Home security advice

There are simple things you can do to protect your home before you install a home security system. Before you leave home or go to bed for the night, get into the habit of ensuring that all the doors and windows are locked first. 1 out of 5 burglaries do not involve breaking in, the burglar simply climbs in an unlocked window or door.

Look through the eyes of a Burglar

An excellent way of gauging whether or not your home security is adequate is to look at the property as if you were a Burglar.

Ask yourself the following questions:

• If you were the burglar, where would be the ideal place to break in?
• Is there a door that could be easily jimmied open without being seen?
• Is there a window frame that has rotted away and could make forcing the window open easy?
• Do your doors have sufficient locks attached?

By asking yourself these questions you can readily identify your homes security vulnerabilities.

Secret Entry Point

It is common for many homes to be secure but to have a secret entry point that they believe they are the only ones to know about.

Could you gain access to the inside of your home if you had lost your keys? Is there a window open upstairs that you could easily push open. Have you hidden a key in a secret place? Remember if you can enter your home without the need of a key, then it is a good assumption that an intruder can as well.

Securing windows

Over a quarter of intruders gain access through a window. With this in mind, ensure that any window that opens wider than a human head is secured with a decent, high quality lock. If the lock can be seen by the burglar the more chance you have of deterring the burglar from looking at other entry points. Put all keys in secure place out of sight of prying eyes.

Securing doors

In more than half of all burglaries the intruder has gained access through a door.

The frame of the door must be strong and in good condition. To secure the door properly make sure it is fitted with a chain or bar. If your door has a glass panel, the glass should be constructed from laminated glass. Use a mortise or automatic deadlock or another decent locking system to prevent access to doors that have access from the outside. .