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.