10 Tips On How To Protect Your Empty Home
The first step to protecting your family is by making sure your home is secure. Unless you are a security expert, identifying key security flaws in your home can be overwhelming. Outlined below are however a few tips to get you started in protecting and securing your home. All the 10 tips discussed below are inexpensive and easy to implement.
1. Change all Locks
Always remember to change all locks whenever you move to a new house. The previous home owners and anyone else could have keys to the house, and the only way to keep them out is by changing all locks. You also need to consider replacing the locks should you lose keys to the house as well.
2. Have an Alarm System Installed
Alarm systems provide additional security to your home as well. These systems sound an alarm or even inform emergency security authorities when there’s an intrusion or emergency. Although an alarm system may not prevent unauthorized access to your home, it sure puts a burglar on toes as soon as it goes off.
3. Keep All Wires Hidden
Concealing all wires around your house makes it hard for a burglar to disable the security system. Some will even cut all wired to the house to disrupt communication. Having all these wires concealed is a perfect way to prevent this.
4. Install Automatic Timers
Automatic timers come in handy especially when away from the house for some time. Automated lights help turn on lights at preset times hence giving the impression that you are inside.
5. Don’t Hide Your Key Under The Doormat
Most people hide keys under a doormat, in the mailbox, or even under a flower vase outside the house. You however should avoid doing this as almost everyone knows where you keep the keys. If need be, carry the keys with you.
6. Quality Automatic Gate
Having a quality automatic gate can really help make things a lot easier for your home when you’re there or when you’re not. A good automatic gates company will install a gate that looks great and also offers security and can’t be manually opened without a remote or a code.
7. Install Deadbolt Locks
Although dead bolt locks may be expensive, they are much stronger and offer increased security especially when installed on all exterior doors. In addition to investing in deadbolt locks, always ensure the doors are expertly installed to minimize the space between the door and the frame. You can additionally reinforce the doors with sheet metal or plywood.
8. Reinforce sliding doors and windows with a metal bar
While sliding doors are aesthetically appealing and more practical, they are easy to manipulate or force open. Nonetheless, having a metal bar placed in the bottom track of the window or door makes it almost impossible to force it open. Have an expert install the bar into place to avoid running into problems in the future.
9. Consider Interior Door Hinges
Doors with hinges on the outside are very easy to remove. An intruder will only need to remove the hinge pin to force the door open easily. Nonetheless, having the door hinges reset to the inside helps improve security as they are harder to reach that way.
10. Install Window Locks
Windows provide easy entry points for most burglars. Any vulnerable and easy to reach windows should be secured with burglar-resistant glass and locks. One should only be able to open the window locks from the inside. You can alternatively install smaller glass panes on the window instead of a continuous glass pane.