KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR HOME SECURITY

There are always things you can do to better secure your home.

Your home ought to be a safe place, a sanctuary from the rest of the world, where you can truly relax. No dwelling is impervious, but there are still plenty of ways you can protect your home and family from potential criminal trespass. Let’s consider how you can make your property less attractive to a thief. To keep your peace of mind, be on the lookout for any possible vulnerabilities that may come up regarding your locks, points of entry, and the premises.

Follow simple daily rules.

• Lock all your doors and windows anytime you leave, and before you go to sleep.
• Answer your door only if you know the person. (Install a peephole if you don’t have one. It’s best to use a wide-angle 160-degree peephole mounted no higher than 58 inches.)
• Keep any valuables well hidden in unexpected places.

Unclutter your yard.

Keep your shrubs, hedges, plants, and trees properly trimmed, in order to eliminate potential intruder hiding spots. If they’re too tall, not very well spaced, or otherwise unwieldy, a potential burglar will be able to hide easily.

Don’t keep a “hidden” house key.

Don’t keep your house key inside your mailbox, under the mat, or under a flower pot, because any smart intruder will find it. If you have a fake rock as a keyholder, a professional burglar will already know what it looks like. Instead, give a spare key to a trusted neighbor.

Keep all keys and garage-door remotes stored sensibly.

Don’t keep your keys and remotes in plain sight next to a door with a window, or otherwise visible to someone outside. It’s smarter to keep them handy hidden inside a cupboard or drawer instead.

Secure your air-conditioning unit.

To keep someone from getting through an unsecured window, protect your air-conditioner with a bracket, corner braces, or a sliding window lock.

Keep your ladders properly stored.

Don’t keep a ladder outside, because a burglar can pretend to be a handyman or contractor, and take your ladder to get in through an upper window, or maybe make it up to your balcony.

Keep your garage secure.

Don’t forget about the garage door. Keep it closed and locked when you’re not around, and you’ll prevent a potential criminal activity.

Use top-quality lighting, and keep your lights in working order.

Install outdoor lights with infrared motion detectors near each outside door. Motion detector lights will effectively keep trespassers away because they cannot hide. You can also choose lights that respond to changes in temperature, sound, or light, or time of day. Some lighting systems will even allow you to connect to a smart device with a mobile app, so you can continually monitor for possible undesirable activity and respond immediately.

Install timers.

You can put your outside lights on timers. Whenever you’re out for the day, or gone for an extended period, you can make it seem like people are home by using timers on your interior lights too, as well as on your radios and TVs. If you’re away on vacation, it’s even possible to monitor and control everything with a mobile app.

Reinforce your doors.

A hollow door is not as safe, because it’s easier to penetrate. Therefore, as soon as possible, replace it with a solid-core door made of wood or metal. Fortify your doors’ locks by replacing the strike plate (the stationary piece where the bolt enters), and mounting a solid metal plate on the doorjamb for the sliding bolt. Replace any short mounting screws with longer screws that will reach the door’s studs, and this will add more strength to the doorframe.

Replace any poor-quality or worn-out locks with upgraded locks.

Locksmith professionals will always tell you that deadbolts provide you with extra security. Get a grade-2 deadbolt lock, which penetrates the doorframe. Or, purchase smart or digital locks, which provide an additional layer of security.

Secure all your windows and glass doors.

Of course, a window left open is attractive to a potential robber. Ground floor windows are more susceptible to break-ins. Upper floor windows can also be fairly attractive if someone can enter from a tree, ladder, balcony, or fence. It’s good to use a secondary blocking device, such as a wooden dowel, on each window. For optimal safety in an emergency, make sure you can easily remove your window blocking devices from the inside.

For ground level sliding-glass doors, and for any aluminum windows that slide horizontally, use anti-lift devices. Install screws half-way into the upper track of the movable glass panel, which will prevent it from being lifted out in the closed position. Then you may want to place a decal on each glass door or windowpane, near the latch mechanism, to indicate that you have an alarm system, or a neighborhood watch in place.

Install an alarm system.

If you have an alarm system, be sure you know how it works, and then don’t forget to use it! If you’re not arming it, it’s worthless. Teach everyone in the family to operate it properly every day. Consider these strategies:

• Put your system on a timer schedule.
• Add a fire alarm.
• Always keep the batteries charged. The batteries’ warning system will tell you whenever they’re getting low, so don’t allow them to drain entirely. You want your home to be protected, even in a power outage.
• If you live in an area prone to floods, you can install a moisture monitor for your basement to detect flooding.
• Add a carbon monoxide monitor.
• With some alarm systems, you can use your smart device to monitor and adjust your security system anytime.

Finally, be a good neighbor.

Get to know the people in your neighborhood ~ at least on each side of your home as well as two or three across the street. Good neighbors look out for each other. Establish trust by communicating regularly. A good neighbor will keep an eye on your home while you’re gone. You don’t have to be friends; just be civil and help each other out. Some may be willing to care for your lawn, pick up your mail, or do small things that will make it look like you’re home. Be sure to return the favor.

When you can’t do it yourself, hire a professional.

If you do find any weak spots in your home’s security, ask an expert on the best way to remedy each issue. If you’re in Arvada, Colorado, you may want to request a free consultation from one of the residential locksmith specialists on staff at Locksmith Arvada CO.

Article source here: KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR HOME SECURITY

Locksmith Arvada CO: Why Deadbolts Are Good for Homeowners

At Locksmith Arvada CO, we believe that everyone could benefit from a new set of deadbolts, whether you live in Arvada, CO, or elsewhere. In fact, we would go as far as saying that installing a deadbolt should be on top of every single homeowner’s security checklist.

We want you to understand the additional security you can get from a solid deadbolt lock. That’s why we are going to spend some time explaining in detail the main advantages that come from such an effective home security asset.

First, let’s look into the basic logistics behind these components.

What is a deadbolt?

These are very popular, and you probably have seen them before, but it pays to talk through the mechanics before getting into the protection they provide.

As you may already know, a deadbolt is a type of door lock that is especially resistant when it comes to forced entry. While deadbolts are similar to traditional locks in theory, in practice they are quite different. Like your everyday lock, deadbolts are moved by keys or knobs – but the difference lies in the fact that deadbolts are not operated by springs. Why is this important? Because it is a lock’s springs that make them vulnerable to lock-picking using specialist equipment or any sharp objects.

Not all deadbolts are created equal. In fact, there are three different deadbolt lock types, all of which provide different types of protection:

• Keyless cylinder deadbolts tend to be the easiest for homeowners to operate. These are exclusively opened through electronic means – either using a fingerprint scanner or a password code – and then closed from the inside using a special knob or a button,
• Single cylinder deadbolts are the most basic, and can be unlocked by a key and locked from the inside using a thumb piece. We would recommend to avoid installing these into doors that are next to windows or glass as it would be easy for thieves to get through your door by breaking the glass to reach and turn the knob.
• Double cylinder deadbolts are more complex – which has its benefits and downturns. On the one hand, the fact that these can be locked/unlocked by a key on both sides makes it harder for someone to break into your property. On the other hand, this protective mechanism could make emergency evacuations, like in the case of a fire, much more difficult.

Now that we have told you about the different types of deadbolts, let’s focus on the security you can get from them.

Main advantages of having deadbolts in your home

Obviously, a properly installed deadbolt will serve as a great break-in deterrent. Here are just some of the top reasons why locksmiths all around the world recommend getting these installed in a residential property:

Deadbolts are built to last. They will not wear and tear easily, and breaking through them is incredibly difficult. This is true for all deadbolts, but especially if you have chosen to install one made out of steel.

They deter petty thieves. Your typical house burglar wants to get in and out of their selected property as quickly and as easily as they can. With a deadbolt, they are not able to do that. No lock is ever fully immune of damage, but the fact that it would take hours for a common thief to break into a deadbolt is enough of a deterrent on its own.

Deadbolts enhance your security. Unlike your standard locks, deadbolts can’t be broken into using crowbars, knives, lock picking equipment or sharp objects of any kind. That means your home will be well protected if a burglar tries to take the initiative to break into your home.

Finally, there is always the added convenience. Not only are they very easy to use, their protection is very accessible for all homeowners. No matter what type of deadbolt you have decided to install in your property, you can buy these and get them installed by a residential locksmith for a very affordable price.

That latter point nicely segues into one final recommendation.

Making sure your deadbolts will keep you secure

There is no point in investing in new security for your home if it is not going to be installed properly. This is true for locks, keyless entry systems and, of course, deadbolts.

A deadbolt needs to fully extend into the hole from the door jamb in order to be fully operational. Additionally, the deadbolt needs a metal spike blade to go through the hole to keep in steadily in place. Needless to say, manning these crucial mechanisms requires a bit of technical know-how. As such, installing a deadbolt without prior experience could potentially mean that they will not protect you in the way that they should.

Which is why we recommend that you consult with a local lock and key service provider. Residential locksmiths will have performed these installations umpteenth times, and will be able to help you decide on the best deadbolts for your home. Most licensed and insured locksmiths provide full consultations and price quotes at no charge to their customers. Talk to a couple of locally-based businesses to get an idea of the options they can offer – shopping around will ensure you are getting the best bang for your buck. Make sure to check that the professional locksmith you are talking to is actually based in your area – businesses from elsewhere will charge you extra for traveling to your location.

Once you have settled on the right locksmith, they will set up an appointment to install these deadbolts at a time that is most convenient. The whole process should be quite quick, and you can even ask your locksmith to check if the rest of your security components are in good working condition while they are there. Ensuring all properties are protected are very much part of a locksmith’s job description, so you should expect a credible professional to have your best security interests at heart.

Now you know why we think deadbolts are so important for all homeowners’ security. Talk to a local locksmith service provider to learn more about these great security features and the protection that you will get out of them.

 

Article source here: Locksmith Arvada CO: Why Deadbolts Are Good for Homeowners