A home invasion is a nightmare, and something you don’t think will happen until it does. Home burglary has been on the rise in recent years, especially during the summer and holiday season. Luckily there are a few critical steps you can take to thwart criminals and protect you’re residence.
One thing people constantly over look is rekeying their home. It always gets me when someone’s property is stolen and the thief had a copy of their key. I’ve talked to home owners who have had the same keys for their house for over ten years. My kids constantly loose keys, and every time they do I make sure to rekey the house. It’s a simple procedure, and a highly trained locksmith can alter the pins in your homes locks and simply make you a new set of keys.
Having a professional locksmith install high quality locks and hardware on all doors can make a huge difference. An inexpensive lock can easily be picked or bumped by any crook standing outside your home. High quality locks come with features that make them much harder to pick and impossible to bump. All United Locksmith carries a wide variety of high quality locks and hardware, including bump proof locks.
Another way to protect your home from invasion is having deadbolts on all exterior doors. The front, side, back, and even garage doors should be protected with at least one inch deadbolts. On some doors you can also install single sided or half deadbolts which only has one visible side. From the inside of your home you can lock a half deadbolt with your thumb, and on the outside of the door there is nothing. No keyhole to pick, bump, break or pry open. A criminal would need to cut through the door and make a lot of noise. Deadbolts need to be properly installed and anchored as well to maintain their strength.
This holiday season you should remember to not leave boxes outside your home or on the curb. This basically shows the town and possible criminals what’s inside your home, like that flat screen TV, xbox, or any packaging for expensive electronics or appliances. You should also take a walk around your house and see what valuables are easily spotted through a window. Using shades can prevent a burglar from window shopping before hand.
You can also maintain your property to better prevent a break in. Keeping bushes, trees, and shrubs well trimmed and away from doors and windows will decrease the room for a criminal to hide and pick a lock. Having adequate lighting outside your house along with motion sensors will also keep your family safer.
If you would like more information on how to protect your home please call All United Locksmith at (203) 901-0011.