As the days get longer and temperatures rise, you may be among the many people who are preparing to do a top-to-bottom spring cleaning of their house. If so, while you’re washing windows and scrubbing baseboards, you may want to think about what you can do to make your home safer. Here’s a home security checklist to consider!
Check Your Doors and Locks
“Through a door” is how most burglars or home invaders gain entry, so don’t take your door locks for granted. Check out every exterior door to be sure their locks are secure and operating correctly. Make sure each one has a deadbolt. Also, check that each door is an appropriate thickness that fits securely in the frame or jamb. Do you have any sliding glass doors at your house? Be sure the primary lock is secure, and consider a secondary lock to prevent the door from being forced open. Call a locksmith to have any faulty locks replaced.
Inspect Your Windows
Lock each of your windows and try to force them open. Reinforce them with secondary bolts if they don’t lock securely. Don’t just test the first floor. At-grade and second-floor windows are vulnerable to breached entry as well.
Can You See Visitors?
If you can’t see who’s at your door, you may be at risk. Most front doors come with a peephole. If not, they are easily installed. You can also consider installing a device like the SkyBell
doorbell security camera that records HD video of anyone approaching your front door that can be viewed in real time to identify visitors. You can talk to the person on the other side of the door with the 2-way audio feature.
Assess Your Home Exterior
Walk the exterior of your home. If overgrown bushes or shrubs are obscuring doors and windows, cut them back. That kind of “cover” gives would-be burglars time to gain entry.
How’s Your Lighting?
Walk your property at night and assess areas/pockets of darkness around your house. Unlit areas on the side or back of your house can be a thief-magnet. Motion-activated lights can be especially helpful because they only light up in response to something moving in the predetermined area.
Spare Keys
If you’ve ever walked out of your home without your keys (and who hasn’t?), you know what an inconvenience it is to not be able to get back in! Even so, think twice before you hide an extra key outside your home. Think you’ve got a place no thief would ever think to look? Think again. Experienced thieves know all the tricks. Instead, give that spare key to a trusted neighbor.
If you really don’t want to trust anyone with a key to your house, there’s always a keyless entry system. Just enter the code on the keypad and you’re in. You could also opt for smart locks, a special type of keyless entry that you operate using your smartphone.
Check Your Alarm System
There’s a testing feature on the panel of almost all home alarm systems that will allow you to make sure all the components are working. Just notify your provider that you are going to be doing some testing; then check each segment of the system to be sure it is in good working order. Got home security cameras? Make sure they’re directed toward the right places. And finally, take the time to confirm that the wireless components of your alarm system have good batteries.
Is it Time for Security Upgrades?
Any alarm system is better than none, but it makes sense to use this spring evaluation of your home’s safety status to consider a few upgrades to your home security system. Simple motion detectors, image sensors, and upgraded cameras can really take your home’s safety to a new level. If you have an older alarm system with a keypad and panel, think about upgrading to a smart alarm system. Smart systems allow you to include extra security features like smart locks, image sensors, smart lights, fire prevention, and other protection devices.
We hope you find these home safety tips helpful, but keep in mind that Next Generation Security Concepts is just a call or click away to help you address all your home security needs.
