How Do I Strengthen My Doorways Against Intruders?

By Pamella Neely

You should first decide on the type of door you want to have. The three main choices are fiberglass, wood, and steel, but glass is also very popular. Only choose a solid wood door because a hollow one may be kicked through very easily and is rather difficult to reinforce. Steel doors are the best choice for safety because they are stronger than other types of doors. They also will not crack, come apart, or warp as other types of doors tend to do. Any dents in steel doors can be easily repaired with a basic body repair kit.

Consider replacing the hinges on all of your exterior doors. Installing new hinges that have nonremovable pins will provide you with extra security. Remove stop molding wooden strips, and put them back on using wood glue and nails for additional protection. You might also consider installing door reinforcers, such as high-security strike boxes.

For those of you with sliding glass doors, make sure you take the necessary measures to secure them. A great way to do this is to install keyed locks at the bottom and top of your doors. Another option is to have a Charlie bar installed. Charlie bars swing down to the middle of the door which prevents the door from being opened. If neither of these fits your budget, obtain a wooden rod that will fit securely along the bottom track. This should keep your glass doors from being opened.

There are several different types of locks that you might choose for the rest of the doors in your home. Mortise locks, deadlocks, rimlocks, and deadbolts are the most popular varieties. The majority of professionals recommend using deadbolts because they provide a high level of security. One of the most popular types of deadbolt lock is the single-cylinder, and it is commonly used on both wood and steel doors. Deadbolt locks must be opened with a key from the outside.

A double-cylinder deadbolt lock uses a key on both sides, but in some instances these locks do violate some safety codes. It is advised that you check before installing this type of lock. While it does increase safety in case of a possible intrusion, there is also the possibility of the owner getting trapped inside a burning home if the key cannot be found.

Also consider hiring a professional alarm monitoring service, or installing your own home security camera system. Burglar alarms, motion detectors, door bars, strike boxes, and window bars are additional ways to increase the safety of your family members. Use this advice to gain further peace of mind by constructing a home security plan that is best suited for your specific needs.

About the Author:

Pamella Neely writes about home security for doors for http://www.HomeSecurityABCs.com .

Video Surveillance Systems For Your Home

By Jeffrey Parker

It used to be the case that video surveillance systems were only used by businesses large enough to afford them. As prices have come down, they have become increasingly popular among homeowners. A home video surveillance system such as CCTV (closed circuit TV) can provide security against threats such as burglars by monitoring vulnerable areas.

A viewing monitor is a key component in a video surveillance system. Such a monitor displays video images from cameras. These images are often black and white and will have a much higher resolution than the images from an analog TV set - say, from 500-1000 lines.

Surveillance cameras are another important item. During installation of your home surveillance system, these cameras will be installed at various strategic locations around your home, where it is most defenseless. Their placement will be such that their appearance is unobtrusive. They will be running continuously, constantly transmitting video to the monitors. For nighttime effectiveness, either lighting or infrared security cameras will be needed to monitor in darkness.

Unless you use a wireless security system, coaxial cables are also necessary for video surveillance systems. The coaxial cables transfer the video signals from the camera to the monitor. These cables are available in a variety of sizes and can be found at home security suppliers and electronics stores. Your home security systemwill come with coaxial cables, although you may need more depending on where you plan to set up your cameras.

Switchers are also required for home video surveillance system. Switchers let you send more than one camera feed to a single monitor. Usually, a switcher will cycle through the feeds until there is any movement detected at a specific motion sensor security camera. As soon as the switcher detects any motion, the camera is locked on to the target and it will automatically observe the movement.

Many home video surveillance setups use video recorders so that their live video feeds can be recorded and kept for future reference. If you travel or go on vacation, the recorder will see any break in that happens. If the burglar is arrested and goes to trial, the video recording makes excellent evidence against him or her. A video recorder in an inconspicuous spot, difficult to access, can ensure that burglars won't get away clean.

By combining video surveillance cameras and a monitor, a home video surveillance system will catch break-in's and burglars easily. They're very affordable now, and they are used in literally thousands of homes all over the U.S. If you want the best way to protect a home, the home video surveillance system is definitely something which you will want to examine more closely.

About the Author:

When setting up the home surveillance system, the cameras are installed strategically in the most vulnerable locations. To be effective at night, you will need either lighting or infrared security cameras which can monitor in complete darkness.

DIY Home Camera Security - What You Need In Home Surveillance

By Jeffrey Parker

Many people feel that the world is becoming more dangerous every day. In some places, crime is very prevalent. In all places, there is always a risk of your home and family falling victim to crime. Break-in's and burglaries, robbery, and even violent crimes can pose a problem. However, you can take steps to protect your possessions and loved ones and help the police catch the criminals threatening your home and family.

Imagine that your neighbor paid an enormous amount to have a home security system professionally installed. Now imagine that you can save thousands of dollars by installing video surveillance cameras by yourself. You don't have to be a spendthrift to enjoy the same level of security as your neighbor. Don't let security companies take advantage of you with their ridiculous prices. Do it yourself security has never been easier...and it's fun!

In just one weekend, you can install your own Wireless Home Surveillance System. With a small investment of your time and effort, you'll be on your way to greater home security. It's fun, easy, and will provide a great return on your investment in money saved.

First, you have to identify what areas are most in need of monitoring. Your back yard, driveway, pool, front door area, etc. are probably all areas that you want to watch. Or, maybe your neighborhood is safe and you only want to monitor your baby in the nursery area. Either way, you will know how many cameras you need for your wireless home surveillance systems.

The next step is figuring out what type of camera to use. For example, will you be monitoring indoors or outdoors, or both? To this extent, waterproof housing is necessary for outdoor cameras. After figuring out the type of camera, you'll need to decide where both to place the cameras and position them.

Finally, safety comes first. Don't try to install something that you are not physically capable of doing, or that you lack the knowledge or experience to perform.

Over a single weekend, you can easily finish a home camera security system project on your own. This is certain to save you a lot of cash!

About the Author:

It is quite easy to complete a DIY Home Camera Security system project in a weekend. You can install your own Video Surveillance Cameras and be up and running in no time.

Five Important Home Security Tips - Make Your Home More Secure!

By Tony Bueler

Whether living in a bad neighborhood or you just feeling like making your home a little bit safer, you will find that there are plenty of things that you can do to make sure that you home stays secure. The truth of the matter is that very few people think about home security until it is far too late, and if you are looking to make sure that you and your possessions are going to be okay, you'll find that there are several ways to do it.

- First, make sure that your home looks lived in. For the most part, thieves will strike when they know that no one is at home, so make sure that you don't present them with a good target by letting your home look like you are away. Keep your lawn trimmed and your shrubbery tidy and to make sure that it seems that there are people in the home at all times, use an automatic timer to light up your rooms even when you are on vacation. You may also find that using radios on automatic timers can go a long way towards getting you an occupied look. You may also want to make sure that your phone ringers and your answering machines are softened so that they can't be heard from outside.

- Remember that the one thing that robbers look for when they are considering breaking into a home is a sign that the home is unoccupied; make sure that you make arrangements for your mail to be stopped or to have a neighbor stop by. To further the confusion about whether you are in or not, park your car in the garage with the door closed at all times. You will find that if a car is gone that many thieves take this as a great opportunity to strike.

- When looking at the landscaping itself, remember that thieves have to get into your house somehow, and the harder that you can make it for them, the better off you will be. Be careful of letting bushes grow right up to the windows as this can give prospective thieves cover, and do your best not to leave things lying around that they can use to climb to higher windows or that they can use to force windows or doors open.

- And if you happen to be home, make sure that you don't open your home to people that you don't know. This is an important thing to think about. Even someone who is looking to use your phone for a moment might be checking the place ou!. Bring the phone to them, and don't let them in your home.

- Remember that you are not necessarily dealing with people who are professional thieves. Even a cheap fake security camera may be enough to thwart someone with criminal intent. For the most part, there are plenty of home burglaries that are undertaken by amateurs or people who are looking to make some fast money.

Take these simple steps and make sure that you are not making it easier for these people to rip you off!

About the Author:

Author Tony Bueler has a website dedicated to business and home security issues. Visit us at Fake Security Cameras

How To Effectively Protect Your Home With Tight Security

By Chris Channing

You see it and hear it on the news, but you never think it will happen to you. Burglary's, break ins, weird people hiding in your close for weeks and coming out to eat your food. No one is invincible, and it can happen to you at any moment. Homes are essentially easy to break into, even if the whole family is home. Crime rates are rising, and its hard to protect your home with hackers being able to obtain serious confidential information. It takes knowledge and preparing to keep your home safe.

There are plenty of types of security systems available. Those that notify you when people open and close a front and back door are great, but not protective for your entire house. There are also video cameras that mostly intimidate burglars or potential thieves; they don't ward them off entirely. Effectively securing your home requires a combination of multiple systems. An alarm for the front and back doors, a disable pad with extra protective measures, as well as special locks for your windows. All of your windows should be locked and protected with a burglar alarm.

Security systems can be pricey, so choose one that you can afford, but also choose the best package you can afford. Its important if your house contains valuables, but even more important for your families safety. Windows are break in hot spots, so they should have the tightest security.

After you have your system in place, it is important to consider the options that the burglar and security company offers you. You should be able to have 24/7 access to help or tech support, as well as instant repair of damages. Having your home vulnerable for even a few hours can be dangerous.

Windows, and more windows. They are beautiful, yes, but they also need to be secured tightly. Unfortunately, windows can be broken. Having an alarm system set to every window in your house is necessary. Thieves and burglars stake out their victims homes prior to breaking in, so they will know which windows and doors are left vulnerable.

Burglar and security systems should be loud. Ones that are quiet or have certain frequencies cannot be heard by certain people. Make sure your system is very loud, and annoying. Someone is bound to inspect to see what is going on. Most burglary's actually take place during the day, so make sure your neighborhood knows that if they hear an alarm, something is wrong.

Closing Comments

Home security systems are important for everyone that owns a home and has precious materials. You can never be too trusting of your neighbors and those that live around you.

About the Author:

Learn more on burglar alarm monitoring system and house burglar alarm.

Making Your Home More Secure

By Bill Gibson

In a perfect world, there is no crime. Alas, we all know that we do not live in a perfect world. Given this fact, it is vital that we take certain steps to fight crime. Adding a security system to your home is one common sense step.

Before discussing security systems, it is important to note that they only work when you are smart. Getting lazy and disabling your system because it beeps annoyingly or leaving windows open because it is hot will defeat the system.

Security systems come in a wide variety of applications. They range from the most basic to the type of systems you see in movies. What you should select is typically defined by the neighborhood you live in and your budget.

The first system is one most are familiar with. It is a dog. A dog with some size is a great deterrent. It will bark at strangers and is very protective. Make sure to post dog warning signs to alert everyone to your security system.

The next step up from the dog alarm is the fake alarm system. This is essentially the placement of what looks like an alarm system in obvious areas in the form of cameras and what not. Of course, they are fakes, but most criminals will not know the difference.

Our next rung up on the security system ladder is the unmonitored system. This has alarms set on all entry points to the home including windows. If these alarms are tripped, a very loud noise results. This tends to send thieves running.

The monitored system takes things a step farther. It will sound the alarm and call a security company. The company will then call you to verify if there is a problem. If so, it will call the police. If not, the system is reset and off to sleep you go.

Going with the monitored option seems obvious at first glance, but it is expensive and has a weakness. If a thief really wants in, they will just cut the phone lines. No phone lines means no calls to the security company, so be careful.

From this point, the various security systems available start getting pretty exotic. You can get infrared, pressurized, panic button and all manner of fascinating and expensive systems. Generally, they are overkill unless you have a specific situation that calls for them.

So, what type of security system should you buy for your home? It depends on your area. Unmonitored systems are not that expensive and usually do the job. Of course, a dog is also a good choice.

About the Author:

Concerned about your personal security these days? Crime is certain a growing problem. Read what Bill Gibson has to say about enhancing your personal security at SecuritySystemStop.com.

Low Voltage Security Alarm Systems & Equipment

By Thulas Sukati

Around this ever-changing society, alarm systems are becoming more and more common. The truth of the matter is that in some places, homeowners cannot afford to be without a security installation. Home alarms were something that I'd never had reason to consider before, because I grew up during a decade where we trusted others enough to leave our doors unlocked while we were out. Today's society finds it to be the complete opposite too this. With the problems of today, I have begun to take a keener interest at what it will cost to have a home alarm installed.

I found out a few years ago that most new vehicles come with an alarm as standard equipment. The Jeep that I bought had an alarm, but I can't say if it prevented anyone from vandalizing or breaking in, because I am not sure if anyone has tried. Perhaps it gives me some peace of mind, I also received a discount on my auto insurance because I have one.

Businesses of all sizes should have an alarm system fitted to protect their interests. I am going to join the growing number of people who have already done so, and have an alarm system installed at my home by next week. After thinking about this for some time, I finally gave in and searched for more information on home security systems. I was clueless about it all until I learned that other menaces besides home incursions can also be avoided with them. There are many advantages of having one in your home.

Knowing that these types of alarms can warn the household occupants of not only fire and the odorless gas carbon monoxide, I feel much better. They don't only assist in guarding against those dangers, but they can also be of benefit when there is a health or medical situation that requires attention. With a child to take care of and with additional crime happening in the surrounding neighborhoods, making the choice to look into home security became my only option. Disappearances of children from their own homes made me more panicky after they made national TV, radio and press.

My daughter loves her first floor bedroom, but I worry because if anyone ever wanted to get in by breaking a window to get to her, it would be all too easy. Of all the reasons for having a security system, this is the main one and why I started looking at the benefits. I felt that her safety was assured when I finally decided to proceed with the installation. An added bonus is my home owner's insurance company also provides me with a generous discount on my premium.

Of course, home security might cost you a little money every month, but factor in the safety of your family and then see if you don't agree that it's worth the extra money. Your peace of mind is worth more than money any day.

About the Author:

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