Increase Your Home Protection: Use These Home Security Suggestions
Your home is supposed to be somewhere that you can go after a long day of work, school, and other commitments to relax and feel safe. However, this can be difficult if you don't take precautions to protect it. Read the tips in this article for ways to do just that.
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If you will be away on vacation it is important to make your home looked lived in while you are gone. Investing in some inexpensive outlet timers can allow you to set your lights to turn on and off at predetermined times. This can help to give the illusion that you are home and deter thieves.
Choose a deadbolt lock over a spring-latch lock. The spring-latch lock is much easier for burglars that are experienced in "loiding." Loiding refers to the method where a plastic card like a credit card is slipped against the latch tongue in order to depress it, which will unlock your door. The deadbolt will prevent an attack like this. Deadbolts are vulnerable only when there is plenty of space in between your door and your door frame for intruders to use hacksaws or power tools.
If you have a door in your garage that leads to the inside of your home, make sure that you keep your garage door down when no one is out there. Having an open door gives a burglar a place to enter, which means you and your family may be in danger.
Rural areas are just as prone to break-ins as cities. People who live in the country may even be more vulnerable because they do not have nearby neighbors. Not everyone believes this, though.
If you are planning to take a vacation, or you simply work odd hours, get timers for your indoor lights. This will help your home appear to be occupied, even when you are away. Place these timers in more than one room as well, as a burglar will quickly realize that only one of your rooms is illuminated at any given time if you do not.
Be careful sharing vacation plans online. This is especially true when it comes to sharing plans on social networking sites and posting updates while on vacation. You don't really know is reading your plans on these sites. Anyone could be planning on breaking into your home uninterrupted since you are not there because you have told everyone that you are not there.
Keeping your doors and windows locked may seem like an all too simple action to deter theft, but following through can greatly increase the security of your home. Even if you live in a neighborhood free of crime, leaving doors and windows unlocked is an invitation to intruders. Remember to lock doors and windows, even if you're home during the day.
You want to know what is included in a contract if you're signing up with a security company. There may be hidden costs to doing business with them, including early termination fees and surprising equipment costs. It is best to know all you can about a service you sign up for.
Be careful who you give your keys to. Be especially careful with one-time contractors who work around your home. Make sure they are a reputable company. Some shadier contractors make duplicate keys to your home to break in easily later. Check with the business resources in your area to assure the contractor's reputation is clean.
When searching for a home security firm to assume responsibility for monitoring your property, make a point to solicit recommendations from others in your neighborhood. Ask about past experiences and response times in emergency situations. In this way, you will be able to determine whether a prospective company is worth looking into further.
A dog is a great home security alarm. Dogs are protective of turf and generally make noise when something is wrong. A dog with a vicious attitude and large size isn't necessary. Even the barking of a tiny dog can repel potential burglars, who want to avoid noises as they carry out their crimes.
When going on vacation, leave your car in your driveway. If this is not possible, ask your neighbor if he or she will park in your driveway. If intruders see a car in the driveway, they will assume someone is home. This means they will avoid breaking into your home.
Check your local hardware or home improvement store to see if they sell alarm monitoring company signs. Quite often, you can find one that you put in your yard. Even if you don't actually have a home alarm system, just a sign saying you do deters would-be burglars from targeting your property.
Protecting your family is at the top of most people's priority lists, especially if they are parents. Never put yourself in a compromising position just because you did not prepare beforehand. Remember these tips and continue to research so you can make sure your home is always safe and secure.