Friday, August 21, 2009
Safeguard Your Home
Whether you work out of a home office or not, you should consider additional steps to secure your home. Even small steps may save you from a break-in: Burglars usually leave if they can’t break in within ninety seconds. Anything that slows down a thief by even a minute or two can keep your house from being robbed. Here are just a few tips to take to safeguard your home and belongings:
• Your home should have deadbolts with full one-inch bolts on all entry doors. These should be installed in addition to existing locksets. If you have a door with glass panels within three feet of the lock, you should have a double-cylinder deadbolt, which requires a key on both sides so that a burglar cannot simply break the glass and reach through to unlock the door.
• If you must provide copies of your keys to housekeepers, contractors or other workers, be sure to give as few keys as possible—for example, just one key that opens one door. If you terminate a worker who has your key, consider changing the lock, even if you get your key back.
• Place a wooden rod in the track of a sliding glass door so it can’t be opened from outside. To prevent sliding doors from being lifted from their frames, install shims along the top frames; these fit in the tracks between the top of the door and frame and prevent the door from being raised high enough to be removed.
• Pay special attention to your basement windows. Bushes or trees may hide these windows, providing a place for criminals to work without being seen. Consider reinforcing the windows with security bars, wire mesh or Plexiglas®.
• Burglars prefer to work in the dark. Leave porch and garage lights on while you sleep. Also consider installing motion-detector lights if you live in a high-crime area or near a highway.
• Prune any shrubbery that hides doors or windows. Remove tree limbs that allow access to reach second story windows.
• The first thing a burglar looks for is a hidden key, and is well acquainted with the hiding places. If you insist on hiding a key, never hide it anywhere near the entrance. More important, never leave a revealing note on the door.
• Keep garage windows covered. If you have an attached garage, make sure the door that connects your house to the garage is a solid core exterior door with a deadbolt lock.
The Home Safety Council has a wealth of information on making your home safer. Visit their Web site at www.mysafehome.org and get a personalized checklist to meet your personal home safety needs.
• Your home should have deadbolts with full one-inch bolts on all entry doors. These should be installed in addition to existing locksets. If you have a door with glass panels within three feet of the lock, you should have a double-cylinder deadbolt, which requires a key on both sides so that a burglar cannot simply break the glass and reach through to unlock the door.
• If you must provide copies of your keys to housekeepers, contractors or other workers, be sure to give as few keys as possible—for example, just one key that opens one door. If you terminate a worker who has your key, consider changing the lock, even if you get your key back.
• Place a wooden rod in the track of a sliding glass door so it can’t be opened from outside. To prevent sliding doors from being lifted from their frames, install shims along the top frames; these fit in the tracks between the top of the door and frame and prevent the door from being raised high enough to be removed.
• Pay special attention to your basement windows. Bushes or trees may hide these windows, providing a place for criminals to work without being seen. Consider reinforcing the windows with security bars, wire mesh or Plexiglas®.
• Burglars prefer to work in the dark. Leave porch and garage lights on while you sleep. Also consider installing motion-detector lights if you live in a high-crime area or near a highway.
• Prune any shrubbery that hides doors or windows. Remove tree limbs that allow access to reach second story windows.
• The first thing a burglar looks for is a hidden key, and is well acquainted with the hiding places. If you insist on hiding a key, never hide it anywhere near the entrance. More important, never leave a revealing note on the door.
• Keep garage windows covered. If you have an attached garage, make sure the door that connects your house to the garage is a solid core exterior door with a deadbolt lock.
The Home Safety Council has a wealth of information on making your home safer. Visit their Web site at www.mysafehome.org and get a personalized checklist to meet your personal home safety needs.
# posted by NJ Homes Site @ 5:43 AM 
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