Burglar alarms are not the be-all
and end-all of home security. There are plenty of other things you can install
in your home that will help to stop an intruder from gaining entry – and many
of them are very simple and cheap.
The important is to secure the potential points of entry. This means that doors
must be made of strong, solid material (absolutely not plastic or glass), be accurately
secured to their hinges and have tamper-resistant locks.
Ideally, you should have an extra
deadbolt that you put on at night, made from very heavy-duty metal.
Windows should be made from toughened glass, preferably double-glazed, so that
they are almost impossible to break. Although window locks are relatively
uncommon, they help greatly with security, and you should consider installing
them.
If your house has windows in a
position where they can be easily and discreetly accessed from the street, such
as basement windows, you should consider putting metal bars on them.
It is also essential for your garden to be protected, as far more intruders
enter through the back of your house than the front. This means that your
fences must be high and have some kind of anti-climbing measures (spikes or
anti-climb paint can work well). If you don’t like fences, get big hedges as an
alternative.
One more thing to think through is getting a dog remarkably effective against
burglars, who don’t usually want to mess with dogs if they can avoid it. For
this manner to be more effective, put up a ‘beware of the dog’ sign.
Smaller dogs are not so great for this
as they are not commonly scary – something like a big German Shepherd works
best, not only because of their size, but because of their strong guard characters
that cause them to be intimidating to strangers.
Labels: Safety and Security Tips
