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Friday, April 20, 2018

Home Security Features Checklist

~ This is a featured post. ~

After working so hard to buy, furnish, and decorate your home, the last thing you want is a stranger breaking in and stealing or destroying your treasured belongings. Intruders can also harm your family members and thus the safety of your home is something that you should take seriously. While the insurance company can compensate you for the loss and damages, the bad memories may haunt your family especially the young ones. Fortunately, securing your home doesn’t have to cost thousands of dollars. Consider the following simple safety tips.


Deadbolt Lock for Outside Doors
Deadbolt locks are great security features for outside doors because they make it hard for someone to forcefully break into your home through the door. This is because unlike standard locks, they have a unique locking mechanism that cannot be opened by crowbars, knives, or other objects. Since they are harder to break, a burglar will give up easily for fear of being caught and if you are inside the house, you will have enough time to call for help.

Lighting
Having proper lighting outside is also another security feature to keep intruders away at night. When there is light, someone will be scared because you, your neighbors, or even people passing by could easily spot them. To save on energy bills, consider investing in outdoor solar lighting systems.

Security Sensors for Home
Every home should have six types of sensors. These include glass break detectors, motion sensors, door and window sensors, smoke sensors, heat sensors and water leak sensors. When something is not right, the sensors will detect the action and sound an alarm or send an alert to your mobile device.

Home Automation
Thanks to home smart features, homeowners can have better control of their homes from a mobile device. With technology, you can see and monitor what is happening at home while you are away on a trip. If you are considering automation, choose your service provider well, keep your devices away from strangers, and avoid sharing passwords. Be very careful because hackers can also take advantage of vulnerabilities in the system.

Surveillance Cameras
Surveillance cameras can deter intruders and when someone breaks in you will have a chance of identifying them. The system can be connected to your mobile devices, allowing you to check on things when you are away.

Strong and Reliable Garage Door
As you are fixing the outside doors, don’t forget the garage door too. Keep the door locked when the garage is not in use to keep away intruders. This especially critical in cases where you have a connecting door between the house and garage. Garage doors that have lasted for decades should be replaced with modern ones.  If you have a modern door but a problem opening it, consider investing in a new garage door opener system.

Avoid Hiding Keys in the Compound
Hiding the keys under the doormat, flower pot or stones, in the mailbox, and on the window is something that burglars are aware of. Instead, try and have copies made for every member of the family. If you need to have a spare key nearby, give it to one of your neighbors whom you can trust or a family member who lives nearby.  
While security features don’t guarantee that your home will be 100% safe, they can be useful in deterring criminals from breaking in or notifying you before the damage is done. Don’t leave any loopholes that could invite criminals to your home.