You don’t have to spend a fortune to protect your home against potential crimes. You can make small upgrades in your home, in places most break-ins rely on, like your doors and windows. Here are some security fixes you can do, to improve the security of your property.
Reinforce Your Front Door in Under an Hour
It might be obvious, but one of the quickest things you can do, to improve your home’s security, is starting with your front door.
You can start with the front door’s frame reinforcement, by replacing short screws within the hinges and the latch, with three-inch screws that will “bite” into the wall stud.
You can upgrade your front door’s deadbolt installation, by using a high-quality single-cylinder deadbolt, ensuring it extends fully, into the strike.
If you have any aged or flimsy hardware, swap them out for more heavy duty security strike plates, for high impact, and they’ll reduce the risk of a kick-in of the door.
You can use door jamming devices (like a floor bar or a brace), to add extra resistance, when you’re home. Plus, add a door viewer or “peep hole” so you can safely see who’s outside, before locking the door.
Make Sliding Doors Way Harder to Force Open
Sliding doors are a target for intruders, because they can be lifted, pried or simply jostles off weak locks.
Start off by upgrading flimsy sliding door locks, to a double bolt or loop style lock, which will secure the sliding door’s frame and the door too.
You can add a metal or wooden security bar into the track of the sliding door, so the panel can’t slide, even if an intruder defeated the lock.
To prevent potential lift attacks, and shimming techniques, adjust and tighten the rollers of the door, and add some screws into the upper track, so the sliding door cannot be raised our.
For extra peace of mind, you can add some window sensors on the fixed/moving panels, so you’ll get an alert if they were to separate, and install some patio door alert alarms.
Add Simple Privacy Without Blocking Light
Securing your doors will keep people out, but anyone can look through bare windows, to map out your layout and valuables.
You can apply frosted window film to your windows, or window film shades on street facing glass. They’re affordable, easy to trim, and peel off cleanly, should you ever want to remove it.
In your living areas on the ground floor, you can hang seer curtains, like net curtains or voile, to give you some privacy, without losing natural light.
Install Motion Lights Where It Matters Most
Motion lights are very useful for deterring people from trying to break in, on your property.
Choose your smart motion sensor locations carefully, covering entrances to your home, any dark side yards, and pathways to your driveway or gate. Aim the sensors downwards, so they catch movement at human height, and avoid passing cars.
Solar-powered lights work well along your fence, or detached areas, as you don’t need to worry about external wiring set-ups.
Get Smarter About Doorbells and Packages
Install a smart doorbell, so you can see, hear and talk to anyone at your door, without having to open the door. You can enable motion-activated recording, and save the clips to the cloud.
You can install surveillance cameras, and aim the cameras at your drop-off spot, and turn on alerts, so you know whenever a delivery occurs.
It is recommended that we co-ordinate with our neighbors, so you can all look for strange happenings at each other’s homes, so everyone stays vigilant for potential crimes.