When a criminal wants to break into a home, they look for the easiest way in. Certain spots in a home often provide easy entry for a criminal who wants to break into a house. Every homeowner should check their home and assess the following points of entry.
Doors
The first thing that a criminal will check is the doors. Although it seems like common sense, always make sure to lock your doors. The best locks on a door will not work if they are not used. Even when a person is running a short errand, the doors should be locked. It only takes a thief a few minutes to steal thousands of dollars’ worth of items from a home. Many people think of locks when they think of home security. However, the construction of the door must also be considered. Even the best lock will not keep a burglar out if he can just kick in a cheap door. A doorframe made of pine will easily be smashed in during a robbery. Consider replacing or reinforcing the standard pine doorframe. There may be an expensive lock and deadbolt on the door, but if that door has a window, the robber can just break the window and undo the locks. Sliding doors are also usually an easy entry for a burglar. Put a pole in the track of the sliding door so the burglar is not able to slide it open. Safety coating is available that can be applied to glass sliding doors so they are much more difficult to break.
Windows
Windows, especially basement and ground floor windows, are another easy entry point for thieves to enter a home. Make sure that all windows are closed and locked before you leave the house. If rosebushes or cacti are planted under all the home’s windows, it will make it harder for thieves to climb into your windows. They also will not be able to hide in these types of bushes. Burglars often case a house before they plan to rob it. Walk around the house and look in the windows. If the burglar sees lots of expensive electronics, computers and art inside they very well may come back to rob that house. Try to keep blinds partially closed to obstruct the view or move expensive art to a wall that is not visible from the outside.
Alarm Systems
For additional protection, you can add an alarm system to your home. This will immediately alert you to anyone trying to break into your home. Alarm systems are also available that will automatically notify the police if someone tries to enter your home without authorization. An alarm system will add another level of protection to your home security plan.
Criminals are always looking for an easy way into a house. When proper safety precautions are taken, a home’s occupants and valuables will be protected. Always lock all windows and doors and do a routine visual inspection of the exterior of the home to keep criminals at bay.
Citations:
- Photo by james.thompson
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- License: Creative Commons image source
Peter Wendt is a freelance writer and researcher living in Austin, Texas. Peter recognized an increase in attempted home robberies in his new neighborhood, and decided he needed to better secure his home. Peter went to this local alarm systems company and now feels completely safe in his own home and highly recommends using this company.