One of our local papers, The Community Voice, recently posted an article about protecting our homes from burglary. There are some really practical suggestions, so we thought we’d share some with our readers. Pay particular attention to the last one.
• Install lighting: Motion-sensing lights can be a great way to increase security without having to leave your outside lights on all night. Use them in any shadowy area where an intruder may linger.
• Your house never goes on vacation: A vacation can make your home an easy target. Never post on social media sites that you are going away. To deter trouble, invest in some inexpensive timers, which can be set up with staggered timing on multiple lamps and in multiple rooms to mimic a realistic lighting pattern. Visit the post office or fill out a form online to have your mail held while you’re away. Talk to your neighbors to let them know you’ll be gone, and if your trip overlaps with trash day, ask if they can move your bins out for pickup and take them in afterward.
• Upgrade door locks: Add dead bolts to any doors that don’t have them, including the garage and shed. Dead bolts are significantly harder to force open than the more common spring bolts found in many doorknobs.
• Fortify windows: Glass windows are one of the most vulnerable areas of any home and intruders often target windows if doors are locked and secured. Whenever you’re away or asleep, close them and install locks on any windows that don’t have them. You can also get security window film. One manufacturer, 3M, offers security films designed to hold broken glass together. The films prevent shattered glass from flying into the house, reducing potential injury. Tests have shown that windows protected with security window film can deter intruders for as long as two minutes—giving police additional response time. Security window films also reject up to 99 percent of harmful UV rays, reducing the effects of fading on your furnishings, and block IR rays, keeping heat out of your house.
Of course, we totally agree with all the suggestions, especially the last one. In the video below, it takes a full 45 seconds to break through the glass door with the 3M™ Safety Security Film Ultra S600 installed on the glass. This product is intended to deter break-ins by impeding unwanted entry.and then read more here about our 3M Safety and Security Films. Learn more about our 3M Security films here.
