Home Security

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Did You Know

The majority of residential crimes are crimes of opportunity, wherein the victims have left their homes or vehicles unsecured.

Many people who have never been a victim are often less than diligent about securing their homes and safeguarding their property. Unfortunately, thieves seek out these vulnerable opportunities, accessing homes and garages through unlocked doors and windows with minimum effort. Reliable estimates from reports and analysis indicate that the average burglary takes just three to five minutes.

Did You Know

Video surveillance systems are another big deterrent. 60% of burglars said the presence of security cameras is a major
consideration in choosing a target. Neighborhoods in which burglar alarms were densely installed have fewer incidents of
residential burglaries than neighborhoods with fewer burglar alarms.

Wireless security cameras allow you to watch your home or office without the need to run cable. These wireless security camera systems are designed to protect your property and belongings, and these security cameras allow you to remotely watch them from wherever you are.

Did you know,

In the actual era of smart homes and smart grids, advanced technological systems that allow the automation of domestic tasks are developing rapidly. There are numerous technologies and applications that can be installed in smart homes today. They enable communication between home appliances and users, and enhance home appliances’ automation, monitoring and remote control capabilities.

Given the rapidly rising electricity usage in private households and the increasing of environmental and regulatory restraints, the need to improve the overall efficiency of electrical grids has never been greater. Energy efficiency is hence one of the central issues that smart homes and smart grids have to face. Smart technologies monitor household energy usage, and users can control home electricity usage through a direct and bidirectional communication with home appliances. It is also expected a lower fluctuation in the load and a subsequent reduction of network dynamics, higher stability, fewer line losses, and lower operational costs in terms of matching the energy demand with the offer.

Smart homes obviously have the ability to make life easier and more convenient. Home networking can also provide peace of mind. Whether you’re at work or on vacation, the smart home will alert you to what’s going on, and security systems can be built to provide an immense amount of help in an emergency. For example, not only would a resident be woken with notification of a fire alarm, the smart home would also unlock doors, dial the fire department and light the path to safety.

Smart homes also provide some energy efficiency savings. Because systems like Z-Wave and ZigBee put some devices at a reduced level of functionality, they can go to “sleep” and wake up when commands are given. Electric bills go down when lights are automatically turned off when a person leaves the room, and rooms can be heated or cooled based on who’s there at any given moment. One smart homeowner boasted her heating bill was about one-third less than a same-sized normal home. Some devices can track how much energy each appliance is using and command it to use less.

Smart home technology promises tremendous benefits for an elderly person living alone. Smart homes could notify the resident when it was time to take medicine, alert the hospital if the resident fell and track how much the resident was eating. If the elderly person was a little forgetful, the smart home would perform tasks such as shutting off the water before a tub overflowed or turning off the oven if the cook had wandered away. It also allows adult children who might live elsewhere to participate in the care of their aging parent. Easy-to-control automated systems would provide similar benefits to those with disabilities or a limited range of movement.

Since the beginning of this century, consumers have recognized the value and security provided by smart homes, and the ease of managing and monitoring home appliances and devices at any time, from any location. With the dawn of the Internet of Things (IoT), technologies like near field communications (NFC), wearables, smartphones and the inexorable penetration of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, an ever-increasing number of people can now afford smart devices, and connect in ways that were never before possible.

Home Security Tips:

Burglars are opportunistic, they look for easy ways to get in to a home that won’t take long or arouse suspicion. Homes that look unoccupied and insecure are more likely to be targeted. Here is a checklist to help you improve the security in and around your home, many of which will not cost anything.

Doors, windows and locks:

When replacing a door buy a new “door set”, the complete assembled frame and door, certified to PAS 24 ‘Doors of Enhanced Security.

Make sure doors are solid enough and can’t be easily kicked-in.

Glass panels on or around doors and in ground floor or accessible windows are vulnerable; replace them with laminated glass as it holds together when shattered.

Mortise locks fit into a slot cut into the edge of the door and usually can only be opened with a key. These should be upgraded to 5-lever locks tested to BS 3621.

Rim locks are screwed to the face of the door and latch automatically when you close the door, unless held open with the snib. These should be tested to BS 3621.

Multi-point locking involves several hooks or bolts holding the door into the frame. The lock cylinders should be tested to BS EN 1303 Grade 3.

If you are replacing your lock cylinder make sure it is to standard TS007 or Sold Secure SS312 Diamond Standard.

When installing patio doors ask for the sliding section to be on the inside and for anti-lift blocks.

Existing patio doors can be fitted with additional security bolts to stop lifting or forced entry.

 Around the front and back of your home

Prevent easy access to the back and sides of your home by installing locked gates, 2 metre minimum fencing or walls. Trellis topping also makes climbing difficult.

Security lighting can be used to make offenders feel vulnerable and observed.

Illuminate high risk areas and make sure it’s easy for you to see people approaching.

Fit padlocks and hardware to shed and garage doors.

Securely lock all doors and shut all windows before leaving the house. It’s easy to forget when you’re in hurry, but it’s the simplest way for a burglar to enter your home.

Never leave keys anywhere near the front door, including your letterbox; burglars know where to look.

Make sure that passers-by can see the front of your home so that a burglar can’t work without being seen.

Remove and secure items that may be used to break in or climb up such as ladders and garden tools.

 Inside your home

Visibly and permanently marking your belongings helps you and the police identify them if they are stolen. It can also make it difficult for the thief to dispose of the property.

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