Good home security is crucial if you’re going to keep your family safe, but how protected is your home really? It’s easy to develop a false sense of security thinking that it can never happen to you until you experience a break in or vandalism yourself.
When it comes to protecting your home and family, there’s no place for complacency. Here are four areas where your home’s security may be putting you at risk, without you even realising.
- Door frames. If your door frames are not supportive enough, it’s easier than you might think for someone to kick in the doors and gain entry to your home. Door frames are not often an area we think about when building or purchasing a home, but if you haven’t, it’s well worth considering reinforcing your door frames with heavy duty strike plates to be on the safe side.
- Glass doors and windows. Glass is an essential feature of any home, unless you want to shut out natural light altogether, but unprotected glass is also easy to break, allowing an intruder to reach inside and unlock doors. Particularly vulnerable are glass panels in doors or beside doors, and windows on the entry level. The best way to manage this is to add security film on glass windows and doors – this will make it harder for someone to gain entry through a broken window.
- Landscaping. Trees and bushes that block your home’s view from the street can be a security risk as they make it possible for someone to break into your home without being observed. It’s important that you always keep shrubs and trees well trimmed so they don’t obscure the view from the street.
- Garages. The garage is not often thought of as an area of weakness but if your garage is equipped with a door opener, it may also have an emergency release mechanism that opens it in the event of a power failure. Many of these can be operated using a wire or coat hanger and allow an intruder to gain access to your garage. There are a few devices you can get that can shield your emergency release lever and ensure it’s only accessible from inside the garage.
Good security is important if you want to ensure your home and family are protected. By taking a few steps now to improve your home’s security, you could save yourself a lot of stress and money in the future.
