When it comes to home security, you don’t have to spend a fortune to protect yourself. Try these easy tips to give your home security a DIY upgrade.
Install Motion Sensor Lights Outdoorsand Upgrade all outdoor Lights.
Motion-detecting lights have long been popular with homeowners, and now the offerings are quite inexpensive and easy to install. Motion sensor lights are practical and help ward off potential intruders. It’s also easy now to upgrade all your outdoor lighting – and cheaply too, with solutions like solar-powered lights that make sure thieves have nowhere to hide.
Secure that Sliding Glass Door.
Sliding glass doors are a huge security risk – stop those thieves in their tracks by buying a wooden rod from the home improvement store, and cutting it to fit. Having an obstruction in the track makes it next to impossible to get the door open without breaking the glass – not easy and not worth it for most thieves!
Build a Hiding Spot in your Kitchen.
The kitchen is one of the best places to hide valuables because thieves never look there – they’re after the electronics in your office and the valuable cash and jewellery you probably have on the dresser in your bedroom. Make a hiding spot in your kitchen – you’ve probably got an awkward drawer or unused cabinet space that you can easily store items that determined thieves will miss.
Setup your Outlet Timers.
Adding a timer to an outlet is very inexpensive, and the technology has come a long way – some timers allow you to setup a complex schedule and even adjust it from a smartphone app! Add a timer to lights visible from the street, as well as an outlet that you can turn on a radio or TV.
Upgrade your Doors.
Talk to your home improvement store about upgrades to your door; you can upgrade the lock itself to a commercial grade lock (sometimes called a “Grade 1” lock) for about $100, which will make it much harder to pick or cut, and you can install the lock yourself. While you’re there, ask about strike plate upgrades, which can screw onto the door and make it impossible to kick in the door. You can replace the whole door as well, which can cost anywhere from $50 on up to $1,000, but worth it if you have a door with glass panels near the lock or a thin door.
Upgrade your Windows.
Older windows are vulnerable because many of them can simply be pried right out of their frame. If this is the case, you might want to think about replacing them, or at least making sure the frame is secure – you can actually put sheet-metal screws into the frame and only fasten them halfway to make it impossible to pull the window out from the outside. You can also buy films to you can put onto glass that strengthen it and make it harder to break.
Fence it in.
Last but not least, consider a fence if you don’t have one already. You might have to check with zoning laws, but a fence can help make your home feel a little less accessible to would-be burglars. You should talk to your neighbours, who might even help with the costs. Make sure that if you install a fence that has access doors, that these are easy to secure from the inside, and your outdoor lighting plans take into account any changes required, making sure there are no new hiding spots for thieves.
This was a guest blog post by ADT. Learn more about home security with ADT today.