I’m always worrying about my family’s safety, so I try to make our home as secure as possible. There are many different ways to do this. Here are 7 methods to make your home safer that I have come up with. Take a look at them and see what you think. You might have some additional ones that you’d like to supply in the comment section. Most of these have to do with safety from intruders, but a couple of them refer to safety from dangers inside the house as well.
Fire can quickly create an environment that is unsafe for humans and animals. Placing fire extinguishers all over the house is one way to reduce the chance of fire spreading throughout your home. It’s also a good idea to brief all family members on how to use this safety equipment properly. There are also certain types of extinguishers available for different types of fires. For instance, there are different ones for chemical fires and oil fires.
Many people worry about an emergency ladder being permanently attached to the outside of their home. Fire ladders are usually made of a material that is able to be easily stored in a closet or some other enclosed space. These are often hung over the window sill and draped down the side of the house only when they are to be used. I would definitely have one of these if I lived in a home with more than one level.
These systems will alert home owners when someone walks or drives past it. Most people position them at the end of their driveway and an alarm will sound inside the home. I think these are most helpful when the driveway is long and winding or when multiple drives exist. Some of the higher-priced driveway alert systems are equipped with cameras. Having a camera attached would definitely make this system a lot more effective when identifying intruders and friends.
Regular old doorknob locks are just too easy to pick. I know there are ways to pick a dead bolt as well, but I do feel much safer having one on each of the doors coming into the house. Adding a chain or double deadbolt locks isn’t uncommon in the city. The only downfall to having multiple locks on the door is that it takes longer to get inside the house for you as well.
It’s a good idea to check the locks on windows from time to time. As windows get old, the locks can become worn and sometimes they don’t lock anymore. If you discover that one of your windows has locks that are no longer functioning properly, you rarely need to replace the entire window. Usually a window lock can be purchased and attached with a few minutes of your time and a screwdriver. There are some window systems that require the window to be replaced, due to the way the lock attached to the window itself.
I know quite a few people who have invested in home security systems, but who don’t use them much. I also have friends and neighbors who use their security systems all the time. Purchasing one generally depends on a few factors; the type of neighborhood you live in, the amount of valuable property you have in your home, and how paranoid you are. I live in such a remote area that a security system wouldn’t do me much good. It takes the police at least a half an hour to get here, which is plenty of time for intruders to do their thing and make a clean getaway.
Lights that detect motion work very well. Most intruders will turn around and run when a series of flood lights are shined directly on them. It might be a bit more difficult to tell wildlife from intruders if you live in an area where deer wander up in the yard at night. Some lights are also more sensitive than others and a blowing branch can set them off. I personally like having motion detecting lights on my home. I don’t mind getting up to see what turned the light on and seeing a deer or rabbit standing out in the yard with a puzzled look on their face.
I hope at least some of these 7 methods to make your home safer come in handy for you. I don’t think there is a way to make your home too safe, especially if you live in the city or in a part of town where crime is prevalent. I’m glad I live in a quiet part of town where I don’t constantly have to be on guard. What other methods can you add to this list? Do you feel you can make your home too secure?