People have always tried to protect themselves and their families, just like most animals do. In very early days, cavemen protected their caves by lighting fires outside the entrance to discourage interlopers and wild animals. Later on, man learned how to increase his security by training dogs to safeguard him and his family. Later still, houses and then doors were invented; bars and locks arrived soon after that.
However, until a few decades ago in the west, people lived in extended large families. A family could consist of six-to-ten children and the mother and the grandmother would often live there too. This made home security systems extraneous from the early 18th Century to the 1930's, which were quite peaceful times. After the Second World War, families were not so large and new families got their own house away from their parents.
Nowadays, both parents are likely to be working and the kids are almost certainly at school. This means that many houses are left empty during the day, making them easy plunder for burglars. In fact, the number of household burglaries has increased by almost 10% in the last five years according to American government statistics. Furthermore, according to a survey, forty percent of home burglaries were carried out due to inappropriate locks and doors.
ANSI (American National Standard Institute) produced a standard for deadbolt locks for external doors which is very hard to beat. If you are worried about your external doors, you should seek these ANSI deadbolts out, but beware, there are many copies. However, regardless of the sort of lock, the quality of the door is just as crucial. Its thickness and composition can also be a disincentive. After all, why put an expensive deadbolt on a door made of cardboard?
There are about 14,000,000 home burglaries every year in the United States and many of them are avoidable. The first stage that you should attain in home security is strong doors and sturdy locks. Deadbolts on exit doors is a good idea.
Once you have done that, get some exterior security lighting that reacts to either motion or body heat. The former type are microwave and the latter passive infra red sensors. These sensors will also contain a daylight sensor so that they will only become operational at night. The sensors will also save you money by activating the powerful halogen floodlights only when someone enters the range of the sensor's beam.
Once you have done that, you ought to think about a home security alarm system. This should consist of contact sensors on all outside doors and windows, vibration sensors on all widows to alarm you in case of breakage and PIR or microwave motion sensors in the corridors and hallways.
Then, if you want to go even further in your home security system, you can fit surveillance cameras on each exterior wall of the house and maybe one in the interior too. You do not have to take all these precautionary measures at once, if you are short of cash, but they should be taken in that sequence.
Owen Jones, the writer of this writer, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with home security systems comparison. If you are interested in Security Systems For Home Use, please click through to our site.
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August 23 2010 | home security | No Comments »
There are many things that families and businesses do in order to safeguard their property. One technique that is often taken in the name of security is the addition of security bars to doors and windows. In spite of the inherent benefits of securing property, these bars often present risks of endangering the people inside.
One thing remains accurate, most burglars will keep moving rather than try entering into a home that has security bars on doors and windows. Home protection is the only security that these bars supply however for many, the risks involved in having these bars on windows is not worth the small degree of security that is provided. In other words, the good of these bars is greatly outweighed by the negatives.
A lot of people do not purchase new security bars but rather rely on the same bars that have covered the windows of the home or business for many years. Some of these are rusted and virtually impossible to take away. In emergency situations, every second matters and these bars can be the very things that trap people inside a burning or flooding structure.
Security bars are no longer the cheap alternative to traditional alarm systems and monitoring services that they were touted to be in the past. In fact, more often than not the pose a greater risk than they are a benefit to business and homeowners. Many larger businesses offer free fitting of alarm systems and alarms as well as monthly monitoring services at reasonable rates. More significantly not only are these monitoring services available for breaks-in, but also for fire and smoke as well as panic button services.
Security bars may have had a time and place, but they have been replaced by something that is much more effectual at deterring criminals as well as something that offers a greater degree of protection for the most precious assets of any home or business - the people inside. The costs concerned in monthly monitoring seem great but most will find that the value this service provides if and when it is ever called upon is well worth every penny.
Options to burglar bars that are not dreadfully costly include planting thorny bushes below windows and keeping them trimmed back just enough that they do not block a view of the windows. Most intruders do not want a complicated entry point and they certainly do not want to be injured during the process by prickly plants. Lighting is another alternative that is fundamentally less expensive than it would be to fit burglar bars. Intruders do not want to be observed. If the area surrounding your home and business is well lit, it will serve as a deterrent. Explore options such as this before resorting to security bars.
To answer the question of whether or not security bars are worth the risks for home or business protection the answer would be a resounding "No!". There are other preventative measures that can be taken in order to discourage intruders that present far less risk to family members and employees. These alternatives should be undertaken rather than those that pose additional risks to those you are trying to look after.
Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with home security systems comparison. If you are interested in Security Systems For Home Use, please click through to our site.
Tags:
alarm systems,
business,
consumer electronics,
elderly care,
family,
happiness,
home,
home accessories,
home business,
home security,
interior design,
other,
retirement,
security,
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July 13 2010 | home security | No Comments »