A vital part of securing your home is the installation of a home security system. Home security systems come in many different forms and levels of protection. Whether you are hiring a professional security installation company, or you are going to do it yourself, there are critical design elements that should be considered that are covered here.
To begin with you need to decide what your budget is for your system. If you agree to a longer term monitoring agreement, most alarm companies will offer a free or reduced installation of their basic package which includes 1 control panel, 1 keypad, 3 door contact, 1 motion detector, 1 siren, and 1 yard sign. For most homeowners, this is an affordable way of getting some form of security for the home. However, if you are willing to spend a little additional money, you can add devices and contact points that really beef up your home security system.
The most critical area to cover is the side and back of the house. Burglars do not want to be caught, so they will look for the point of entry that gives them the most cover. A burglar will usually ring the doorbell to determine if anyone is at home before breaking in the front door. If they do not hear any activity inside, they will kick in the door and close it behind them. It is hard to tell that anything is going on from the street. But your neighbors can easily tell that something is not quite right if they were to see a broken window on the front of your home.
The majority of burglaries occur through doors. The side and back doors are the most often targeted. Windows are also easy points of entry. Contacting all of the accessible windows will provide a warning of possible intrusion if someone were to raise a window at night while you were at home. If however, you are primarily interested in protecting your property while you are away, then it may be more cost effective to consider using passive infrared motion detectors and glass break detectors. This is because on most windows it is possible to simply break the window and climb in. If the window is not raised, the contact will not be triggered.
An effective way to beef up a home security system is the use of interior traps. The most common interior trap is a motion detector placed in the living area as a way of catching an intruder that got by the perimeter contacts. Pet motion detectors are available which filter out animals but still pick up humans. These pet motions are not recommended for homeowners with cats however.Because a cat can jump so quick, it will fool the motion into thinking it is a person standing up as opposed to an animal. Rather than installing a motion detector, a good option would be to contact an interior closet door that is kept shut while you are away. When the burglar opens that door, the alarm goes off. However, this contact is off when the alarm is armed in the stay mode so that you can go about your business without fear of setting the alarm off.
Many homeowners who have animals often ask about glass break detectors. Many alarm salespeople suggest glass break detectors in areas where they were not designed to work. A glass break detector is a line of sight product. The glass break detector is listening for the sound and vibration of breaking glass, and it has to occur within milliseconds of each other. This dual technology is to cut down on false alarms. Faux wood blinds, shutters, and heavy draperies will greatly reduce or render the glass break detector totally ineffective. Places in most homes where they can be effective is the glass above the master bath tub, and the back door glass.
If you are going to have your alarm monitored, it may be wise to a cell back up to your security system. If a burglar decides that they are going to circumvent the security system by cutting the phone line, then the cell back-up unit will send the signal anyway. Many homeowners skip this option due to the cost of the unit and monthly airtime. However, it is the absolute best means of alarm communications available today.
In conclusion, the minimum home security system that you should consider would at least have an interior trap of some form and all of the exterior doors contacted. Since all of the keypads on the market today are easy to operate, you should never be afraid of using your alarm system. As I tell my customers all the time, “It will not do you any good sitting on the wall”.
Tags: alarm installation, alarm monitoring system, home security system, Security, security monitoring system
