on the inside are dandy, if you can’t lock it from the outside, it won’t be of much use. The best lock is a deadbolt and those that have keys for the inside and outside can prevent burglars from opening them.

Video surveillance systems do a crooks nightmare. Burglars with masks like you see in movies. Many home burglars will not wear anything to cover their face because they have no intention of ever being seen.

Regardless of how much you trust your new home’s previous occupants, your first order of business after moving in is to get the locks replaced or re-keyed. This is true of rentals and homes you buy, so ask your landlord to switch the lock or hire a locksmith to do it yourself, if you are able to do so.

Search for a company that offers more than just installing a simple security system. Great companies are willing to come assess the house and make some recommendations that can keep your family much safer. You may be advised to install windows that are more secure, install deadbolts or upgrade your windows. You need to ensure that the firm really takes its work seriously, and they will discuss these types of things with you if they do.

Clean your carbon monoxide and smoke detectors detectors clean. They tend to get dust on them which can prevent the sensors from going off when they should. Dirty detectors will not protect you from fire or carbon monoxide.

Since you have read this article, you are ready to begin making your home secure. Do not hesitate to put these ideas into practice. These ideas will no doubt help you come up with a few of your own. Anytime you know your home is well protected you can sleep better at night, so start now!

The right to hold a weapon will help you in protecting yourself from an intruder. Think about legally purchasing a firearm and receiving proper training in gun use and safety in the event you should need to protect your home. Knowing that a gun is at home can give you a real feeling of security.