We should try to keep intruders out of our house and many of them find access through doors and windows. This is the reason why we should strengthen our windows and doors. When planning to fortify our home, we should make a list of possible entry points. These may include front door, garage door, small ventilation windows on the basement and sliding door to the patio.
Some burglars are proficient enough to break glass windows relatively quietly, so doors are not the only thing we should focus on. Experienced burglars know that time is of the essence. They don’t want to stay inside our house more than ten minutes and if they can leave in a couple of minutes, they will do that. Homeowners can try to slow them down by using a number of techniques. Here are things we should do:
• Exterior doors should be solid-core types with strong dead bolts, long screws and sturdy frame. This will make it nearly impossible for burglars to smash through the door.
• Install storm door with its built-in lock, if we regularly open the windows to let the sunlight in. This should keep burglars our while we open the door. .
• Place security bars over any basement and ventilation windows, as well as around the removable AC units to deter people from crawling inside.
• Apple shatterproof windows film to make it harder for burglars to windows shop inside our house. Good quality film could also block UV rays that can damage our furniture.
• Use metal security grills and replace on any door
• Use blinds or curtains over any door or windows that people can easily see through
• Repair and replace any broken door and windows as soon as possible.
• Keep expensive items and equipments away from windows
• Use doors with peephole that allows us to see people without opening them.
• Install secondary devices or locks on any accessible windows, so people won’t be able to open them far enough and crawl.
• Make sure roof access and skylights are well secured with heavy duty security hardware.
• Install dead bolts on all doors with captive key locks. These locks should have the typical removable thumb latches, so even if burglars are able to break the windows, they will be unable to reach around to unlock the door. It should be noted that dead bolts are actually fire hazards, so there should also be a removable key when we are at home.
• If possible, add another lock on the outside of the door; so it will not possible for burglars to work with the locks without being seen.
• Add locks on second-floor windows, because some burglars carry portable ladders to break through these typically unlocked access points.
• If we need to give a key to building contractor, we should designate a specific door and make sure it has different key.
• Re-key all locks when we move into a new house, because we can’t tell whether previous owners/tenants still have the original key.
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