Areas to Protect with a Home Security System

Determining your security needs can be somewhat difficult. How do you ensure you are able to protect your home and your family? Obviously, a home security system is your first step. You’ll need to choose a system that offers the best mix of benefits and affordability. However, you will also have to ensure that the system protects the key areas of your home. What areas are the most important? Where do you need the most protection?

Entryways – Your front and rear doors are obvious concerns. The system you choose should provide you with protection at both your front and rear doors. An additional concern should be the door leading into the garage, as well. You need to ensure that the system you purchase provides you with door sensors for at least the front and rear doors of your home.

Ground Floor Windows – Your ground floor windows are also a security concern. While your windows should have locks on them, they can still be broken or forced easily. Window protection is essential, especially for the windows on your ground floor. The most obvious windows are those that lead to large rooms, such as your living room and dining room.

Motion Sensors – While entryway protection is important, you need to have protection in the interior of your home, as well. Motion sensors provide this protection, but there are concerns here, as well. For instance, if you have pets or small children, they can inadvertently set off the alarm. However, modern motion sensors are able to distinguish between full-grown intruders and pets, as well as small children. These smart sensors can be a dramatic addition to the protection in your home.

Digital Control Panel – The control panel is one of the most important aspects of your security system. The wrong control panel can lead to false alarms and security concerns. However, if you have a digital security control panel, you will be able to avoid many of the problems common with older technology. These keypads have larger screens, one-touch communications and many other features that make home security systems easier to use. Any security system you purchase should have a digital keypad/control panel.

These are just a few of the items you should ensure are included in a top quality security system. However, these are not the end of your security concerns. Other items on the list include exterior home protection. You can install your own options, such as motion sensor activated floodlights, but your security system should include yard signs and window decals, to help promote greater protection.

Yard signs can often be the only deterrent you need. Studies have shown that criminals will bypass a home with a security system yard sign in favor of easier prey. If your system includes these (and it should), you can enjoy better protection. However, you must ensure that you change the yard sign out when it starts to fade – faded yard signs have the reverse effect and can lead to problems.

By: Laura Williamson

Increase Your Safety with Proper Home Security

Too many people don’t understand the need for proper security for their home and their family. They are of the mind that won’t happen to them, and that those types of things just happen to other people. This is an unfortunate delusion because criminals can and will target anyone and any home that looks like an easy score. Those who don’t prepare for such an occurrence become far more likely to become victims.

With crime rates on the rise from New York to San Diego and everywhere in between, implementing a good home security plan is more important than ever. You want to make sure that your home is one that a burglar will pass up. It is much easier than most people might think, and it doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg – even good home alarm systems are quite affordable (and necessary) today.

A high quality alarm system that monitors your home for intrusions is vital. You can find systems and companies that can monitor your home and intrusions twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, and three hundred and sixty-five days a year. The companies can make sure that burglars don’t enter, as well as monitor for fire, flood, and a variety of other possible catastrophes. When you get an alarm system, be sure that you have a professional install it and explain all the workings of the system to you.

These companies offer great service at an affordable price, something that most people will be able to afford. If you think it’s too expensive, you can forego expensive coffee at the local coffee shop for a few days of the month to pay for it. After all, making sure your home and family are safe is surely more important than caffeine.

Also, remember that your alarm system can keep you safe from intruders who break into your home, but it is ineffective if you invite someone into your home that doesn’t belong their. Don’t let salespeople, city workers, or even police officers into your home until you have called their supervisor and determined that they are legitimate. Some criminals like to impersonate cops and delivery people in order to gain access to a home. Don’t fall for this trick.

You can do a number of other things to make sure your home is more secure. Check your locks on every window and door in the home (including basement, garage, and attic) to make sure they are working properly and that they are in good condition.

Check the lighting around your home and make sure it doesn’t create shadows where someone could hide. Check the landscaping, bushes, shrubs, and hedges in particular, for this as well.

It is vitally important to secure your home before it is too late. Don’t become a victim. Take care of your neighbors as well. Make sure they secure their homes in the same manner, perhaps even start a neighborhood watch.

By: Elise Greenfield

Alarm Systems Offer Various Features

Shopping for a home security alarm system can become a very time consuming task, especially if the homeowner does not know what options are available. The best course of action to take when shopping for an alarm system for the home is to hire professionals. These home security experts know what security systems similar homes (in size and neighborhood type) have in place and what will work well given the homeowner’s security needs and budget.

There are many different types of alarm systems available to homeowners today. It is best to know some basics prior to shopping so an intelligent and informed decision can be made about which home alarm system to have installed.

For instance, if there are children in the household who might come home from school before the parents get back from work, it is prudent to have an alarm system installed that the children can disable. The alarm system should also be easily armed by the children while they are home waiting for their parents to arrive.

One such option is to have an alarm system installed that has a key chain remote. This key chain remote can be attached to school bags and key chains for quick and easy access. If the homeowner is uncomfortable with having the child carry a security remote on his book bag for fear of getting lost or taken, a simple code key pad will suffice. Make sure each child knows the code and knows not to share it even with friends.

If the home is currently being built, installation of a hard wired home security system is recommended. Security cameras and other extra components can be added in certain spots depending on the owner’s preference and security needs.

If an alarm system is needed in an already existing house or apartment, condominium, or other shared housing, a wireless system is the recommended choice for professional installation.

Wireless systems work via sensors that are installed along the windows and doors of the house. If an intruder were to open the windows or doors, a signal is sent to the home security company monitoring center. The monitoring center representative then notifies the proper emergency personnel of the impending danger threatening the inhabitants of the home.

With the wireless system, one thing to keep in mind is that if the intruder decides to break the window instead of opening it, the wireless system might not be triggered. To allay this drawback, additional security measures can be taken by installing pressure pads underneath the windows. When the intruder comes in and steps on the pad, it will trigger the alarm system and alert the home security monitoring center.

When choosing a home security company to install the alarm system in the home, the homeowner should be very thorough about asking the home security company expert questions about the alarm system and the service provided by the company.

Get everything in writing, especially the service contract, the guarantees, and warranties. Make sure that the home security company monitors the home 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays. Inquire about power outage issues. Does the monitoring center have generators in the event of a power outage?

Ensuring the safety of your family is one of the biggest responsibilities. Don’t let an intruder take it away. Arm yourself with security and safety. Have a professional install a home security system today.

By: Laura Williamson

Door Entry Systems: Learn How They Can Protect Your Business or Home

In today’s uncertain economic climate, many businesses and homeowners are worried about the possibility of an increase in crime. As a result of this, they are taking action to ensure the security of their property: a key facet of this is the installation of an effective door entry system.

Door entry systems can be defined as electronic or mechanical systems that control access to a property: as such, they can also be called door security systems or door access systems. Though in the past they have been most commonly installed by large companies or in large-scale residential developments, advances in technology have combined with increased efficiency in mass production methods to ensure that even a homeowner with a modest income can implement some form of door entry system, resulting in an ability to control access to his or her property, and therefore an increased feeling of safety.

As has been indicated, a door entry system can be installed in buildings or building complexes of various sizes. Simplest are the intercom systems that can be installed to protect single properties: these allow the individual homeowner to permit access after either talking to the visitor through an intercom, viewing them via a video screen, or a combination of the two. Next up the scale, low rise systems are appropriate for low rise blocks of domestic properties, or for medium sized company buildings with a number of entry points or offices. Finally, high rise systems are complex systems that allow access control for full-scale high rise housing developments and also large company buildings with multiple offices and entry points, or even sites with a number of company buildings in close proximity to each other.

No matter what size of property is being protected, there are a number of types of door entry system that may be installed. The most basic is a simple intercom system: this allows the resident to talk to the visitor though an intercom. Video entry systems are an extension of intercom systems which add the functionality of allowing the resident to observe the visitor, via a handily placed video screen.

For large organisations, keycard or keypad systems may be more appropriate as they allow more independence for the visitor: rather than relying on the resident to grant entry, access may be gained by punching a number into a keypad or swiping a card through a card reader. Not only does this leave the resident free to do other things rather than monitor access, the latter especially can allow varying levels of access, granting entry to some parts of a building but denying it to others. In this way different groups of visitors or employees can be controlled in their movement throughout a building with a minimum of fuss.

A new development in this field is the increased implementation of proximity sensors. Instead of remembering a code or carrying a keycard, visitors simply carry an object that grants access. When the visitor or employee comes close to the proximity sensor, it automatically detects the object being carried and opens the door. This method is especially useful in loading bays where it is desirable that drivers can gain access without leaving their vehicles, for instance in high security areas or in extreme environments.

By: Mike Drabble

Making Your Family Safe with a Home Security System

One unfortunate side effect of the ailing economy is that it is forcing more people into a life of crime. The rise in crime is also causing criminals to become more desperate. Most people imagine burglaries that take place when they are not home, or under the cover of darkness. Families used to worry that their homes would be broken into while they were on vacation. The sad reality is that now you have to worry about it being broken into in broad daylight, or even while your precious family is at home. Criminals who do this often escalate the crime from a simple burglary to something much more sinister. Even if your family is not physically harmed, there will be psychological scars forever.

This knowledge will lead you to ask what you can do to protect your family and property. One solution is a home security system. There are many options available for any size home and can fit into most budgets. Systems are available to monitor against fire, theft and even carbon monoxide. When something happens in your home, the monitoring agency will alert the proper authorities if it is necessary. More advanced systems allow for two way communication between you and the monitoring company right from the control panels. Families who no longer have land line phones can choose from packages that can operate from cellular telephones.

There are things you should look for when choosing a monitoring company. Dependability is the first item to look at. You need to know that if your power goes out; your system will still work. It is also important to know that if your phone lines are cut, you have a back up way to communicate with emergency services. The company you choose should have a back up plan to keep you connected at all times.

The reputation and history of the company you choose is also of the utmost importance. You do not want to put your personal safety and the safety of your family in the hands of some fly by night company that will be gone tomorrow. They will have no interest in protecting your possessions for the long run, because they know that they will not be around. You want a company with a long history of quality service. When you are out, check other homes in your area to see what signs they have in their yards. If you consistently see the same logo, then you know that is someone with a good reputation.

One last factor to consider is the quality of the monitoring system. You need to know how well they perform their monitoring duties; it is imperative to learn how fast their response times are. You should also investigate how many monitoring stations the company has. More than one is ideal because if one station goes down, you know that your home will still be protected. Do the research and ask friends and family. Another great place to check is with your insurance company. The can tell you who they recommend. You can get peace of mind and know that your family and belongings are safe.

By:  Kieran Adams