Home Security for Doors and WIndows
Let’s talk general home security for doors and windows. Sometimes, we get away from the basics, and that’s when we get caught off guard.
A lot of people don’t lock their door if they’re just going to walk the dog or go down to the mailbox. This is an ideal situation for someone to come into your home and conduct a fast-grab robbery, especially since people tend to walk at the same pace every time when they conduct these activities. A clever crook already knows that you won’t lock the door, exactly how long you’ll be gone, and what he wants from your home before you ever leave your house. So, try to make locking your door a habit.
When you leave home, lock the house, including the deadbolt. Don’t forget back doors, too. If you leave your door unlocked when you’re home, buy a cheap chime that will make a sound whenever the door opens. These work well on windows, too.
There are doorbell security systems which can create a video whenever a person rings your doorbell. Not only can you see your visitors through your cellphone or tablet, but you can speak to them, too, even when you aren’t home—like an electronic peephole.
Speaking of peepholes, do you have one? A peephole is handy, not only for your front door, but for any other entry-type doors in your home, including the garage door. You can see out, but people can’t see in. If you hear noises in your garage, it’s much safer to look through the peephole than it is to step outside (a couple of scary movie scenes come to mind).
What about open windows? Some people like to have a window open a bit to let in fresh air. You can cut a dowel stick to size, but actually anything jammed between the window sill and the frame will keep a burglar from opening the window further (this works if you have a sliding glass door, as well). Some people pound a nail in place to the stop a sliding window from opening further than an inch or two. Remember what I said before about those chimes? They make chimes for windows, too, some of which won’t ring unless the window is opened more than a couple of inches.
If you have a window close enough to a door that it can be broken and a burglar reach around and open the front door knob, consider getting a dead bolt that needs a key on either side of the door.
There are now some fabulous LED motion lights. Burglars hate lights near doors and windows. If you like to leave your porch light on all night, consider getting a solar powered motion light, instead.
The garage is one of those most vulnerable points of entry into your home. If burglars can get into your garage, make that their last stop by locking the door between the garage and the house. Make sure that and any other doors into the garage are solid doors, not the hollow kind, which can be easily kicked in. I will write another blog post on garage security at some point in the future.
Be safe, everybody!
