Check your home security is working

Check your home security is working

Keeping your home secure can be a mammoth task. There’s always a window left open, or a door that could be unlatched. Most of us have woken in the middle of the night, worrying about whether we locked the doors or switched on the alarm.

If you want to give your home security set-up a quick once over, here are three tips that will set your mind at rest.

1 Are Your Upstairs Windows Accessible?

We all have windows on the ground floor that can be opened from the inside. These should always be locked when the house is empty, and overnight. But what about first floor windows? It’s amazing how many burglaries take place simply because a window was left open. Intruders frequently gain access via the first floor – or higher.

Check your property from the outside, and look for weak spots. Single storey extensions can provide the ideal platform to get into a bedroom upstairs. Drainpipes can make access to a window easy. Additionally, objects you leave in the garden – like ladders, or even wheelie bins – can provide the leg-up the burglar needs to hop through an open window.

2 Is Your CCTV Providing Adequate Cover?

Having a CCTV camera is a great burglary deterrent. But if you want the camera to track intruders, it needs to be positioned with care. All too often, homeowners place cameras in the wrong places, so when a burglary occurs, they don’t have any evidence.

Cameras should be installed at head height, so that they get a clear view of people as they approach. Point your camera directly at the item or area you want to cover – such as your driveway. Avoid having any important areas around the edge of the picture where clarity can break down.

If you’re not sure where to put your cameras, look at an aerial view of your home. Look for dark alleyways, concealed entrances and potential ‘blind corners’. If you haven’t covered all of these areas – ideally, with some overlap – you need more cameras. But be sure not to point cameras into anyone else’s garden.

3 Are Your Locks Up to Scratch?

You can have the thickest, heaviest door on the market, but if the lock is of a poor quality, it’s irrelevant. All uPVC doors should have snap-proof, bump-proof locks with keys that cannot easily be copied. Most quality locks come with a special card that has to be provided to a locksmith to get a copy.

If you have a timber door, don’t rely on just one mortice lock. Use deadbolts on the inside to add additional locking points.

Professional Advice

If you’re concerned about any aspect of home security, it’s well worth consulting the professionals and getting them to inspect your home. It can be difficult to view your own home through the eyes of a burglar, but a security company can pick up on weak spots very quickly. Speak to Angel Security to get custom advice now. Remember: tomorrow, it may be too late.