In Houston, Burglar Alarm Is a Necessity – but Just a StartIs

Living in Houston offers many benefits – a cosmopolitan atmosphere, access to great work opportunities and even greater play opportunities, awesome restaurants, vital nightlife, cultural experiences – really, too many to count. Unfortunately, living in Houston also has a few drawbacks, including a high burglary rate. If you live in Houston, burglar alarm installation is an essential service, but a burglar alarm is only one facet of a good home security system. If you’re planning on installing a home security system for your home or apartment, you should know these things about the strengths and drawbacks of a burglar alarm.

Burglar alarms are useful for two things. Loud noises sometimes scare would-be burglars away because they attract attention – which is the second thing for which burglar alarms are useful. The biggest problem: in Houston, burglar alarms may not be heard by neighbors – or ignored, especially if the neighborhood is used to hearing it go off. Your home security system should certainly have a burglar alarm, but it shouldn’t BE a burglar alarm.

A home security system that’s tied into alarm system monitoring is far more effective than a stand-alone burglar alarm, When it comes to alarm system monitoring, Houston offers a range of companies that can provide alarm system monitoring at a variety of prices. No matter what your budget is, you should be able to find alarm system monitoring for your security system.

“Free home security systems” are often not worth the money you pay for them. They’re most often installed by alarm monitoring companies who trade free installation of a home security system for a contract to provide alarm system monitoring. In most cases, they continue to own the security system and if you’re not satisfied with the service they provide, you’ll find it nearly impossible to extricate yourself from the contract you signed. You may also find that the “state of the art” home security system they installed in your home is incompatible with the alarm monitoring equipment in use by any other company in the city.

Home security systems can’t keep your family safe unless you use them consistently and in conjunction with basic, common-sense security habits. Those include locking the door and alarming the system every time you enter or leave the house, keeping the alarm security codes to yourself and following basic home security precautions regarding lighting and other safety issues.

In Houston, burglar alarm companies are a dime a dozen, but home security companies and alarm system monitoring companies are worth their weight in gold.

Home Security Tips for the Holiday Season

The holiday season should be one of peace and giving, but there are folks out there who view it as an opportunity to profit from burglary. Burglars know that the holidays usually mean stockpiles of expensive gifts and people away for the holidays – even if it’s just for the day. The holiday season calls for ramping up your home security and taking a few extra precautions. These holiday home security tips can help you avoid becoming a burglary victim and have a happier, safer holiday.

Unpack Your Car in the Garage after Christmas Shopping

Thieves often keep their eye out during the holidays for people unloading expensive gifts and carrying them into the house. If your home has an attached garage, pull in and close the door before unloading high-value gifts. There’s no sense in announcing that you’ve got expensive stuff inside.

Have your Home Security System Checked out and Serviced at the Start of the Season

Call a Houston home security company and schedule a checkup for your home alarm system to make sure that everything is in working order.

Avoid Broadcasting Your Travel Plans

Once upon a time, you might have told a neighbor or two that you were traveling to visit family on Christmas Day. In the age of Facebook and Twitter, far too many people announce to the world that their home is unattended and their Christmas gifts are fair game. Warn your kids about announcing their Christmas gifts and travel plans on social media sites.

Take Advantage of Home Security System Features to Keep Your Home Safer

If you’ve hired extra help for the holidays – a handyman to put up lights or a caterer for holiday parties – take advantage of special home security features like one-time key codes. The latest technology in home alarm systems makes it easier for you to allow workers access to your home without compromising your security and safety.

Upgrade Your Home Alarm Monitoring for the Holidays

Many of the newer home security systems, such as those made by Honeywell home security, are easily upgradeable and expandable without adding extra equipment. Just as you can add services to your telephone or cable without additional equipment, you can also add services to many newer home security systems. Talk to your home alarm monitoring company about the possibility of adding services to your standard package for the holiday season to protect your home from holiday burglars.

Don’t let Grinches ruin your holiday. Follow these home security tips to tighten up your safety during the Christmas season.

Home Security Alarm Systems Give Peace of Mind

Since crime rates are on the rise all over the United States, Houston residents are now taking action by protecting their homes with a Home Security system. Lessening the chances of your home from being burglarized can be as easy as having a state of the art security system installed by the professionals at Safeguard Home Security. By having a security system installed can not only be beneficial, it can also bring peace of mind.

Those that have had their home broken into before know the feeling of being violated and not feeling safe in their own home. By having a Security System alarm installed can help to reduce the chances of this happening again. Statistics show that homes without alarms have increased chances of being broken into repeatedly by thieves.

Many of the new alarm systems not only monitor the doors on a home, they also monitor windows too. If a thief is not able to break in through a door on the home, they will often use the windows as an entry point into a home. When the window is tampered with, an alarm will sound and it will also alert the monitoring station that someone is tampering with the windows and alert the proper authorities.

Almost all Home Security alarm systems now have a panic button located on the control panel. The panic button can be used even if the alarm system is not turned on. This give many home owners added security knowing that the panic button can be used to alert the monitoring station if a phone cannot be reached during an emergency.

When a home owner has to be gone for an extended period of time such as a vacation or a work related trip, they usually ask their neighbors or friends to check on their home. With having a Houston Home Security alarm system installed there is no need to have someone check on your home. All of the alarm systems come with 24 hour monitoring. If the alarm is set off, the monitoring station alerts the proper authorities and then contacts the home owner of the incident. This lessens the chances of your home being broken into while away for long periods of time.

These are just some of the benefits to having an alarm monitor installed in your home. With presence of a state of the art security system can help to greatly reduce the chances of your home being broken into. Knowing that your home and family is protected 24 hours a day can help to bring peace of mind in an uncertain world.

Safeguard Your Home with a Security System

Unfortunately with the bad economy, crime rates are rising across the country. Those that thought they lived in a fairly safe neighborhood are now realizing that break-ins are becoming more common place. One way to reduce the chance of your home being broken into is by having a state of the art Houston Home Security system installed.

Security cameras have become increasing popular in the last ten years due to the advances in security camera technology. A great home security system is more than just an alarm going off and a sign out front warning potential thieves that your home is protected. Security cameras also add extra protection. There are many benefits to having these installed throughout your home that you may not be aware of.

The biggest benefit of having a security camera installed is being able to catch a thief in the act of committing a crime. This type of Home Security system allows the company to be a seeing eye in a home if it is broke into. The thief is then caught on tape that can then be turned over to the authorities to catch the criminal. In many cases once a thief realizes that there are cameras throughout a house, they will run away.

Having a Houston Home Security installed in your home will enable you to have your home instantly monitored by their professional security service. The monitoring system is automatically enabled when the alarm is turned on. This means that even when you are away, your home is being constantly monitored by our 24 hour service. The alarm system also comes with a 24 hour monitored panic button. When the panic button is pushed, it will alert the monitoring service that there is an emergency in your home. These panic buttons can be engaged at any time, even if the alarm is turned off. Many people find that for this reason alone, having a security alarm installed is worth its weight in gold.

When the alarm system is turned on, it will alert the monitoring station if your home is broken into. The monitoring station will then alert the proper authorities of the situation. This will reduce the chances of you walking in on a burglary in progress.

Statistics show that homes that have a Home Security system installed reduce the risk of their home being burglarized. Home insurance costs will also be lowered if a security system is installed. With home security systems becoming more affordable many people are having them installed in their homes. This can greatly reduce the chances of your house being burglarized in the future and give your family piece of mind.

Tips to Choose a Home Security Professional for a Houston Burglar Alarm Installation

According to the Houston Police Department’s statistics, there were over 2,300 burglaries in July 2011. Unfortunately, that was not an exceptional month for the HPD – it’s well within the average range for the number of burglaries that happen every month in the city. A home security system can help you keep your home, your property and your family safe, but it’s important to choose the right Houston burglar alarm company to sell and install your home security system. The Electronic Security Association, a non-profit member organization of home security and burglar alarm system professionals, offers the following tips to find the best Houston burglar alarm and home security professionals for your needs.

Choose a local company for your home security needs. A Houston home security expert knows the market and knows the area well enough to make reasonable recommendations for your home or business security needs.

Ask your property insurance agent to recommend a home security company – and a home security system. Insurance companies have a vested interest in guaranteeing that your home is as protested as possible because if someone makes it past your burglar alarm system, the insurance company ends up paying out. Many insurance companies will offer as much as a 30% discount on your insurance premiums when you install a home alarm system. Your agent can tell you which security systems will net you the biggest savings.

Contact the Houston Police Department’s Robbery Unit and ask them to do a home security audit and recommend a style and type of burglar alarm or home security system that’s best for your property. The police department can’t recommend specific Houston home security vendors, but they can help you define the best systems for your needs, which you can then compare with recommendations made by home security companies.

Make appointments with three to four Houston burglar alarm companies to do a security assessment of your home and give you a quote on their home security recommendations. Always ask the company for the name of the person who will be keeping the appointment and ask for positive identification before allowing him to enter your home.

Compare the quotes against each other, using a checklist to find the deal that will provide the best security for your home at the best price.

Protect your property and your family from burglaries and home invasions. Contact a Houston burglar alarm vendor to find the best home security system for your needs.

Driveway Alarms Add to Home Security Systems

In Houston and surrounding cities and suburbs, it’s not unusual for homeowners to not be able to see the end of their driveway from their windows. Home security systems often include driveway alarms to increase the security and awareness of homeowners whose main purpose is to safeguard their families. While basic home security systems focus on alarming entry doors and first floor windows, all of which can serve as entry points for burglars and home invaders, driveway alarm systems serve as an early warning system to alert homeowners that someone has entered their property.

At their most basic, driveway alarms employ motion sensors and operate like most burglar alarms. When something breaks the motion detector beam, the sensor sends a signal to a receiver, which alerts those in the home with some sort of audible signal. More complex home alarm systems include a driveway alarm that ties into an integrated home security system. In that case, the signal may trigger notification to the homeowner’s smartphone or alert an alarm monitoring company that someone has entered the premises that are being protected by the security system.

There are do-it-yourself options for driveway alarms, but most of those are extremely limited in both range and reaction. They may only come with a single motion sensor, and may not be capable of tying into other home security systems Houston homes may employ. This can be especially important if you’ve decided that you want to include alarm system monitoring in your security criteria because most home monitoring companies rely on equipment that is compatible with their monitoring systems.

If you do decide that you want to monitor traffic in and out of your driveway or paths to your home, there are several considerations to keep in mind.

First, be sure that you choose a burglar alarm system that’s rated for outdoor use. They should be designed to withstand snow and rain, as well as to deal with the variations in light over the course of the day.

Choose a burglar alarm that is programmed to avoid being triggered by small animals so that you’re not constantly being pinged when a neighborhood dog trots past your driveway. At the same time, be sure to locate the sensor where it’s not likely to be triggered by blowing branches and leaves so that you’re not awakened by the wind on breezy nights.

For best results and the best security, consult a Houston burglar alarm company for recommendations on driveway alarm systems, alarm system monitoring and Houston home security systems.

Top Honeywell Security System Advantages

Honeywell Security Systems have an excellent reputation in the home security industry for many good reasons. Originally, Honeywell supplied high-quality security systems for the business and industry sectors. When they decided to move into the home security market, they brought their years of experience with monitored alarm systems, wireless alarm systems and industry-leading security system advances with them. If you’re considering a new home security system or an upgrade to your current system, Honeywell Security Systems are among your best choices for quality and reliability.

Advantages of Choosing a Honeywell Security System

Honeywell is one of the best-known names in home alarm systems in the United States. Formerly known as Ademco Alarm, Honeywell has spent years building a reputation for quality and reliability.

The company is a leader in innovation and cutting edge advances. Honeywell systems offer the most advanced technologies, long before other home security systems include those features. As an example, Honeywell has offered color touchscreen keypads for years. Other home security companies are just beginning to offer the technology.

Honeywell offers complete integration of your home alarm system, CCTV security cameras and home automation. A wireless Honeywell Security System, for example, can email you when your alarm activates, send you a text message when your door is unlocked and send video images directly to your PC or Smartphone.

You can log into your Honeywell Security System remotely via Smartphone or Internet to perform all the same functions you can perform from your home control panel.

Honeywell uses its technology savvy in smart ways. For example, most Honeywell security systems include a smart motion detector so that your pets can wander around the house while the system is activated without tripping the alarm. With the pet smart sensor, you no longer have to confine your pets to one room to keep them from setting off the alarm.

A Honeywell Security System offers a high degree of customization and flexibility. There are many accessories and expansion modules available, most of them compatible with each other. That allows you to buy the system you want or can afford, and add new features when you need them.

The base model for a Honeywell system allows up to 48 added sensor contacts, allowing you to increase the security of your home without buying a new control unit.

Your purchase of a Honeywell Security System supports your local economy. Honeywell markets its home security systems through a network of locally owned home security businesses. That also puts customer support right in your neighborhood. When you choose a Honeywell Security System, you can count on help being there when you need it, every time you need it.

Back to School Safety and Home Security Tips

As the summer winds down and the kids get ready to head back to school, you’ve got a great opportunity to reinforce basic safety and home security knowledge with your school-age kids. These tips from Safeguard Home security, a Houston home security company, can help you keep your kids safe as they head back into their school year routine.

Teach Your Kids How to Use Your Home Security System

If your kids are at home alone after school, it’s essential that they know how to arm and disarm your home security system. They should know the security code and how long they have to enter the security code after they open the door before the alarm goes off.

Add the Security Code to the List of Things You Never Share

Most kids already know that they shouldn’t share the passwords to their user accounts and voice mail systems. Add the burglar alarm security code to the list of things you never share with anyone. Be specific when you address this with them. Many kids are trusting, especially when it comes to friends. Impress upon them that they should never let even a trusted friend see what numbers they enter on the number pad, or ask a friend to punch it in for them as they head for their bedrooms or the bathroom.

Upgrade Your Home Alarm System to a Smarter One

Newer home alarm systems have some nifty little side benefits that can help you keep track of your kids and make sure that they’re safe after school. You can set up your security system to phone you when each of your kids gets home and checks in, for example. You’ll never spend the afternoon in a panic because your teen forgot to call when he got home again.

Protect Your Kids with a Personal Alarm

Your kids may be responsible enough to walk to and from the school bus or school alone, but that doesn’t mean they’re 100% safe on the walk. Outfit them with a portable, wearable alarm to call for help in an emergency. There are many small “shrieker” alarms that can hang from a belt loop or a carabiner on a backpack. All it takes is a press of a button to alert anyone nearby that someone needs help.

You can’t always be there for your kids after school, but you can provide them with the safety and security they need. For more ideas on ways to help keep your children safe after school, contact a professional installer or home security system dealer.

The Importance of Alarm System Monitoring

Home security systems are high on the list of most desired extras in new Houston homes, and with good reason. As crime rates rise in Houston, home security companies are seeing a rise in orders for comprehensive home security systems. The best security systems are more than burglar alarms. They include state of the art monitoring capabilities as well as many other perks that help keep your family safe from more than just burglars. Of course, the quality of your home alarm system depends upon the quality of the alarm system monitoring service with whom you contract. Houston home security companies offer many systems that include alarm system monitoring to add an additional level of protection to your home security system.

What Is Alarm System Monitoring?

The most basic burglar alarm systems sound an alarm when someone triggers them by breaking a circuit or entering the perimeter the alarm protects. Those systems rely on alerting you and nearby neighbors that someone has intruded. They only offer protection when you’re home to hear the alarm or if neighbors react to the alarm by calling security or the police.

The next step up on the home security system ladder is systems that automatically dial one or more telephone numbers when someone triggers the alarm. Most people have the system alert the homeowner as well as an alarm system monitoring company. The monitoring company will generally attempt to reach the homeowner, and if they can’t, they’ll alert the authorities. These systems offer more security than a burglar alarm, but are far from state of the art.

Today’s best home security systems include complete alarm system monitoring. With these, your home system is wired into a network that is monitored 24/7 by human monitors. When the alarm is triggered, they have a specific sequence of events to follow which may include attempting to contact the homeowner, switching to audio or video monitoring of your home and alerting the appropriate rescue service to get you help.

Alarm system monitoring is a vital part of your home security system, especially if you’re including personal alarm monitoring as part of your security package. This is especially important if your family includes a senior or a disabled person who is prone to falling or has other health issues. If your parent or disabled family member is ever at home alone, it’s important to consider home alarm monitoring. Houston home security companies offer varying levels of home alarm system monitoring so that you can choose exactly the level that’s right for your needs.

What to Look for in Alarm System Monitoring

Home security systems come in many different flavors. One of the most popular types of home burglar alarms is a security system with alarm monitoring. Houston security experts generally recommend monitored alarm systems for the highest level of security available. But monitored alarm systems are only as good as the company doing the monitoring. If you’re putting the lives of your family into the hands of a Houston home security company, you should take great pains to select the best one for your needs. Here are some of the most important factors to consider when choosing your Houston burglar alarm.

Don’t Make Price Your Only Consideration

Be wary of companies that offer alarm monitoring at prices that seem too good to be true. They probably are. Be doubly wary of companies that offer “free alarm systems” in return for buying their alarm monitoring services. Among the most important reasons are that you won’t own the alarm system, and will probably be locked into a long-term contract for home security monitoring. In most cases, you won’t be able to switch monitoring companies even if you can break the contract because the wireless security systems they provide aren’t compatible with other equipment used by better Houston alarm system monitoring companies.

Choose a UL Approved Alarm System

Underwriters Laboratory sets very high standards for electrical equipment and support services. Make sure that the company providing your alarm monitoring services is UL approved to be sure that they meet the same high standards.

Work with a Company That is Locally Owned And Operated

There are many good reasons to choose a Houston burglar alarm company for your home security. Local companies work hard to protect and maintain their reputations in their own communities. If the company serves you well, they hope you’ll spread the word. If they fail you, however, they know you will.

Contract with a Full Service Home Security Company

It may seem less expensive to purchase your home security system from an online discounter, install it yourself and contract with a third party home alarm monitoring company, but you could be passing up some important advantages. When you work with a company that takes care of the entire project, from sale to monitoring, you’ll find that everything runs much smoother. In addition, if there are ever problems, it’s much easier to deal with one company than track down which one is responsible for fixing your issue.

A home security system with alarm system monitoring offers the best security for your home and your family. Don’t compromise that additional safety by choosing the wrong company to provide the monitoring.

Houston Home Security System Tips

It’s spring, and while a young man’s fancy may turn to thoughts of love, those with a larcenous bent turn their thoughts to something a bit less fanciful. According to the Houston crime map and related statistics, you can expect burglary and home break-ins to accelerate during the spring and summer months each year. In fact, the April stats for burglary increased to an alarming 1,201 break-ins, an increase of more than 4 percent over March’s 950 incidents. Theft and robbery stats showed a similar increase in month-to-month stats, emphasizing the importance of installing and using a Houston home security system to protect your home and family from loss.

Statistics show that homes without a home security system or burglar alarm are far more likely to be targeted by thieves than those with installed home security systems. The most important tip for securing your home is to find a Houston home security firm and have a burglar alarm installed. Don’t just go for any burglar system, either – many people are so inured to the sirens of car and home alarm systems that they typically ignore them. Instead, invest in a home security system that’s monitored or connected to a central station to ensure that someone responds if there’s a break-in at your property.

If you’re moving into a home with an existing alarm system, contact the installer and alarm monitoring provider to switch the service to your name, and to discuss upgrade possibilities. The home security system industry has made incredible advances in technology over the past few years, and any alarm system installed more than two to three years ago may not offer the protections that your family needs. Most notably, with so many people opting for VoIP and cell phones instead of traditional telephone systems, you’ll need to be sure that your home security system is compatible with your choice of phone system. You should also inquire about new services available through smart phone apps that will allow you to arm and disarm your security system remotely, change key codes on the fly and monitor those that enter and leave your property when you’re not home.

Make sure that your security system is comprehensive. It should encompass all windows and doors that are accessible to burglars. Your security plan should also look beyond alarms and alarm monitoring to other security-conscious choices. For example, install motion-sensitive lights on your property to illuminate any dark corners whenever someone approaches them. In many cases, the mere presence of a security light will scare burglars away.

High-end alarm systems include individual window alarms activated by vibration, panic buttons to alert authorities in case of a home invasion and motion sensors in rooms to detect intruders once they’ve penetrated your home’s perimeter.

If you have no burglar alarm or if your home security system is more than a few years old, contact a top-notch Houston home security company to learn about the upgrades available today.

Home security is a subject on many minds these days. Long gone are the days when you could safely leave your doors unlocked while you ran to the store. Today, intruders often invade your home even when you’re there. In Houston, home security experts say that the burglary rate is climbing in many communities even as violent crime drops. Installing a home security system is the most positive way to protect your home from invaders and burglars, but there are other things you can – and should – do to keep your home safer, whether or not your also employ a home security system. These tips, from a Houston home security expert, will help make your home less attractive to intruders.

Locks for Home Security

Install heavy duty deadbolt locks on all entry doors. Deadbolt locks with strike plates installed in the door jamb make it nearly impossible for burglars to force the door open.

If you have door lights – windows in or beside the door – make sure that they are made of unbreakable glass, or that locks are not within reach of the window.

Replace the standard window locks with more secure locks that can’t be manipulated from outside. If you have first floor windows or windows that are accessible from patios or landings, install window bars or grates to prevent anyone from entering through them.

Don’t sabotage yourself by leaving a key outside your house “in case you get locked out.” Burglars know all the handy hiding places and will easily find a key left in a flowerpot, under a mat or hung inside a mailbox. If it looks like a good hiding place to you, you can bet that a burglar will have the same thought. Instead, leave a spare key with a neighbor who is usually home.

Locks are only good if you remember to lock them all when you leave. Make it part of your routine to check and lock all the windows and doors whenever you leave the house – including the door from the garage to the house. Many homeowners count on the garage door to keep intruders out of their homes and fall prey to a burglar with an automatic garage opener.

Lighting for Safety and Home Security

Locks will keep intruders out. Lights can keep them from even attempting to get in. Put lights at all of your entries so that there’s no shadow for burglars to hide in while they attempt to break in. Make sure that the paths and approaches to your home are well-lighted and can be seen from your windows and, if possible, from neighbors’ homes.

Put your lights on a timer, both indoors and out. Choose a timer that allows you to set variable times, or use a switch that’s activated by light so that your lights turn on when it gets dark. That avoids the rigid time schedule that’s a signal to burglars that the homeowner is away.

In addition to these basic home security measures, consider installing a comprehensive home security system to protect your home and your family from intruders.

Home Security Tips to Keep Your Family Safe

The purpose of any home security system is to keep your family and your property safe. Whether you choose a full-featured monitored home alarm system or a simple burglar alarm, though, there are other steps you can and should take to ensure your family’s safety. These tips from law enforcement professionals will make sure that you and your family are doing everything you can to take advantage of your home security system.

Replace Hollow-Core Doors with Solid Doors

Hollow core doors are inexpensive, but they’re easy to break through. Likewise, inexpensive paneled doors, even those marketed as exterior doors, may not be thick enough to deter a break-in. Choose 1- to 2-inch thick solid hardwood doors, and make sure that any glass sidelights are unbreakable safety glass.

Install High-Quality Locks

While an alarm system may alert you or the authorities that a burglar has attempted to break into your home, but it can’t keep thieves out. Evaluate the locks on all of your exterior doors, including the door leading into your house from the garage. If necessary, replace them with heavy-duty deadbolt locks and install a heavy duty strike plate in the door frame to prevent your door from being kicked in.

Clear Away Obstructions That May Hide Intruders

Keep foundation plants trimmed below window level so that they don’t provide a hiding place for thieves attempting to break in through a window. If you have a secluded entrance, consider installing a home security system with a camera trained on that door, or a motion-sensitive light and alarm that will alert you if an intruder attempts to get in through that door.

Always Lock Your Doors and Windows

The best locks in the world are useless if you forget to lock them. Lock your doors even if you’re home, especially if you’re in the back yard, upstairs or in the back of the house. Likewise, always arm your security system, even if you’re on the property, and teach your entire family to do the same.

Choose the Right Home Security System

A home alarm system can be an important part of your home security, but it’s only one part. When deciding on the best security system for your home, consider all of your family’s needs. Today’s systems include locks with remote key access and monitoring, monitored home alarms and personal alarms. Most Houston home alarm companies will work with you to customize your security package to best suit your family. For information about all the options available in home security packages today, schedule an appointment with a Houston home security specialist.

Houston Home Security Options for Apartment Dwellers

Living in an apartment shouldn’t relegate you to second class home security systems. Apartment dwellers often leave the task of providing security for their possessions and loved ones to the owners of their buildings. That can be a big mistake. While your apartment building may have decent front door security, more often than not, it’s easily defeated by pressing doorbells until someone presses the catch release and unknowingly lets a burglar in. Once inside the building, multi-family dwellings offer very little in the way of a home security system. Houston police estimate that a large percentage of burglaries and home invasions take place in apartment buildings for exactly that reason. If you’re one of the many H-Town residents who lives in an apartment in Houston, home security is your responsibility as well as your landlords.

An apartment home security system will usually cost you considerably less than a security system for a detached home for one simple reason—there are nearly always fewer entry points to protect. If you’re considering installing a home alarm for your apartment, keep these tips in mind to help you choose the right home alarm system.

Install alarms on all entry points in your apartment. That includes your front entrance door, patio door or back door and any window, even those that are sealed shut.

Consider a wireless alarm system that doesn’t require any damage or alterations to your apartment. Your landlord will have far less reason to object to a wireless system that can be installed with no holes or other alterations to his property.

Keep your neighbors in mind when choosing between alarm systems. Generally, a loud perimeter alarm system is poor etiquette, especially if you’re prone to accidentally setting the alarm off yourself. Your neighbors wont’ thank you for waking them up at 2 AM when you’re sneaking in from a night on the town. Instead, consider a monitored alarm system that alerts someone at a remote location rather than sounding on the property.

Motion sensor alarm systems are especially effective for apartments, because there is so much less square footage to cover. Many apartment security systems also include fire and smoke alarms so you’re doubly protected.

If you’re living in an apartment, take security into your own hands. Contact a Houston home security specialist and ask for their recommendations on protecting your property. You’ll sleep better knowing that your home is protected.

Five Surprising Benefits of Home Security Systems

Everyone knows that installing a home alarm system reduces the chances of a burglar breaking into your home and making off with the family silver – or your new flat-screen television. But what you may not know, is that home security systems provide other benefits for your family as well.

Cut Your Insurance Premiums

Many insurance companies offer lower premiums and discounts to homeowners who invest in protecting their properties. Check with your insurance agent to find out how much you could save by installing a burglar alarm, monitored alarm system or a full-fledged Honeywell security system. Depending on the options you choose, you could save a considerable amount of money.

Stop Waiting for the Cable Guy

The latest home alarm systems do far more than protecting your home from intruders. They actually allow you to control access to your home from afar, often controlled by an app on your iPhone or a Smartphone. With a smart security system installed, you can program a one-time-use lock code so that a repairman can let himself into your home so you don’t have to wait there to let him in. Changing the locks was never this easy before.

Program Your Locks to Phone You When Your Kids Get Home

Kids are forgetful. They know they’re supposed to let you know they got home safely, but how many afternoons have you sat there waiting and worrying? With the right key/alarm system, you can program your lock with a separate key code for each of your family members, and set it up to phone you when each of your children uses his key code to get into the house.

Monitor Your Home Remotely

With an alarm system that includes video monitoring, you can check in on your home from work or anywhere else you can access the Internet. That allows you to keep an eye on pets and nannies, or just check in to see what’s going on if you’re notified that your home alarm has been activated.

Allow Your Parents to Maintain Independence

Many older adults end up in nursing homes or assisted living units because their children worry about falls and accidents. A home alarm system with a personal alarm can set their minds to rest, secure in the knowledge that if mom or dad falls at home, they can call for help.

If you’ve been considering an upgrade or a new alarm system for your home, talk to a licensed installer of home security systems to find out about the latest advantages in alarm and security technology.

Tips for More Effective Home Security Systems

Any police department will tell you that home security systems help protect your property from intrusion and theft. Following some common sense advice when choosing an alarm system, an alarm monitoring company or a home security system installer can make your premises even more secure.

Don’t Count on Fake Security Signs

Real burglars know the difference. Generally, home alarm companies only allow actual customers to display their “Protected by” emblems. Any burglar operating in Houston, for example, would be familiar with all Houston home security companies and wouldn’t be fooled by a fake sign.

Contract With a Licensed Burglar Alarm Vendor to Have Your System Installed

In Houston, your alarm system must be installed by a licensed company or vendor who must register your new security system with the city. Working with a licensed installer protects you in case problems arise. Among other things, most localities require that licensed alarm installation companies cover insurance that will cover any losses resulting from a company or installer error.

Invest In A Monitored Alarm System For Better Security Coverage

An alarm that only sounds in your neighborhood if someone breaks in is only as good as your neighbors. If you live in an area where most of your neighbors are at work during the day or where your neighbors might not notify the police if your alarm sounds, it won’t do much good to protect your home. An alarm system that alerts a monitoring company or calls you to let you know that your alarm is going off is much more effective.

Make Sure Your Phone Or Cable Lines Are Safe

If your alarm system relies on your phone or cable lines, be sure that the lines are shielded from being cut or otherwise damaged. If your alarm system monitoring fails because the wires were disconnected, they can’t alert anyone that there’s a break-in.

Use Common Sense in Deciding on Perimeter Protection

Alarmed doors and windows provide “perimeter protection,” which is an alarm that sounds when someone gets into your house. Alarming every window can be expensive, so use your common sense. If your windows are easily accessible, you might benefit from glass-break protection. A combination of window locks, window bars and door alarms may be a more economical solution.

Choosing a company that’s experienced with many different home security systems offers many benefits, not the least of which is that they know the advantages and disadvantages of the various security types. If you’re considering a home alarm system for your residence, contact a licensed alarm vendor and get the benefit of the company’s experience.

Choosing a Home Security System for Your Home

While violent crimes have dropped in the Houston area over the past few years, home break-ins and burglaries keep rising at alarming rates. The best way to protect yourself and your family is with a home security system. Houston police and security experts offer the following tips and information to help you choose the right home security system or home alarm system for your home.

1. Make your home less attractive as a target. Home security systems can’t do it alone. Make your home a less attractive target by trimming overhanging bushes and eliminating blind spots where intruders could hide out of sight as they try to break in.

2. An alarm system monitoring service will alert you if an intruder enters your home while you’re at home. The simplest home alarm systems sound an alarm if someone breaks a circuit while the alarm is armed. They’ll let you know if someone breaks in so that you can alert the authorities or take other actions to protect yourself and your family. Louder systems may also alert your neighbors if you have any living close by. They can be useful during the day to scare intruders off and to alert neighbors that there’s a problem at your house.

3. Remote alarm systems notify police or emergency services if the alarm is tripped. The next step up the ladder are home security systems that automatically dial a specified number or series of numbers if your burglar alarm is tripped. The number may be an automatic phone dialing system that alerts police, fire department and emergency medical services and dispatches them to your home.

4. Monitored alarm systems provide personal coverage. Some Houston home security companies offer alarm systems monitored by real people. If the alarm is tripped, it notifies human monitors at the home office of the alarm monitoring company. Depending on the system, the company may try to reach you by telephone or may be able to turn on video or audio monitoring to check your situation before alerting authorities that you need help.

5. The most elaborate home security systems combine personal monitoring with wireless services. The newest home alarm systems are complete home access systems. You can wirelessly change the locks on your front doors so that you can issue a one-use key code to a plumber or repair person, or set your alarm system to notify you if your teenager doesn’t check in after school. Alarm monitoring services can help seniors remain in their homes by providing personal monitoring and alerting authorities in case of a fall or other emergency.

Houston Home Security System Helps You Avoid Becoming a Statistic

The statistics about home break-ins and invasions are disheartening. In Houston, police report that burglaries have increased over the past three years, and that many of the homes broken into are making repeat appearances on the list. In fact, according to some Houston home security experts, there are at least a dozen homes that have been broken into at least three times. Home security systems help reduce the chances of a home burglary, but many people believe that they don’t really need a home alarm system. After all, they say, I haven’t really got anything worth stealing in my house.

Aside from the obvious fact that burglars don’t know that you have little of value in your home, there’s a misconception about what many burglars consider to be “worth stealing”. Here are some statistics about what burglars make off with when they break into a home.

• 22% of burglars steal cash, and it doesn’t have to be much. Can you afford to lose the money you were saving for grocery shopping this week?
• 15% steal tools and building supplies. Your circular saw and electric drill are worth something on the street, after all.
• 11% steal furniture, televisions, cameras, cell phones and computers
• 8% steal food, drinks and liquor, while some simply dump food and drinks on the floor, leaving a mess to clean up.
• 8% steal jewelry, furs and other valuables like the family silverware or artwork
• 4% steal gasoline
• 2% steal guns and ammunition

Still think you don’t need a home security system because you’ve got nothing worth stealing in your home? How about your garage? How about your family?

A home security system, especially a monitored alarm system for your home, can keep your family from becoming a part of these Houston crime statistics:

· Burglaries and thefts account for 70% of the crimes reported in Houston

· The number of burglaries has risen each year since 2005

· Nearly 85% of all burglars in Houston get away with their theft.

A monitored alarm system can reduce your chances of being a victim of burglary to almost nothing, and may increase the chances of any burglary ending in an arrest and the return of your stolen items. For information about home security systemsavailable in your community, consult a Houston home security company.