| |
| |
|
Home Security Information |
|
|
|
Home Security: Your Yard is the First Line of Defense
You may not believe it but most burglars do not plan their break ins. They are crimes of opportunity. They pick what appears to be a simple target. If they see a greater risk than they anticipated, they move onto a safer target. Therefore the more effort you take to keep your home from seeming to be a simple target, the safer you will be. A multilayered structure is the best way to approach arranging your home security, and the first layer is the landscaping and other features of your yard. Landscaping and Yard Security A few simple changes to your landscaping can help to protect your home from would be burglars. They are looking for a home they can get into and out of quickly; the more time they spend in your home the more chance of getting caught. Their best target is a home surrounded by tall hedges and shrubs, which restricts visibility from the street and your neighbours' houses. Trim your shrubbery and trees so that your doors and windows can be seen by neighbors, and from the street, by forgoing a little privacy you will not be providing a hiding place for a burglar. If you have more than one floor, prune trees away from upper floor windows to prevent an intruder using them as a ladder, also make sure any trellises won't provide a convenient ladder to gain entry to the upper floors. All planting close to the sidewalk, driveways, doors or gates, should be kept low say no more than two feet in height. As you move further away from the sidewalk you can increase the height but keep it down to no more than four feet. Any plant under the window should be kept below the windowsill. Trees should have their lower branches trimmed to at least seven feet off the ground. Be sure to keep your lawn trimmed; an uncut lawn will indicate to a potential burglar that you have been away from your home for some time. By placing gravel on the ground under windows you will be warned if someone walks on it, this can be a useful psychological deterrent. Remember not to have any large rocks or stones near glass windows or doors. There's no point in providing a burglar with his tools! Plant spiny (thorny) plants along fences and under windows, and on border fences, roses are ideal. Protecting your home with spiny plants is as good as using barbed wire, and it looks a lot better too. Street Numbers. Make sure your house number can be seen easily from the street. This can save time for the police and emergency services if they need to find your home. It is best to use numbers made of reflective materials, or alternatively black on white, they should be at least six inches high to facilitate visibility from the street. Keep the number clean and trim any plants, so it can be seen. The number should be illuminated and near the front door or the garage entrance. Limiting Access to Yards and Store Rooms: The main thing burglars are looking for is an obstruction free and speedy exit. Fences will stop burglars from carrying away your larger processions, if the gates are locked. Gates should be locked at all times! Make sure that any ladders and tools are stored in a garage or a storage shed, and these should be locked when not in use. To increase security chain your ladder to the wall of the garage when it is not being used. The idea is to use the landscaping to control access to your property. Proper fencing hedges etc. create barriers that will make a potential burglar feel uncomfortable as they approach your home, but will not prevent a neighbour or passer by from seeing any unusual activity. I will be covering additional steps you can take to improve your home security in the next article in this series. Roger Overanout For more vital home security tips and information about how to protect your home and family please visit http://www.homesecuritynews.info You may reproduce this article provided you maintain an active link back to http://www.homesecuritynews.info
MORE RESOURCES:
home security - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
The Case for Personal, Estate, Corporate and Child Abduction Security in today's World When one considers the historical nature of security applications and programs of any type, i.e. Is America Safe? As the devastation and death toll from deadly Hurricane Katrina becomes more apparent, it is a grim reminder that we live in dangerous times.Every year, millions of people around the world lose their lives or have them seriously disrupted because of floods, tsunamis, wildfires, earthquakes, blizzards and hurricanes. Alarm Systems: Not Just For The Wealthy Anymore! Over the last 22 years that I have been involved in the security alarm industry, I have seen quite an evolution. Changes have not only taken place in what type of equipment is available, but also in how the consumer buys and use's the equipment. Where Does Safety & Security Begin? Security Expert Explains Personal safety begins with you. It is widely accepted that a wide-ranging personal safety strategy must incorporate prevention, deterrence and defiance. Kevlar Sheets for Your Home Walls Home security is more important today than ever. You may have even considered Kevlar Sheets for your home or car. Home Security After An Earthquake After an Earthquake you need to do an immediate damage assessment. First go turn off the gas if you smell anything, a leaky gas line could explode and take out your entire home and your cats nine lives. How to Use a Fire Extinguisher Millions of people everyday rely on fire extinguishers to put out minor fires which start in the home. Fire extinguishers contain a powder which is known to instantly put out a fire and prevent it from spreading any further. Emergency - Gas Fire! Woooooooo??Woooo???The siren sounded. All of us looked at each other with excitement. Alarm System Keypads The keypad is the device you and your loved ones will interface with daily. It is typically placed at one or more of the following locations:* House to garage door hall. Home Security System, You Are A winner Have you ever been to a local trade show or fair and filled out a raffle and later you find out you have won a Home Security System? Well, you are not alone. Sometimes everyone one wins. Six Common Criminal Types And How To Avoid Them "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" that saying is as true for crime, as it is for health. After taking literally thousands of reports over the years I spent as a police officer; I found that a lot of crimes that had happened could have been prevented. How to Keep Your Postal Mail Private and Secure Surreptious opening of most envelopes sent through the mail takes little effort and only minimal skill. Instructions are readily available on the Internet and in books suc as "CIA Flaps and Seals Manual" (Paladin Press). Organizing an Arson Watch Program A wide variety of participants are needed to launch a successful Neighborhood Arson Mobile Watch program. In this section, necessary participants are listed, along with a description of the kind of support needed from each. Alarm System: Sirens Alarm Sirens- There is both inside and outside sirens. Many towns have a noise ordinance, which should prevent your installer from putting yours outside, unless you are on a ranch where you need to know what's going on while your out in the barn. Home Security: Your Yard is the First Line of Defense You may not believe it but most burglars do not plan their break ins. They are crimes of opportunity. Handling Weather Emergencies: Part 2; Home Security, Evacuation, and Emergency Kits IntroductionPart 1 of this article on preparing for weather emergencies discussed forming an emergency plan to reduce the stress and worry of facing a full blown weather crisis.The focus was on safeguarding your family by planning well in advance of any threat. Alarm Systems & Automobile Tires? What do alarm systems and automobile tires have in common? This may sound like a strange question to the untrained ear, but lend me yours and I will make sense of it.The reason I mention car tires is that they are a necessity that most all of us have some experience purchasing, at least once in a while. Alarm System: Smoke and Heat Detectors Smoke & Heat Detectors- Smoke detectors are available that will interface with your security system. The smoke detectors that are already in your home can't be tied into your security system. How to Buy a Safe for Your Home The first step is to determine who or where you will buy your safe from. There are many places to buy a safe today, you can buy from a "big box store", an office supply store, a furniture store, a hardware store, online, or even from a professional safe retailer or locksmith. Emergency Disaster Planning: Building a Bug-Out Kit Report after report comes in about how many people couldn't or didn't escape the wrath of Hurricane Katrina. More reports come in about the disorganized relief effort, the communications problems they're having and the difficulty in getting survivors to safety even when they are reachable by rescue personnel.
|
| Article List | Index | Site Map |
|
All logos, trademarks and articles on this site are property and copyright of their respective owner(s).
The comments are property of their posters, all the rest is Copyright © 2006 CanadaSEEK.com - All Rights Reserved. |
