Home improvement projects can improve your home security and protect against intruders and other dangers.?Home improvements range from simple maintenance of old rooms to completely refurbishing them. Here are ten easy ways to make your home not only more beautiful and up-to-date, but a safer place to live.
- Replace old, rusted locks. About 34 percent of burglars enter through the front door and 30 percent do it through unlocked doors. The more wear a lock has, the easier it is for burglars to break in, even if you remembered to lock up before you leave. Installing new locks will also ensure that you are the only one with keys to your home. For more up-to-date technology, you can try using electronic locks that take passcodes, or alarm monitoring allows you to lock and unlock your door whenever you want.
- Check your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. Having these helpful devices around the home can save your life in an emergency. Most people won?t wake up during a fire, and carbon monoxide is almost undetectable by humans. You can also look into installing heat sensors and flood sensors for extra protection.
- Add lighting around your home. Burglars never want to be seen, so installing lights around your home will stop them from approaching. You will also feel safer walking back home at night or driving up to a well-lit area. Light timers can also come in handy. Possible places to implement more lighting are along the sidewalks and driveway, on your porch and around potential points of entry, such as doors and windows.
- Use a home security system. Today?s home security systems are sleeker, more convenient and more affordable. Wireless systems allow you to place discreet sensors wherever you want, and many system interfaces use touchscreens and extra features such as temperature, weather reports and home automation. Having a security system makes your home easier to control, as well as three times less likely to experience a robbery.
- Upgrade your doors. If any of them look run-down or damaged, replace them with new ones of metal or solid core. Burglars most often enter through doors and windows, and if they are old and worn, breaking in is quicker and easier for them. Invest in deadbolts for each door to add another level of security.
- Install a mail slot. With a mail slot, you can ensure that no one is taking your private mail when you are not around. People can access your checks and your personal information from your mailbox if it is right outside your house. Also, a large pile of uncollected mail is a good indicator of an empty home.
- Clean up with some yard work. A homeowner?s lawn plays a very important role in whether or not a burglar targets the house. Having a well-kept lawn will deter criminals as well as raise property value. Trim down trees and overgrown hedges to remove hiding places for burglars. Store away tools and toys scattered around the yard so potential burglars won?t be tempted to approach your house. You can even have trees completely removed if you think a burglar could climb to the second story, or if they could fall over in a severe storm.
- Drill a peephole in your door. This way you can check who is at the door without having to open it. Not only is it more safe, peepholes will allow you to avoid answering door-to-door sales people, solicitors and other potentially dangerous or threatening visitors. Drilling and installing a peephole can take less than 15 minutes to finish.
- Check your windows. Twenty-three percent of burglars enter a home through a first story window, and nine percent through a second story window. Use blocking devices for windows and sliding doors so burglars can?t get in. Putting in security bars for your windows can also be effective, and you can look into decorative patterns to match your home.
- Buy a safe for your valuables. Burglars know the hiding places people use for their valuables, including the freezer, the bedroom closet, drawers, under the mattress and many more. A safe provides extra guarded protection for the things you want to keep secured, and makes it harder for a burglar to find what he or she is looking for. Make sure the safe is too heavy to be moved, and conceal it in a discreet hiding place.
Home improvements can be a great opportunity to add new home features and increase your personal protection. With these handy tips, you can improve your home along with your sense of security!
Source: http://blog.safemart.com/2013/01/02/10-home-improvements-to-boost-home-security/
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