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Old 09-21-2015, 12:00 PM
 
Location: Houston TX
2,428 posts, read 2,472,529 times
Reputation: 1784

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Quote:
Originally Posted by gvc8 View Post
thieves like kicking in doors also so get a few door security bars like this one:

Master Lock Dual-Function Adjustable Door Security Bar-265DCCSEN - The Home Depot

again..makes it harder so if the door doesnt budge after a couple of kicks maybe they move on to the next house
This bar appears to be nice, and I was about to buy it recently but noticed that the small steel pin makes this bar completely useless. Check the reviews on Home Depot website. People who love it, never had any burglary attempts. But many people had bad experience, because of this flimsy pin that just cannot sustain the force when somebody is breaking in. The whole thing just falls apart under force because of this pin.

It will work only after replacing this pin with something much stronger like a bolt. But this mod would take some time and tools. So I decided just not to deal with this bar.
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Old 09-21-2015, 12:12 PM
 
15,631 posts, read 26,122,878 times
Reputation: 30907
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hedgehog_Mom View Post
Here's a few:

Leave your outside lights on at night.

Don't leave your trash cans where they're easy to hide behind or to climb on to get over a fence.

Buy a big peephole viewer for your front door, one that lets you see down to the ground and on either side of the person at the door, not just their face. You may need a bigger drill bit to install one of these, it just depends on the kind. You can get one with a decent angle of view that looks normal from outside.

Put padlocks on your outside electrical boxes and AC breaker box to prevent tampering.

If you're really paranoid, you can get locking caps for your refrigerant lines on your outdoor AC unit so no one can steal your refrigerant. It's not a key, just takes a special tool to unlock but still makes tampering less likely.

And if you own firearms, hide them in different places around the house, somewhere less obvious than under the bed or on the shelf in the bedroom closet.

My next two security improvements at home will be outdoor cameras and some additional exterior lighting. After that I want to add a steel screen door. My neighborhood has a dumb rule that you can only get a barred door after your house has been broken into, but I'm hoping if I get one of the very decorative screen doors, they'll allow it.
If you get the steel door, don't get the one with the metal hole screen -- they block your sight and your breeze. Get the one with the regular screen.
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Old 09-21-2015, 01:39 PM
 
Location: City Data Land
17,156 posts, read 12,863,687 times
Reputation: 33164
Quote:
Originally Posted by legalsea View Post
Look it up on Amazon. I just purchased one. It is simply a small device you plug into a wall (like a nightlight), and it mimics the colors and flashes of a television that is turned on. Got very good reviews. One person noted that houses on both side of his were broken into during the course of one night, but not his, for he had the Fake TV plugged in (as well as some fake 'barking dog').
One of my dad's friends had a fake barking dog recording, wow, maybe 25 years ago. That was the first, and only, fake dog recording I'd ever heard a person use as a security system. Indians living in US don't typically have pets, and his friend wanted the security of a dog without the hassle of owning one. So we went over to visit this friend of his one day when I was a kid, and I saw a "BEWARE OF DOG" sign posted on the privacy fence. Since my dad only hangs out with fellow Indians socially, I knew these people didn't have a dog even though I hadn't met them, so I thought the sign was just a ruse. I was surprised when my father rang the bell and I heard a recording of what sounded like a pack of 4+ Dobermans visciously barking on the other side of the door. Although the recording didn't ring 100% true, it was still pretty convincing, even way back then.
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Old 09-21-2015, 01:47 PM
 
2,508 posts, read 2,161,333 times
Reputation: 5420
I was broken into & burglarized years ago. Very stressful & upsetting, and since them I have several tips - note these have already been mentioned:

1) Get an alarm system! Can't emphasize this enough - very important. And, make sure you have signs around your house telling everyone that you have this alarm system.

2) Make sure all of your doors are locked before you leave each day - again, common sense - but very important. This also includes any gated locks.

3) Leave your light on at night - very important!!!
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Old 09-21-2015, 01:52 PM
 
Location: San Francisco, CA & Sharon, VT
168 posts, read 283,700 times
Reputation: 395
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hedgehog_Mom View Post
Leave your outside lights on at night.

[...]

My next two security improvements at home will be outdoor cameras and some additional exterior lighting.
I can't emphasize enough - good lighting for security means mid-level, dispersed lighting. People who get one bright-as-the-sun light and shine it down their driveway are doing themselves a disservice -- those lights create stark shadowed areas where people can hide, and simultaneously because they're so bright they make it hard for others (neighbors, passers-by, etc.) to look at your house to see if shenanigans are going on. Instead, install a number of softer lights, dispersed around - porch light, driveway light, street light, yes; but also soft lights behind bushes (such as along your foundation). That way anyone in your yard or bushes is silhouetted against the light, instead of conveniently hiding in the shadow, hidden from your blinded neighbors!

Last edited by Sierrajeff; 09-21-2015 at 02:01 PM..
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Old 09-21-2015, 01:56 PM
 
Location: San Francisco, CA & Sharon, VT
168 posts, read 283,700 times
Reputation: 395
Quote:
Originally Posted by Okey Dokie View Post

I also like this product:

FakeTV - The Burglar Deterrent
The fake TVs are awesome (there are a few variants on the market). They use very little power - just a bunch of LED lights. However, make sure that they aren't visible themselves. The first time we used one we set it up, and fortunately I then went out to walk the dogs at night - I realized someone walking up to the kitchen window would be able to see that it wasn't the TV that was on, but just the little fake TV box.

Since what you're going for is the "bounce-back" light that makes it look like a TV is on, I recommend placing it in an upstairs room or other location where all you can see is the reflected light bouncing off the wall, and not the unit itself.
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Old 09-21-2015, 02:37 PM
 
1,662 posts, read 1,468,322 times
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Security cameras will have pictures of anyone who approaches the house. Pictures are emailed away so if they try to destroy a camera, I'll already have their picture.
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Old 09-21-2015, 03:19 PM
 
Location: Houston TX
2,428 posts, read 2,472,529 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by johnd393 View Post
Security cameras will have pictures of anyone who approaches the house. Pictures are emailed away so if they try to destroy a camera, I'll already have their picture.
Could you recommend any particular camera model with this feature?
What about the internet connection requirements?
And what about installation/wiring?

I've been hesitating with the camera installation because of wiring issues. Didn't want to damage house by drilling holes, etc.
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Old 09-21-2015, 04:04 PM
 
16,984 posts, read 21,650,194 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hummingbyrd View Post
I've become a bit paranoid over the last year or so about home invasion.

Here are a couple of mine:

Garages:
Burglars can easily get in by using a coat hanger jammed in through the top of the garage door (under the framing).. sometimes they even gouge out a hole in the garage door itself. They then hook the manual pull-down release cord, their hook catching the handle, they pull and - voila, the garage is now unlocked and they can lift up & open.
The fix: cut the handle off the release cord. I even cut my cord a little shorter. For even better protection, there is a way to zip-tie shut the release latch. The zip-ties don't prevent manual operation (because enough force will snap them) but they will prevent thieves from getting into your garage by means of a coat hanger. They just don't have the force from their position outside to break the zip-ties.

Back sliders being lifted of the track:
There is often a LOT of extra room at the top of sliding glass doors allowing a burglar to lift the door right off the track. This method is silent and not too difficult to accomplish.
The fix: install self-tapping screws above the sliding panel to prevent it from being lifted from its track. I just did this today - my door frame is metal, not vinyl: I had a LOT of room above my two sliders (almost an inch) making lifting them off the track relatively easy. I used three 2-inch screws above each door, spaced evenly, screwed from the front (face) all the way through the lip on the opposite side. So now if I open the door and look up into the track, I can see the entire length of the screw running from right to left. There is NO way it can be lifted out of the track now unless I manually removed the screws from the inside.

Also a good idea are track locks - cheap mechanisms that screw down tightly preventing the slider from being opened. You can place them wherever you like, even when the slider/window is open: open only enough for a breeze to flow through but not enough for an intruder to come in.

Another trick is to use cut a dowel just wide enough to place in the track - this will prevent the door from opening. A clever burglar could pop it out of the track if they broke the glass though.

Speaking of breaking glass: I found today that there are glass-break sensor alarms that can be purchased for relatively cheap - they stick to the glass and have an on/off switch. Glass breaking will trigger the very loud alarm, and burglars do NOT want to draw attention to themselves. I am going to look more into these.. some get really good reviews on Amazon.

Interior:
Webcams that run off your wifi can be purchased for around $100. Some will notify you of motion or sound via an text, email or smartphone ap. Very useful. I have one of these and it's been very reliable.

Put lights on timers when you are away overnight - this will give the impression that someone is home. You could also leave a radio on, or the tv.

Some obvious ones:
Lock your side gate.
Don't let mail, packages, phone books etc pile up on your front porch while you are away.
Don't leave your garbage can out on the street after it's been dumped - have a neighbor bring up the bin if you're going to be gone.

Also, for you renters: get renters insurance. It's pretty cheap (like $20-25 per month). At least this way you won't be out the expense of replacing all your items in the event someone does get in. I'm guilty here: mine expired and I have not renewed it yet.
ok......a few comments.

1. Garage door trick only is a threat if the garage has windows (without them the thieves can't see the handle they are trying to "hook"). Youtube has plenty of instructional videos.
2. Sliders don't need to be lifted off the track, they just need to be tilted enough to drop the locks. They also can be disassembled (remove the rear part of the frame, slide the glass out of the frame and walk into the house).

Don't get too paranoid as it will make you crazy! BTW I have relatives in Ohio that haven't locked a door in 50+ years. I have a neighbor now that leaves their front door unlocked frequently. It's not my style but in 15 years nothing has happened to them.....yet.
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Old 09-21-2015, 04:11 PM
 
16,984 posts, read 21,650,194 times
Reputation: 29053
My parents house got robbed in 1987.....lifted sliding glass door off the tracks. Neighbor saw 2 guys walk around the back and leave with a pillow case. Their score: jewelry, cash, cameras.

Burglary today has a much different obstacle........Don't get bit!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9W3kPSrqGbo
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