Your home’s windows and doors provide necessary access and ventilation, but if they’re not properly secured, these access points can be made vulnerable to would-be burglars. While it’s easy to forget to lock your doors or close your windows, doing so is a worthwhile safety precaution, as these parts of a home are most commonly exploited by burglars. According to Safewise, homes are burglarized every 30 seconds, with ADT claiming that 34% of thieves enter through homes’ front doors, while 23% of thieves seek access through first-floor windows that have been left open. However, by securing these access points with a few of the following precautionary measures, you may be able to better safeguard your home against potential burglaries.
Doors
Since Safewise estimates that an alarming amount of burglars waltz right through the front doors of their targeted homes, it’s important for homeowners to take the necessary steps to secure their doors as best as possible. Some of these measures include:
- Installing deadbolts on exterior doors;
- Upgrading exterior door locks to smart locks;
- Installing video doorbells which allow you to record footage of all who approach your front door; and
- Implementing strike plates in all exterior doors for added protection.
Additionally, one of the main steps you can take to boost the security of your home is to make a habit of locking your doors any time you enter or exit the home. All of the above actions can be taken, but they are negated if you forget to lock your doors at all.
Windows
While cracking a window on a hot summer day can allow for some cooling breezes to circulate throughout your home, leaving windows open for prolonged periods of time overnight or while you are away can invite unwanted attention from thieves.
Remembering to close windows is a crucial step in boosting your home’s security, but if you don’t regularly leave windows open, there are a few other tips that you can implement in order to ensure that you are maximizing the security of your home’s windows:
- Partially closing blinds during the day and fully closing them at night to decrease outside visibility into your home;
- Planting prickly bushes like rose and hawthorn – or depositing gravel – beneath first-story windows in order to deter burglars;
- Installing window security/burglar bars to limit access to your home via windows; and
- Installing window sensors, which trigger an alarm when a window is opened unexpectedly.
While closing your windows before you run to the store to pick up a few things may mean that you return to a stuffy and warm house, it beats leaving windows open and tempting fate. And, as an additional precaution, investing in a quality home security system like those available from Smart Digital will really boost your home’s security while increasing your own peace of mind.
