Did you know that in Canada, a residential break-in occurs every 90 seconds? A sobering fact, to say the least. While there have been marked decreases in nation-wide in occurrences of police reported breaking and entering and robbery, the fact remains that your home and family are still at risk of being targeted by criminals.
More than 80 per cent of break-ins occur during the daylight hours, when no one is home. Most burglars rely on concealment, speed and force to gain entry into a home.
Don’t make your home an easy target. Think about installing one or all of these five products to secure your home and make it harder for would-be thieves to gain access to what you hold most precious.
Security Lights
While you don’t need to flood your front and back yards with constant light, when external doors, windows, and blind spots are well lit, there’s nowhere for sneaky burglars to hide. You can discretely install a low-voltage motion-sensor light system strategically around your property, and high up on external walls where they can’t be tampered with or disabled.
Laminated Glass Windows
Not only do laminated glass windows reduce noise and have a higher energy rating than the standard version, they’re also shatter resistant – a huge deterrent for a thief trying to break in by coming through a window.
Go the extra mile in upgrading window security by inserting removable eye-bolts in holes drilled into the sash where they overlap, and securing window air conditioning units with sturdy screws through the framing elements so they cannot be pushed in.
Kick-proof Doors
Though many burglars enter a home through unlocked doors and windows, it’s common for a thief to simply kick a door down if they know the homeowners will not be present. Hollow doors don’t offer much resistant to a swift kick, but solid door made of wood, fibreglass, or steel, mounted in a strong frame, beefed up with a heavy duty deadbolt, and a reinforced metal box strike will stand up to a good swift kick. Consider upgrading any and all doors that lead to the outside, including those that lead to the garage and basement.
In addition to buying the right door, you need the right lock – choose a model that features a reinforced strike plate.
NB: Don’t forget to ensure your added security measures don’t violate fire-safety regulations, and that any additions or changes made to products won’t affect the manufacturer’s warranty.
Security Cameras
Keep burglars on the defensive by recording (or leading them to believe you are recording) their every move. Purchase outdoor (and indoor if you wish) cameras that feature night vision capabilities and a decent hard drive that can record several days worth of footage.
Unfortunately, these systems can be relatively expensive. If you can’t or don’t want to spend the money, there are reasonable fakes on the market that can act as a good deterrent, though you want to make sure they are high quality fakes that a thief will not be able to easily identify as such.
Comprehensive Security System
Though security systems and all their bells and whistles aren’t 100 per cent fool proof, a solid, well-supported system provided by a reputable company is usually enough of a deterrent to keep a burglar from trying to enter your home. Make sure you advertise it’s presence with a lawn sign and window decals.
Here’s a tip – if you find you can’t afford a home security system, sometimes faking it is enough. Stick-on window break sensors, lawn signs, and decals can be pretty off-putting to a small time thief looking for a quick smash and grab.
Equally important, keep your alarm system well maintained to avoid false alarms. Although your security company will contact you in the event of an alarm being set off, regular warning bells might make your neighbours complacent – you want them to bat an eye when they hear a siren, as detectives say an active tip about a crime in progress is one of the only ways they successfully nap house burglars.
Your home is your sanctuary, and you can’t put a price on its or your family’s safety. Taking any or all of the above precautions will go a long way to giving you and your family much deserved peace of mind.
