Top Ways to Improve Your Home Security:
Improving home security is an important task for any homeowner or renter. Statistics show that a burglary happens every 15 seconds in the United States, adding up to a whopping 4,800 burglaries every day . Home intruders can damage your property, cause you monetary loss, and can take away your family’s feeling of security.
The good news is that criminals are deterred by a number of security measures.
Taking preventative steps to protect your loved ones and property is essential. We’ve put together a list of the top ways to improve your home security.
In this guide, we’ll discuss the following tips for improving your home security:
- Consider gate operators for optimum security
- Use home automation
- Install a home security system
- Secure all exterior doors
- Lock all windows
- Keep your property well lit
- Consider your landscape from a burglar’s point of view
- Get a Safe
- Protect your WiFi
Consider gate operators for optimum security.
Driveway gates and gate operators are one of the most effective ways to increase your home security. There are several kinds of gate operators, including swing, sliding, and overhead models, depending on what your home or business security needs are
Gate operators help increase security in a number of ways.
Gates create an obstacle, making it both harder to get onto your property, as well as more difficult to get out of the property. For criminals, this is a huge deterrent as an escape plan is a part of burglaries.
These gates pose both a psychological and a physical barrier. The more difficult it seems to get in and out, the less attractive your property becomes to potential intruders.
Gates also make it more noticeable that a criminal is trying to get in. It is very suspicious to be seen climbing over a fence. Potential burglars like staying out of sight, so installing a secure fence with a security gate is a huge deterrent.
There are lots of advantages to having electric gate openers. They can reduce people trespassing and can prevent people looking into the property. With visual and audio communication, the homeowner can control the gate operators from their home and they can open and close from inside the car.
Gate operators can help prevent intrusion, depending on the design of the gate and the boundary of the perimeter. Gate operators especially help limit crimes of opportunity. Given that only 12 percent of burglaries are planned, gate operators are one of the best ways to protect your home.
Use Home Automation
Technology makes it easier than ever to automate your home to help it be more secure. Home automation can give you remote control of gates, lights, door locks, cameras, and more. Home automation means you can get alerted about suspicious activities so you can respond quickly and deter potential intruders
There are so many great ways to use home automation.
- Electric gate openers allow you to open your gate wirelessly with a number of devices, from smartphones to gate remotes. Electric gate openers also automatically give access to emergency vehicles, keeping your family safe in an emergency.
- Schedule automatic lights to turn on and off, especially when on vacation
- Get an instant video feed when someone walks up to your driveway
- Check smoke alarms, CO alarms, and home invasion alarms from your smartphone.
Install a security system
A security system is another great deterrent to criminals. There are home security options for every level of protection and every budget, making it easier than ever to make sure you and your family are protected.
An astonishing 83% of burglars check for an alarm system before attempting to break into a home or business, making this one of the most effective ways to keep your home secure. From DIY options to home security systems with every option available, there is a home security system for everyone.
To choose a home security system that you are comfortable with, first look at the needs of your property and your neighborhood. You can also ask police to do a home security evaluation of your home, thus helping you decide which features are necessary in a home security system.
Secure all exterior doors
Up to 34% of burglars just walk in the front doors. Prevent this by securing your doors. There are a number of ways to secure them
- Inspect all exterior doors, paying attention to the hinges, making sure frames are strong, and that all locks work.
- If you recently moved into a new home, make sure to change the locks. You don’t want strangers having keys to your home!
- While you’re at it, ensure you have high quality locks, such as deadbolts, strike plates, and smart locks.
- Use home automation to make sure your doors are always locked. Smart apps make this easy and are more affordable than ever.
- Reduce the risk of someone breaking into your home with a video doorbell, which has been shown to reduce criminal activity.
Lock The Windows
Aside from doors, windows are one of the most common entry points for criminals. Latches on windows aren’t always effective- especially if they aren’t latched at all! Make sure to remember to close your windows and lock them.
You can also secure your windows even more.
- Install window opening and breaking sensors.
- Reinforce glass with security film
- Use landscaping to your advantage with prickly plants under the windows (but keep them trimmed as burglars love landscaping hiding spots!)
- Keep ladders and stools locked up so criminals can’t climb into upper level windows.
Keep Your Property Well lit
Having ample lighting on your property is one way to deter criminals. One study found that increased levels of light led to a 36% reduction in serious felony crimes as well as property crimes.
Placing lights in your front and back yards, near the garage, and along pathways will ensure that your property has ample lighting to help deter burglars.
Criminals themselves have said that they are often deterred by ample lighting. Potential burglars want to draw as little attention to themselves as possible, making a well-lit property one of the number one ways to deter crime.
To increase your security even further, use the following tips.
- Put outdoor (and even indoor!) lights on a timer. Keeping lights on a timer mimics human activity. Most burglars do not want to break into a home when people are there. Making sure outdoor lights are on at night and turn off during the day, as well as making sure indoor lights go on and off in different rooms as if someone is moving around is key to mimicking human behavior. This is especially important if you are going on vacation
- Use motion-activated sensor lights. Motions sensors not only provide an extra layer of lighting that can deter criminals, but also prove to be a psychological deterrent. Because of the high risk of property crimes and burglary, criminals are typically already on edge. When an outdoor motion light turns on suddenly, it can startle the burglar, causing fear and anxiety. When used along with other security measures, motion sensor lights can be highly effective
- Save energy with solar-powered lights. Though not necessarily a criminal deterrent, solar powered lights help save energy, thus reducing the cost of lighting. Saving money on this layer of home protection can help leave room in your budget for higher cost measures to protect your home and loved ones. Additionally, solar-powered lights are good for the environment. Win-win!
Consider your landscaping from a burglar’s perspective
Landscaping can add a lot of curb appeal and make your house and property look gorgeous. However, landscaping can also be problematic as certain elements can actually help burglars out!
Tall bushes and trees next to windows can serve as a ladder to less secure upper floor windows. Large shrubs can provide an excellent hiding spot in case a neighbor comes out. Grab a trusty friend and someone with fresh eyes and look at your property from the perspective of a thief. What sticks out as a potential hiding spot or gives easy access to your home?
There are several things to consider
- Bushes should be no taller than 3 feet and kept trimmed. This takes away potential hiding spots
- When adding bushes, especially under windows, consider thorn bushes. Potential burglars will not want to climb over painful bushes to get inside!
- Don’t leave valuables outside or on display from the yard.
- Keep gates locked.
- Always put away ladders and stools. Don’t make it easy to climb up your house!
- Lock sheds and outdoor buildings.
- Display your security sign on your property.
Get A Safe
If you’ve got a gate operator, a home security system, and a well-lit property, it is highly unlikely that a criminal will break into your home. However, we believe it’s best to plan for the worst-case scenarios. Doing so ultimately protects your home and your valuables.
In the event someone actually does get in, make sure that your valuables are protected with a safe. A safe is a secure way to store valuable jewelry, money, and important documents such as passports.
Safes should be waterproof, fire-resistance, and of course, heavy enough that a criminal can’t just take the safe with him or her.
Protect Your WiFi Network
Many people overlook one of the most important components of a home security system- their WiFi network. This is especially important if you are using home automation as part of your security system. Having a weak wireless network can make your home vulnerable to criminals. Not locking down your WiFi would be like having a steel door but leaving the key in the doorknob.
Fortunately, there are several ways that you can keep your home safe and make sure that hackers and other criminals can’t break into your home network.
- Secure your wireless router with a password.
- Speaking of passwords, create very strong passwords and don’t give them out to people you don’t trust. If someone logs into your WiFi (with permission, and even if you type it in for them) on their computer, he or she can see your actual password in the internet settings.
- Enable WPA or WPA2 encryption
- Use firewalls
- Install anti-malware and antivirus software on all of your devices.
Before You Go
Protecting your home is easier than ever with security becoming increasingly affordable and readily available. While this list may seem like a lot to do and take care, bear in mind that you don’t have to do everything at once. Being aware of the risk and taking steps to protect your family and home is the best thing you can do.
One of the top ways to start protecting your home, business, and family is through installing security gates. A security gate is one of the very best ways to project your property. They help deter burglaries and other dangerous crimes, but they are best used when they are one part of your overall home security strategy.
Think of it like an onion- a security gate is your very first step to security, with each other component of your home security another layer to keep you and your family safe.
Driveway gates make your home much less accessible and attractive to criminals. The presence of one suggests that you take home security very seriously, and potential burglars will likely be deterred as a result.
When combined with a strong fence, an alarm system, motion sensor lights, and other home automation systems, you are over 300% less likely to be victimized by home invasion.
Eagle Operators have swinging, sliding, and overhead gate operators. Eagle products are available all through the United States through professional installers, dealers, and distributors. Contact Eagle Operators today to learn how gate operators can secure your home or business to keep criminals out for good!
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