Essence of Home Improvement

Posts Tagged ‘Home Security’

We have previously discussed – Why you should cut your lawn, locking up your sheds and buildings, trimming your hedges and trees. Let us look a little deeper into what else you can do now to improve your security around the home and family.

Now Let’s look at the house in more detail.

Are there security screens on the windows and doors? Aluminum or steel doors are preferred. Are the security doors always locked? Can all doors be opened with the same key? This can be handy for the owner, but keys should always be counted and accounted for.

Double sided locking handles are recommended for patio and sliding doors. These ensure criminal access is made even harder. What quality are the window locks? Always install the best that you can afford, and never pick the cheapest, you may come to regret it in the future. Do you have window security screens that can be left open during summer? Do you have a secure bolt system on your internal manhole/s?

Do you keep cash in your home? If so, think long and hard about why you do this. Is it really necessary to keep cash in the house? If yes, then purchase a safe. The best choices are safes that are extremely heavy and cannot be moved or carried easily. Install a safe that is either, or moulded into your brickwork, or sunken into the wall or floor.

Where are all your possessions kept? Are they secure marked? Do you have an inventory? As well as an inventory, it is a really good idea to photograph all your insurable items. If you are burgled you can prove to the insurance company what you once owned and it also provides the police with an accurate record of your stolen items.

Do you have a security alarm system? If so, it is a good idea to have it monitored. We will cover systems in the next chapter. Make sure that the system has been maintained checked and reset/adjusted at least every one to two years. You should have security sticker’s clearly visible showing that you do have a system in place.

Do you have security/movement lights? These are essential to home security. Ensure that full coverage is given to all risk areas including front doors, back doors, sheds, carports, garages, patios, gardens, pathways, pools, fences, and even the house roof.

Also, ensure that the lights are well out of reach (usually they are not). If they are within easy reach then ensure that the lights have a cage or secure fixing so that they cannot be tampered with or broken.

The modern security camera is available in two basic types, wired and wireless. The wired ones are extremely versatile and come in all shapes and sizes. They can be fitted into smoke detectors, stereo speakers and even clocks to provide a virtually indistinguishable presence within a building. The wireless security camera is more flexible in many ways. As it does not rely on wires it can be fitted in virtually any location. The ability to fit them in places that the unwitting criminal would never suspect makes them an amazing asset to home and business security.

Since the advent of the Internet, wireless security systems can be Internet-based, allowing one to monitor remote locations. The camera transfers video data via a local area network adapter, and then to an IP ( Internet Protocol) address. This means you could be on the other side of the world and still able to monitor your home or premises, and make the necessary calls if you believe that an intrusion has occurred. Some systems can actually send you an e-mail alert if movement is detected.

Wireless home security cameras, particularly the sort that are fitted in a home security system are normally powered by a 9 V batteries. The length of time these batteries can provide power berries depending on the camera, but 10 hours is the ballpark figure for most of your standard cameras. Many of these cameras are fitted with a motion sensor which only begins the recording process when motion is detected. This is a great asset as it preserves battery life. When the camera detects motion the recording sequence is triggered, either taking pictures or providing live video streaming to another computer, which could be at any location in the world depending on your system set up.

If you have ever seen a digital video camera you’ll notice that they are quite small compared to the non-digital alternatives. These are capable of recording video for an extended period of time with the video being stored either in the unit itself on a computer. They are extremely popular these days as their size makes them even less obvious to the unsuspecting burglar. They also remove the need to record video to tape, and as mentioned, can store video in their own memory.

Although the security camera has been around for a long time, technology has soldiered on and has made these items far more affordable. They once used to be the sole domain of large business, but now can be seen in houses all over the world, protecting the homes and families from loss. It is possible to buy a complete systems for only a few hundred dollars and I would recommend considering it. It provides great peace of mind and can even have a positive effect on your insurance premiums.

Security, undoubtedly this is a matter of great concern that you surpass while owning a home. As a home owner you build your house with the most luxurious amenities so as to make your family comfortable and safe. But sometimes these material acquisitions shower their ill effects and the dangers like burglary, theft, confrontation and the fear of intruders.

Thus to protect your interest it is very much required that you own a security system which can give you mental satisfaction and can guard you against the envy. There are basically two major types of security services that you can avail and these are;

1. Do-It-Yourself Packages

These are basically the wireless systems that you get installed with in your home or sometimes out of the home. They are comparatively very cheaper and you can easily obtain these systems from any home improvement sore or hardware store. With respect to the money that you pay the service satisfaction is always higher. The degree of the sophistication increases the money cost associated with it.

This is useful in the placers where you are residing with limited family members and where you do not hold costly things such as antiques and jewelries in your home. The do it yourself package entails items that are easy to install and do not require any expert for it. Contrary to that if you have expensive stuff in your home try to rely on the better systems that are costly too.

2. Professional Systems

These are provided by the companies that come and install the security system and monitor the alarm systems. In case where you are residing in a big house with costly household or you are staying in a remote area you need to have better preventive measures. And these are nothing but the professional systems such as remote monitors, alarms, etc that require a huge installation cost along with maintenance and service cost.

Professional systems need to have a sound maintenance cost as your service provider needs to take care by consistently monitoring your security and this overall process makes it highly expensive. For this kind of services you usually ask to pen down a legal contract with the service provider.

There is a huge array of such products and services available in the market but what all you need to do is to buy it rationally. Pick out the best that suits your need and budget after making a well planned decision.