As a homeowner, you want to do everything in your power to keep your family and your valuables safe. One of the most important things you can do for yourself and your loved ones is secure your home against potential intruders.
You might not realize the dangers associated with leaving your home unprotected. Many homeowners neglect to take the steps necessary to ensure their protection, as nearly 50 percent fail to keep even their front door locked at all times.
But when you recognize the importance of home security, you can better evaluate your home’s safety and prevent break-ins. By following these tips, you can have greater peace of mind that your family is protected.
The Importance of Home Safety
Most homeowners assume their homes and neighborhoods are safe. If your community has never experienced any known problems, you might think your house is immune to break-ins. Unfortunately, this type of thinking allows burglars to victimize over a million homes each year.
In 2016, the FBI reported 1.5 million burglaries throughout the United States. However, according to data from the 2016 National Crime Victimization Survey, only about half of all burglaries are ever reported to the police. This means that about 3 million cases nationwide go unsolved annually.
In fact, one out of every 42 Americans will likely be a burglary victim in any given year. At least one of these home invasions has taken place since the beginning of this article, as successful burglaries occur once every 15 seconds across the country.
While the national burglary rate has steadily declined since 2007 and Florida’s burglary rate has decided annually since 2012, break-ins still present a real risk for Florida homeowners. Over 100,000 burglaries took place across Florida in 2016, meaning that around 100,000 more thefts across the state potentially went unreported.
Many of these break-ins could have been avoided. Neglect from homeowners is a leading cause of home invasion and most burglars are deterred by the presence of security features or signs of activity.
With these sobering statistics comes the responsibility for change. You owe it to yourself and those around you to protect your home from burglars. Take the steps necessary to check your safety and improve your home’s theft protection to avoid making yourself a statistic.
How to Tell If Your Home Is Safe
Before you prepare your property for a complete home security makeover, assess your home’s current safety features and pinpoint the precise concerns that you need to address. Evaluating your home’s current protection ensures that you won’t overlook any essential steps in improving your security.
Start by assessing the security of your neighborhood. Even homeowners who think they live in the safest environment possible might be surprised to learn about their area’s history. Just as half of all burglaries go unreported to police, you might be unaware of unresolved break-in attempts scattered throughout the neighborhood or reports that occurred before you bought your home.
Few methods can allow you to learn about your neighborhood better than word-of-mouth. Get to know your neighbors, especially those who have lived in their home for many years. Ask them about any problems in the area and learn as much as you can about any problematic history and measures that were taken to avoid further damage. If your neighborhood has never suffered any loss due to vandalism or theft, ask your neighbors if their homes feature any security benefits that have proven particularly useful in deterring crime.
However, while the past can be a good indicator of your home’s safety, this doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll never be targeted. Even if your neighborhood has never been victimized, your home may still be prone to burglary attempts if you fail to work actively to prevent break-ins.
For a hands-on look into your home’s safety, stage your own home break-in. Take the same security measures that you would use on an average day, then ask a trusted family member or friend to look for anything that would be easy for a burglar to target. Have them walk around the outside of your property and find any easy entry points, then take them inside and tell them to point out any small valuables that a burglar would target after gaining entry. Similarly, you can walk around your own home and look for valuables sitting in plain sight or unsecured entry methods such as open garage doors or cracked windows.
Home Security Tips
Any loss of valuables is devastating, but a preventable loss is an especially unnecessary burden on yourself and your loved ones. If you’ve determined that your home lacks the safety measures necessary to prevent unwanted intrusions, you need to take action. The following home safety tips can help you make your home more secure and give you peace of mind concerning your family’s well-being.
1. Light Up Your Home
Home invaders tend to frequent insufficiently lit areas that cover them in darkness as they search for a way into the home. Keep your property well-lit at all times and trim any bushes and trees surrounding your home so that anyone trying to hide can be spotted even in dim lighting.
If you haven’t already installed lighting for your property, consider bright motion detector lights that brighten your yard any time someone comes near your house. Many burglars will run away when the lights turn on, afraid of being caught in the act. Line your sidewalk and driveway with the lights and use them for an added spotlight on bushes and trees.
Likewise, interior lighting makes your home a less appealing target, as burglars assume that people are inside. When you leave for a trip or vacation, you may want to install a timer that will turn on your lights and TV at a set time of day.
2. Purchase a Home Security System
You may think that extra light is a sufficient burglary deterrent that replaces the need for a physical home security system. However, even well-lit properties are often targets of theft. According to 2017 statistics, nearly half of all burglaries in Florida occurred during the day when owners were at work or on vacation.
Home security systems remain one of the best ways to deter property crimes. In fact, 83 percent of burglars interviewed during a 2013 study said they determine whether an alarm is present before attempting a theft. Only 13 percent said they would continue their attempt if they found a security system.
After purchasing home security, make sure security signs and stickers are visible in your yard and on any first-floor windows and ensure that all cameras are installed in highly visible locations. Potential burglars will find your home less appealing with visible security reminders.
If you lack the funds necessary to buy a security system for your property, you can instead purchase security signs and stickers that make it look as though your home is monitored. Make sure the labels look believable and realistic, as blatant knock-offs won’t fool a thief.
3. Utilize New Home Security Technologies
Today’s technology makes home security more accessible than ever. You can control the security of your garage with updated garage door technology, while other safety gadgets provide video monitoring throughout the home and yard, share neighborhood crime security announcements and more. These devices send data to your smartphone or computer and often require minimal installation or maintenance.
Some new security surveillance systems feature face recognition technology that alerts users when a stranger enters the home or steps onto the porch. These systems can be a powerful tool for homeowners who often travel away from home on business or those who own winter and summer homes.
When you’re in your home, a smart doorbell can allow you to see outside with video surveillance, while smart locks let you open entrances for guests or quickly close entries if you feel uncomfortable with the visitor standing at your door. Evolving technology puts your family’s well-being in the palm of your hand.
4. Ensure Your Entry Doors and Windows Are Secured
Even in the best neighborhoods, an unlocked door could have disastrous consequences. Around 33 percent of burglars enter through the front door, which makes front entry door security an essential feature of your home.
However, the front door isn’t the only entry that’s prone to break-ins. All exterior doors and windows are vulnerable. Many homeowners leave first-floor windows, back patio doors and doors connecting the garage to the home unlocked, but these are just as vital to a home’s security. Any entrance to your home should be treated like your front door.
Not only should you keep your doors locked and your keys with you at all times — even when you’re in your house — but you should also utilize your door’s deadbolt if it has one. Standard locks can easily be picked using a credit card or other flat surface, but deadbolts need more careful planning for a burglar to pick. Although deadbolts are still susceptible, they often require too much work for a thief who wants to get in and out quickly without being noticed.
Maintain all locks and check your entry doors often for any wear-and-tear requiring repairs. If you’re concerned about the age of your doors or their security features, you might need to consider a complete entry door replacement. Newer doors provide stronger locks and heightened security. Older doors are easier for burglars to break down and old entry locks can be quickly disabled.
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5. Secure Your Garage Door
Garage doors are a common weakness in home security. Many homeowners keep their garage doors open at all times while others leave their garage door opener fob on the dashboard of an unlocked car.
If you have an attached garage, the garage door is the largest entry to your home. As such, garage door security and maintenance are vital to ensuring your protection. The following are some of the best garage door security tips:
- Frost or cover your garage door’s windows, particularly if you store expensive cars or equipment in the garage. Most burglars look for valuable objects they can pawn for money and unprotected items left out in the open provide an easy target.
- Secure your garage with an access code that is only known to you and your family. Avoid giving the number to repair services or delivery staff or use a temporary code that expires after a certain amount of time to grant them entry.
- Some thieves can access the door’s emergency release by “fishing” from the outside, allowing them to gain manual control over the door. Prevent garage door fishing by securing a small plastic zip tie to your door’s trolley if the trolley has a pair of holes.
- Choose a garage door opener with built-in security technology. Many of today’s openers feature monitors, lighting controls and self-closing systems that allow you to secure your garage door from the comfort of your own home. Some modern garage door openers can even work during power outages, which may decrease the risk of break-ins during storms.
- Consider a garage door replacement if you own an older door or a door that has suffered any panel damage. Several available styles and materials provide the strength and durability to protect your home from an invasion. A garage door replacement can guard against theft while also increasing your family’s welfare through added child safety features and updated technology.
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Contact The Doorman of Southeast Florida for Garage and Entry Door Replacement
At The Doorman of Southeast Florida, our primary concern is keeping you and your loved ones safe. One of the best ways we can help you ensure your family’s well-being is by providing you with secure entry, patio and garage doors. Our doors and accessories will give you peace of mind concerning your home’s safety while our beautiful style options will increase your home’s value and curb appeal.
For over 20 years, we’ve offered the highest-quality Clopay® garage doors and Plastpro fiberglass entry doors at affordable discounted prices. Our trained staff is available to answer any questions about our doors’ safety and security features and we can provide you with a free estimate before you purchase.
As a local Southeast Florida dealer, we know that you worry not only about your home’s safety from burglaries but also about its protection during hurricane season. Florida’s weather can pose several risks, which means you need doors that will withstand harsh elements to protect yourself and your family. All of our doors are Windcode®-rated and meet local hurricane resistance regulations. We’ll be happy to answer any questions you have about your door’s impact rating.
Contact us to learn more about the products and services we offer. You can contact us online or call us at 561.600.9606.
We’d also love to show you our wide variety of garage and entry door styles in person. You can find our showroom at 940 Clint Moore Road, Boca Raton, FL, which is open 7:30 am to 5 pm Monday through Saturday. We look forward to meeting you and exceeding your garage and entry door needs!
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