Description

Most intruders go in and out of your housethesame way you do - through the doors - so all doors in yourhomeshould be protected. Keep in mind that you must protect morethanjust your front and back doors. There is also the sliding doortothe patio, the door to the basement from the outside and thedoorto the house from the garage.

Burglars break windows as a last resort - or by accident.Thelast thing they want to create is additional noise thatdrawsattention to the property. However, an open window or windowsthatdon't work properly are an invitation for burglars. Thereareseveral methods to consider for increasing the security ofyourwindows.

When a burglar wants to break into a house, time is oftheessence. Anything you can do to slow him down will deter himfromchoosing your house. One of the best methods of deterrence isgoodlocks. Following are some tips for securing your doorsandwindows.

o Remember to allow at least one door or window per room asafire escape meaning that exit via the door or window can bemadequickly and easily.

o All exterior doors should be solid-core doors withheavy-dutydead bolts installed in a sturdy frame with long screwsso theycan't be kicked open.

o If you tend to open your door during the day to letinsunlight, consider installing a storm door with a lock to letthesunlight in but keep burglars out.

o Place security bars over your basement windows and aroundyourhome's removable AC units to prevent intruders fromcrawlinginside.

o Apply window film to make your glass shatterproof. Tintedfilmcan further prevent thieves from window-shopping and even blockoutUV rays so furniture won't be damaged by the sun.

Consider replacing glass doors, or install window film andmetalsecurity grills on the doors.

o Replace or repair any broken windows as soon as possible.

o Use curtains or blinds over any windows or doors that areeasyto see into.

o A peephole allows you to see who is at your door withouthavingto open it and without them looking into your home.

o Keep expensive equipment and items away from your windows.

o Make sure skylights and roof-access areas are properlysecuredwith heavy-duty hardware.

o Install locks or secondary security devices on allaccessiblewindows so they can't be opened far enough for someone tocrawlthrough from the outside.

o You can limit access to your home and omit keys by gettingthelatest technology with fingerprint locks.

o Install dead bolts with captive key locks on all doorslocatednext to windows. These locks have removable thumb latches sothateven if a thief breaks a window, he still can't reach aroundandunlock the door. But because dead bolts can also be a firehazard,make sure they have a removable key on the inside cylinderfor whenyou are home. When you leave, just remove the key and keepthe lockbolted on both sides.

o Always lock up all doors and windows includingsecond-floorwindows even if you're only going out for a fewminutes.

o A door that locks from the inside is great but it needs tolockon the outside as well.

o A chain lock allows you to talk to someone outside yourdoorwithout opening it all the way.

o If you have the same key for all your locks, have onedoorre-keyed and use that key to give to contractors or visitors.Ifthe key is lost, you will only have to change one lock onyourhouse.

o When you move into a house or apartment, have thelocksre-keyed. There's no telling who the previous residents mayhavegiven a spare key to or whether they kept one themselves.

o To avoid being locked out of your house, secure a spare keyina combination or key lockbox on your property or leave one withatrusted neighbor.

o Original locks may look quaint, but they are nearlyalwaysunsafe. Modern locks can be refitted while keeping theoriginalintegrity of the house.

o Keypads are a good alternative to traditional locks inhomesthat are occupied or accessed by many people.