5 Tips on How to Protect your Home and Family

Source: Thetrendyfish.com

Every year, there are over 2,000,000 home invasions in the United States. To ensure that you don’t become another statistic, here are 5 easy steps to follow to keep your home and family safe.

1. Have a security routine in place.
About one-third of all home invasions occur because the homeowner left a door unlocked or window open. You and any family members should have a daily routine of checking doors and windows before leaving the home, verifying that the home security system is engaged, and making sure that extra house keys aren’t hidden in obvious places. Getting in the practice of consistently enforcing security measures is an important step in stopping a burglar from gaining access to your home.

2. Protect yourself with deadbolt locks and fortified doors.
Deadbolt locks should be constructed of hard steel, have reinforced strike plates and protect against bump keys. Some homeowners choose to install double cylinder deadbolts which require you to use a key on both sides of the door and others opt for a more high-tech approach and install keyless entry deadbolts. You can also enhance security by using wedge locks, key-operated latches, or locking pins on your windows. Having solid locks on your doors, however, is useless if an intruder can kick in your door. To prevent brute force invasions, all exterior doors should be a least one inch thick, be constructed of solid wood or metal and fit in the door frame properly and securely. Sliding glass doors should also be secured with either a dowel or spring bolt which prevents the door from being forced open or lifted off the track.

3. Install a home security system
A house with no home alarm system is 55% more likely to be robbed. Installing a home alarm system and having it monitored provides the ultimate protection against a home invasion. It may also lower your homeowner’s insurance rates. Security systems can be wired or wireless and have a variety of features including fire and carbon monoxide protection. To find the best home security system and monitoring service for your needs, call several home alarm companies, conduct research on the Internet and ask for referrals. As stated earlier, always verify your alarm system is on and functioning to properly secure your home.

4. Keep your home and property well lit
Burglars want to be inconspicuous which is why many home invasions occur at night. To make your house less inviting to a burglar, leave a couple of lights on when you go out for the evening and turn on the front porch light. You might also want to contemplate installing outdoor motion detector lighting around your property. Landscape lighting and strategically placed flood lights are also strong deterrents to crime.

5. Take extra precautions when on vacation
The worse thing you can do is to let a burglar know you are on vacation with a stack of newspapers at the door or an overgrown lawn. If you are going away on vacation, have the post office put a hold on your mail and ask a neighbor to collect your newspapers and any packages that come to the door. If you anticipate being gone for a long period of time, have a neighbor periodically mow your lawn and water plants. Having your lights on an automatic timer will also give the appearance that someone is at home.

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