# Have you added security features to your home?



## Admin (Dec 8, 2003)

> From home accidents to malevolent strangers, danger comes from all sides these days. It’s easy for a creative homeowner to make his home safer, but not so simple if you don’t want to sacrifice curb appeal. Whether you’re looking to sell your house or just want to keep it looking nice, beefing up your security doesn’t have to mean turning your home into an armed camp. Keep style in mind when choosing security options and your home value can even rise after installing these safety additions. *4 Ways to Make Your Home Safer Without Sacrificing Style*


Have you added security features to your home?

Which features do you recommend?


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

Yes, a Ruger Mark lll.


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## firehawkmph (Dec 12, 2009)

I'm slowly turning into this......🤣


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## Drachenfire (Jun 6, 2017)

There are things that you can do to secure your home without making it look like a fortress.

Their are decorative front doors made of heavy wood or steel clad. Some are even steel core sandwiched between wood which makes bashing or cutting a hole in the door near impossible under normal circumstances. 

Whichever you use, be sure to replace the screws on the strike plate and door hinges. 

Most doors are mounted with three quarter inch screws which are barely biting into the trim around the frame. Replace the short screws with three-inch screws the door which will secure to the stud of the door instead of just the frame. Also install a slipcover that is fastened into place underneath or around the lock hardware. This additional metal content protects the weakened area between holes. Bypass the cheap covers which are often made of soft brass. A better alternative would be stainless steel.

Install security locks on sliding glass doors and windows using either a door loop lock or security bolt.

Plan your landscaping so windows and doors are never hidden by trees or shrubbery. These can be used by crooks to as cover when they are breaking in. You also do not want shrubbery near an entry door where a nefarious person could lay in wait for an unsuspecting homeowner coming home at night.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

I installed a security system ..... and then I told a man that lived near the 2 lane road who knew a lot of the druggies/thieves. I suspect him spreading that info around has a bigger effect than the actual security system.


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

Just a game camera close to where one would enter. Too far back in the woods to worry too much. Well armed and capable to defend. NRA sticker on door. If they want in, they'll get in. Won't get much. May not leave.


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## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

Outside motion lights work well and help the critters to see while feeding on my lawn. But bad guys don't like the lights on.

Unfortunately many bad guys simply walk up and knock on the door claiming to be any one of the many organizations that do door to door soliciting, Watch Tower being my favorite objection. They are deaf and don't understand that anyone can wear a dark suit and hand out their literature. Point being, they can identify when no one is home. They can try the door handle to see if it is locked. and then put it on their list for future consideration, the fake watch tower ones.

Unfortunately it requires a major effort to keep them out if they really want to get in and that is where being prepared inside your home is important.

Loud dogs and watchful neighbors along with a neighborhood watch can help.

Bud


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## Canarywood1 (May 5, 2012)

I just bought this system after much research, received it today and will install tomorrow, didn't get their camera but got a 1080p from Amcrest.


http://www.toptenreviews.com/home/smart-home/best-diy-home-security/abode-review/


Forgot to say they have a good price going now, but don't know for how long it will last.


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## Drachenfire (Jun 6, 2017)

Bud9051 said:


> Unfortunately many bad guys simply walk up and knock on the door claiming to be any one of the many organizations that do door to door soliciting, Watch Tower being my favorite objection. They are deaf and don't understand that anyone can wear a dark suit and hand out their literature. Point being, they can identify when no one is home. They can try the door handle to see if it is locked. and then put it on their list for future consideration, the fake watch tower ones.
> 
> Unfortunately it requires a major effort to keep them out if they really want to get in and that is where being prepared inside your home is important.
> 
> ...


Random times automatic lights and a video doorbell (although pricey) can also reduce the chances of your home being a target. Most perpetrators are less likely to target a home if there is someone there. The video doorbell can help create that appearance when in reality the owners are out.


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

> Most perpetrators are less likely to target a home if there is someone there.


Well we grow a different crop, obviously. I got a call from a client who lives on top of a mountain in a gated community (only house on her ridge) and she said someone broke into their house over the weekend. Actually they slipped under one of the 3 garage doors and kicked the 8' tall door from the casing leading to the house. 

Now, if I were to gain access to a garage with 3 cars in it and a truck in the driveway, chances are my brain would kick in and say "someone's home". Luckily for the perps the dogs started barking and they left.

When I get there I see spent AR rounds on the ground. I didn't ask questions. Stupid is as stupid does, I guess.


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## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

Add that one to "the good guy with a gun" column, but far too few pay attention to the many saves gun owners experience. 

I'm all for cameras and motion sensor lights, both reduce the probability of a break-in and the cameras then help catch them.

Bud


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## Drachenfire (Jun 6, 2017)

chandler48 said:


> Well we grow a different crop, obviously. I got a call from a client who lives on top of a mountain in a gated community (only house on her ridge) and she said someone broke into their house over the weekend. Actually they slipped under one of the 3 garage doors and kicked the 8' tall door from the casing leading to the house.
> 
> Now, if I were to gain access to a garage with 3 cars in it and a truck in the driveway, chances are my brain would kick in and say "someone's home". Luckily for the perps the dogs started barking and they left.
> 
> When I get there I see spent AR rounds on the ground. I didn't ask questions. Stupid is as stupid does, I guess.


Ergo why I said “*Most* perpetrators…”.

A number of studies have shown that the majority of criminals seek out homes that are unoccupied especially in areas where the home owners are likely to be armed.



> Actually they slipped under one of the 3 garage doors and kicked the 8' tall door from the casing leading to the house.


Sound more like a crime of opportunity as opposed to a planned home invasion.



> Now, if I were to gain access to a garage with 3 cars in it and a truck in the driveway, chances are my brain would kick in and say "someone's home".


Criminals are not exactly rocket scientists and as such reasoning often eludes them… which is usually why they get caught (or in some cases killed).


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

> Criminals are not exactly rocket scientists and as such reasoning often eludes them



Several yrs ago a funeral parlor in the town nearest me got broke into. It set off the alarm so the idiot ripped the siren off of the wall to stop the alarm [only shut off the siren] When the cops got there and asked what he was doing there the druggy said he was looking for a place to have sex ???? he was alone


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

At the University of GA many years ago, some druggies broke into the Veterinary clinic and gained access to the drug cabinet. They saw "OXY" and took a bunch of them. When they were brought to court (obviously due to in house cameras), the judge asked the Vet what Oxytocin was used for (they thought they had stolen Oxycontin). He said to produce lactation in cows. After the courtroom settled down from the laughter, the judge said he would like to make the perps take the drug just because, but sentenced them instead.


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## Drachenfire (Jun 6, 2017)

mark sr said:


> Several yrs ago a funeral parlor in the town nearest me got broke into. It set off the alarm so the idiot ripped the siren off of the wall to stop the alarm [only shut off the siren] When the cops got there and asked what he was doing there the druggy said he was looking for a place to have sex ???? he was alone


The guy must have been a PhD... *P*assed *h*igh school with *d*ifficulty


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

Drachenfire said:


> The guy must have been a PhD... *P*assed *h*igh school with *d*ifficulty



Don't know anything about his schooling but I think they said he was on meth.


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## ReignStout (Aug 15, 2018)

It depends where you live/do you have a house or apartment/do you have insurance  etc etc. But for house i would recomend good locked doors and windows and at least alarms. 
Also video recording can be very interesting sometimes


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## F250 (Feb 13, 2018)

No one should *ever* admit to having an insecure or lackadaisical approach to home or personal security. People can find out who you really area, where you really are, and then plan accordingly!

Tips and suggestions for additional layers of security are a welcome thing in my book. Questions about where I am on the scale between "living in a tent" and "living in a fortress" will simply be ignored.


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## Gregsoldtruck79 (Dec 21, 2017)

Here is some points I thought about before and learned after...I installed our security system. A lot of thoughts follow...  Hope they help anyone in the "not sure" phase of investing in security systems. I have the answers to 1-10, but my post here is too long now. Be more interesting to see others replies anyway. 

1. A drive - around of my subdivision only showed maybe one out of every 250 of the 1200 homes as having exterior security cameras on them. Will my home having cameras just get the bad guys (perps) attention while making it appear as I have valuables ? Selling illegal substances ? 
Paranoid old dude on the street ? Will me having cameras outside on our home send the wrong message to anyone looking to buy a home in my subdivision ? 
Make them want to look elsewhere, while getting the perception they may be buying in a "down turning" neighborhood ? Will a subdivision with homes getting a high percentage of exterior security cameras installed, send the wrong message or the* right* one ? 

2. How will my neighbors close around me feel about the cameras ? Some may like them, some may see them as a invasion of their privacy as they drive or walk by our home out front. 

3. Do I want a system furnished by a security company with total perimeter coverage inside and out of our home ? Do I want to pay the $30 + a month for 24/7/365 monitoring ? 

4. If I do my own system, what am I the most interested in securing ? What am I trying to do the most ? To assure the perps will be caught or do I just want do my best to discourage the perp(s) from coming to or in, our home ?

5. If I go with exterior recording cameras, what are the real benefits of them anyway ? They will only show the "after the fact" video recordings for me, unless I watch my security camera monitor 24/7/365. 

6. Do I want wireless or hard cable wired cameras ? High definition and high pixel ? Do I want my security system to link to my smart phone for remote live coverage ? 

7. What are the pros and cons of using cameras with infrared lamps in them ? 

8. At what point does the security complexity of design and the money invested in it, become "questionable" in relation to my financial means ? 

9. How much money am I willing to invest in the security system ? 

10. Should I install motion /infrared detection exterior floodlights on my home to assist my security system ?


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## Gregsoldtruck79 (Dec 21, 2017)

………….


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## Fish_Stick (Feb 28, 2017)

My thoughts on your points:


1. Camera systems are cheap enough now that most can afford them so I don't see them as a "rich" persons protection anymore. In today's society you pretty much expect to be on video everywhere you go and with the amount of lawsuits etc stemming from stupid things it makes it nice to have a non biased party watching.



2. Most systems can apply privacy blocks to the recording areas however if you set them up it might be nice to show them the view just to show that you're recording your side of things, not keeping an eye on them.


3. That depends on how much you are protecting and how much you think it's worth. A camera system doesn't do much to protect during a break in unless it triggers remotely.



4. Perimeter and points of entry. Make sure every camera approach is protected by another or high enough that it can't be tampered with easily.


5. Setup remote alarms to send to your phone etc. Takes some work but then you'll when things are happening. Used to be an expensive and difficult feature but now I think they all have it.



6. Hard wire unless too difficult. Less problems to deal with and no batteries etc.


7. If you want to see anything at night get the IR ones. Even with a small amount of ambient light they can really light up an area that you can't see in. Quality and amount of IR emitters makes a big difference.



8. 

9.
10. Motion lights are always good and will greatly extend and aid the IR cameras. They still record in B&W but the quality greatly increases. Most boxes overstate the 100 ft IR range and it's more like 20-30 if that. I did purchase some however that really throw a beam. It's neat because you can see the entire pattern on another camera.
---
11. Some of the things you see are interesting enough just to have a system.
12. Camera systems don't work if they steal the box. Plan accordingly to secure the box or have remote uploads for evidence.


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## Ville80 (Sep 20, 2018)

Added a bar in track of sliding rear door. Deadbold front door. Want to add longer screws into lock plates and deadbolt entry door to garage. Also fit a bar for basement egress window.

Besides that, various self proction items secured throughout house. Work from home, so always someone here. Not much for anyone to steal. Considered video door beels, but too many complaints and cons. At least in my budget. Ones at $200 plus should be flawless and free storage.


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