Windows and doors are, obviously, the two most common entry points for burglars. Fortifying them can start with near-zero cost, then grow from there as your needs and budget allows. Before you buy anything, take a good review of your home and your habits. One of the house painters who also delt in house renovations and recladding provided the following information.
Do you leave keys under the mat near doors? Do you leave a window unlocked? Do you have open doggie doors that don’t get locked when you leave the home? Securing all the possible entrances is the first, and most obvious, line of defense against break-ins.
Now take a closer look. Do you have glass alongside the front door? It takes only a second to break the glass and open a door from the inside. Thieves may be willing to risk the noise, or they can simply bring a cheap glass cutter and get through in under a minute by slicing a neat hole large enough to insert a hand.
You may not want to go to the expense of remodeling to remove the glass. And you may like the look. So secure any doors that have glass alongside first by a vibration or cut-detection system. Or, you can secure them and add a decorative touch by fronting them with wrought iron bars or steel mesh.
Another alternative, for all your windows and not just the glass around doors, is a dual-technology detector. Unlike older models which only detect the frequency of breaking glass, they can detect a number of conditions associated with the breaking of a window. That helps minimize false alarms. They’re more expensive, but a false alarm to a security company can cost you, too.
Modern locking systems for windows help reduce the ease with which burglars can open them. Locks, deadbolts, sash bars and other devices are much more secure than just a window closed with a latch. Pin locks are a good idea, too. They are simple, spring-loaded metal dowels that insert into a hole in the frame. The mechanism is useful for sliding glass doors as well.
Consider swapping out your ordinary, fragile glass with polycarbonate or tempered glass. They’re more expensive, to be sure. But glass that is harder to break makes your home much more secure. Windows, after all, are the most vulnerable point of entry. Doors are the next easiest point of entry. Even when locked, there are many ways a professional burglar can gain entry through a door.
The simplest, and used more often than you would think, is simply to break the door near the deadbolt. It takes only a minute to use a crowbar-like device to shatter the wood around the deadbolt, making it useless. Framing them in metal for several inches around can help reduce this problem.
Keys can be duplicated and some professionals have locksmith skills, enabling them to open your lock without a key. Consider a keypad or electronic sensor system instead. That also eliminates the temptation or need to leave a key under the mat for the kids or maid. More sophisticated systems can even use your fingerprint or other biometric attributes to allow secure entry.
A few of these systems can hold up to 50 fingerprint profiles, so you have enough for family and close friends. They start at less than $400 and some can be connected to a PC to record entry times and identity.
