Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Taking The Easy Way Out Of Home Security
You can raise security and safety conscious children. Practice home and safety tips everyday and teach your children. Home security is a huge concern given the ever increasingly unsafe environment we live in.
One of the biggest errors you can make in terms of home security is poorly securing your home. You feel comfortable with the measures you initially take and then you may become complacent. Home security must be continually examined for weaknesses and upgraded as necessary.If you are an apartment or condominium dweller you do not want to rely totally on a centralized security system. You will want a security system that fits your individual needs. One of the ultimate home security measures is knowing you can look in on your entire home, from a personal computer anywhere in the world. This technology is readily available.
Poor home security is not only a chance to loose your valuables but could also endanger those you love. Home security is necessary to ensure your safety, so do not compromise.Sufficient lightning is one key measure that deters burglars. It is essential that you place light fixtures at least 8 feet high, so that they cannot be easily tampered with. Remember, home security is complimented by excellent security lighting.
If you are away, get timers to light up the exterior as well as interior of your house. Burglars are not comfortable working in well lit areas; thus well lit and clearly visible houses have a lesser chance of burglary over others.
Burglars will think twice about invading a neighborhood watch neighborhood. Neighbors who are willing to keep an eye out are one of your best forms of home security. Keeping doors locked, lights on, and hiding your valuables in clever places are some ways to make your home safe. Burglars are clever. They try to devise ways to break into the safest of homes.
It is important to be careful not to allow entry inside the home to someone that you have not requested in advance. It is not far fetched to ask for proper identification when you request individuals to your home.In general burglars will avoid occupied houses. The more individuals at the home the more likely a burglar will be deterred. In addition, an alarm system provides the homeowner with warning that there is an intruder in the home. While many thieves prefer to only break into homes they feel are unoccupied, not all burglars will be deterred by the presence of the homeowner.
Protect Yourself With Home Security
If the answer is no, then do you not think that it is about time to do something about that. You must face the fact that we live in an unsafe world, and bad things do happen, even good people. Victims always think it will not happen to me, and the cautious will always take the necessary precautions to make sure that it will not happen to them. So, you may want to join the cautious and get a yourself a home security system today.
Home security system protects the doors and windows, not to mention the inside of the house with glass break detection and motion sensors. These are hooked up to an alarm system that you can set and unset with the touch of a keypad.
Home security is very affordable these days as well. It used to be that just the rich and the celebrities had home security systems, well not anymore. Yes, there are those really expensive alarms but they also have affordable plans.These days apartments, condos, and even town homes need protected just as much as houses do. In fact, burglars tend to think that these types of places are easier to break into then houses. Even if you are on the second floor, remember that a window is not that hard to get too and an apartment door is easy to kick in. If you had an alarm, then you could be warned and escape or call for help.The best home security system is one that takes your home and the location of your home and your neighborhood into account. Most security companies come to your house and give you a free home
security assessment. Be careful though because they might try and oversell you giving you things that you don't necessarily need. Make sure the company has twenty four hour monitoring.
Some alarm systems have a two way communication system where an operator can listen into your house and make sure you are okay. For record purposes, you may need a password and to identify yourself if you accidentally set your alarm off.
Home Security - How Intruder Alert Systems Have Evolved
Modern homes are often being manufactured today with pre-installed wiring for a home security system. The same cables and ordinary wiring used for home and professional networks can provide a medium for connecting alarm systems composed of PCs, video/audio, panels and more. But there are also wireless systems that might be a better option for those whose homes don't have that feature.
Wireless security systems are often simple enough for a do-it-yourself type to install him or herself. They offer the ability to construct a home system in stages, too. That means you can construct the system as your time and budget allows. You could, say, protect the doors on the lower floor, then follow with the windows. Later, you could expand to the second floor, or other vulnerable areas.
Adding to a wireless alarm system is much simpler than adding additional cabling and wiring. That's especially true if the latter means (as it usually does) going inside the walls. Tearing out fragile drywall to install new or additional wiring is messy and potentially time-consuming and expensive since it means replacing and repainting/covering. It's something that is usually best left to a professional. But that means extra expense and can mean, for those who are single, staying home to supervise.
Contemporary systems can now alert you at home, at the office or even on the road via your cell phone. In times past, it was often necessary to hire a professional company to receive signals of a break-in. There are still good reasons to do so. But now you have the option to act as your own responder, or at minimum at least to know at the same instant as the company you hired.
Video systems have also gone beyond what was offered in the past. Beyond the ability to turn off and on at pre-programmed times, contemporary systems can incorporate motion detection and even thermal imaging on the same unit.
Since many burglaries are at night, a standard video system may be useless just when it's needed most. Thermal imaging, usually via infrared receptors and recorders, can detect body heat. That makes the thief visible at the very time they think they are best cloaked. Motion detection systems can pick up the movement of that heat, or via sounds, and have the camera follow along.
Such alarm systems are much improved over their older cousins. Today, they can provide resolution and detail that is nearly as good as ordinary video. That means getting a good image of the thief that can be used for purposes of criminal identification and prosecution.
Vibration detection on windows and floors, thermal imaging, computer controlled timing and more are all part of the state-of-the art system today. Find out which one suits your needs and budget best. The peace of mind gained is worth the effort and expense, knowing your home is protected.
Home Security Monitoring - The Most Crucial Facts You Need to Consider
While it is not very likely that you will have to confront more than one kind of threat in your home, it is similarly a remote possibility that you will make the right guess at which threats are not likely to occur. The most beneficial path to take is to construct a plan that takes into account all of them in order to avoid as many as you possibly can. Make sure that no combustible materials are close to the hot water heater and make certain that the stovepipe is clear of any obstruction as well.
Keep in mind that you need to use effective locks and that the stairs remain clear of clutter and any debris; likewise, temporarily cancel any newspaper delivery ahead of you departing on vacation and be certain that the cellar drains are clear of rubbish prior to it raining.
Also, at the point you are ideally content that you have completed all things you possibly can to make sure that no person can force entry into your house, make certain that no toxic gases or flood waters will be flooding through your household and no fires will be ignited, begin to create a step by step plan for what needs to be done when the possibility of any of these occurrences really take place.
Home Security - How Burglars Pick a House
One thing that is safe to say about most professional burglars is: they avoid getting caught. In order to do that, they minimize the odds by looking for vulnerable targets.
Some amateurs will simply smash and grab, taking something from the garage or entering an unlocked home when you're away. But the professional applies a little more thought, in order to up the haul and lower the risk.
The first thing to notice is that they have to approach the house by stealth. That's why, not surprisingly, most burglaries take place during the night. Lighting your home well can help shift the odds. Look especially for those corners and windowless areas that lead to a point of entry out of sight.
Secure best those areas where a burglar could enter unseen. In most homes that will be on the side, but not always. It depends on how the house is constructed and how the houses nearby are situated. Those will need at minimum a good strong wooden or metal dowel for sliding glass windows.
But that form of protection will offer no more than a two second delay if your window can be easily lifted out of the frame. Preventing that is simple and inexpensive.
Just drill a small hole through the metal or wood window frame into the wall frame holding it. Insert a small dowel into the hole, or better still obtain a small kit that contains a spring loaded mechanism, similar to some screen door kits. The kits screw into the frame.
Depending on what they think your home holds, and who or what is nearby, some professionals will risk breaking glass to enter. A set of wrought iron bars in front of the windows may be called for. Your last, but not necessarily least, line of defense is an alarm system that senses vibration or breaks in the glass.
Look for areas where you can trim back bushes from the home that thieves can use to hide behind. Having an easily visible perimeter around the house makes it less likely a thief will want to enter.
Burglars more often commit their crimes when no one is home, again for obvious reasons. Having someone watch the home while you're away, ideally from the inside, will motivate the professional to seek a different victim.
Nothing will prevent the truly determined, but if you fortify your home, they are more likely to pick an easier target.
Home Security - Home Security For Everyone
Home security systems used to be largely reserved for the well-to-do. This made sense when the systems were very expensive and they were installed to protect even more expensive possessions. Fortunately, things have changed. Now, even very modest homes can afford some level of home security, especially since many components of a total design require nothing but a little common sense.
The first step is to consider how a thief might view your home, and how they might access it and get away with your possessions or harm your family. Shoring up weak parts and adopting better habits is often as much a matter of being more aware as it is spending money.
When it comes time to invest in home security the range of options is enormous, luckily. Inexpensive window locks, low-cost double-key door lock/deadbolt systems and other such items are within reach of just about anyone. Even video surveillance systems, once the exclusive preserve of the wealthy that most of us saw only in TV shows and films, are now affordable by the majority of homeowners.
Safes, too, used to be largely for the rich. Today, prices range from $50 or less for a simple wall safe that will hold jewelry or a laptop to a few hundred dollars for a gun safe or floor model. Safe rooms, or panic rooms as they're popularly known, can turn an entire room into a safe that is both fire protective and impenetrable. Costs are higher than a free-standing safe, but often little more than an ordinary room addition or remodeling job.
Lighting systems, both inside the home and outside, have evolved over the years as costs have come down. In days past a simple on-off timer inside and outdoor floodlights were about the only choices. Today, even very modest expenditures can net you a system that can be connected to your PC, increasing their usefulness.
Personal security options have grown. Tasers, chemical sprays and other devices are often carried by individuals in large cities. Concealed firearms are still controversial and sometimes illegal.
Still, many of the old-fashioned methods continue to be effective. Guard dogs, behavioral changes and having your neighbors look out for you are still effective security tools.
People are beginning to reverse the decades-long slide that kept neighbors a stranger, increasing their vulnerability. Now it's widely recognized that an active neighborhood watch program increases security substantially at almost no cost, and not just in dollars but in time as well.
Investigate your home and personal security options and you'll discover there's much you can do to enhance the safety of your possessions and your loved ones. And, you don't have to have (or spend) a fortune to do it.
Home Security - Choosing A Home Security Company
With many home security systems you are not only buying equipment, but contracting with a company who will monitor it and respond when alarms are triggered. Choosing a home security system and company requires some research. You want a company that is a good combination of old-fashioned virtues and state-of-the-art facilities.
The ideal, as with many purchases, is to get a recommendation from someone you know with high standards. But even good word of mouth is no substitute for first hand interviews. Companies usually have salespeople that will tell you what you want to hear. Seek out the operations manager and try to find out, instead, what you want to know.
When you find that person, don't be shy about asking some probing questions.
Length of time in business is important as are good references from satisfied customers. In that respect, home security is an 'old-fashioned' business that still rests on reputation. In another way, home security is one of the latest innovations and the company should have a range of state-of-the-art systems to offer.
The contemporary aspect of home security is the adoption of the latest technology for your needs. The use of thermal imaging, motion detectors, wireless devices that can be easily added to an existing system and other aspects will give you clues about their forward-looking viewpoint, or lack of it.
The installation personnel should be more than just carpenters or car stereo installers between jobs. Special licensing applies to the implementation of a home security system. Inquire whether the installers have the training and certificates to prove it.
Arriving quickly when an alarm is triggered is important, but they should perform well once they're there. Sometimes there are false alarms. But companies have protocols to minimize those. When the real thing happens, the guards need to be prepared to act somewhat like police officers would.
At the same time, security companies need to have a good relationship with the local police. They're not authorized to carry out all the same functions and it's not in your self-interest to have them stepping on one another's toes or pointing fingers. You will invariably wind up in the middle of a bad situation that way.
But possibly the most important aspect is day-to-day monitoring, since that's what they'll be doing, well, day to day. When you call, you should get someone efficient and courteous on the phone. They should know who you are, where you live and be able to provide you with the status of your system at any time of the day or night.
Your home security company is providing a valuable function for which they get paid good money. Apply high standards that go well beyond selecting the lowest bidder. The alternative is not pretty.
Friday, June 5, 2009
ADT Home Security - Articles
Home Security - Basic Home Security Guidelines
According to the FBI a burglary is committed somewhere on average every 15 seconds. To avoid being the victim of one of them there is a wide range of steps a homeowner can take. Some, like locking doors or arranging for neighbors to watch the house, are free and just require a little planning and thought. Others, such as the installation of a sophisticated alarm system, can be moderate to expensive.
But whether cheap or dear, your home and its possessions - and most of all, the safety of your loved ones - is paramount.
Start by thinking of your home from the perspective of the potential thief. Walk around the outside and try to spot weaknesses, possible points of entry, areas where a housebreaker can gain undetected access. Scale back bushes that can serve as camouflage. Think about the unprotected glass that is low to the ground.
Then, perform the same review at night. Consider the lights and shadows around your home. Think about any pathways that a stranger can walk down unheard and unseen. Consider the curtains and shutters that are open, allowing a well-lit view of the interior downstairs.
Start inexpensively by addressing the basics that cost little or nothing. A sturdy wooden or metal dowel can bar a sliding window. Good bolt locks won't keep out every professional, but they'll slow down many amateurs seeking that status. Make reciprocal arrangements with the nearby neighbors to watch their place, while they watch yours.
Burglars look for easy targets. Targets are much easier when there's no one home. Fooling them into thinking you're home can be as simple and inexpensive as installing a few timers around the house. A light on all the time, especially during the day, makes it obvious that no one is home. But lights, stereos and TVs that go on at random times simulate normal use. A dozen can be installed for under $100 dollars and often much less.
There are many home security systems that cost about a dollar a day. That's pretty low 'insurance' against what could be a very expensive loss. Having one will also sometimes lower your actual homeowner's insurance premiums. Many can be installed without professional assistance. Several have low-cost battery backups so they still function during a power outage (natural or burglar-induced).
Go a step beyond the minimum. Many security systems will alert when a door or window is opened while alarmed. But a cheap glass cutter could make the whole system useless. Consider a type that has a vibration sensor or cut detector. Look into an upgrade that offers motion detection.
No alarm system is foolproof. But making the effort to implement some simple, low cost solutions can improve your odds tremendously.