Worried about security

Ant555

If you are looking for advice about security AND you are currently gutting your house then its an absolutely ideal time.

As already suggested an Alarm is one thing to consider - wired rather than wireless would be a good option especially if house is in a state that allows them to be run easily. It would be an alarm installers dream to get a job in a house that was 'gutted' - makes it really quick and easy for the time consuming bit of running the wires.
Outside lights with detectors should also be on your wish list, again running cables should be relatively straightforward.
CCTV - You see these more and more on domestic houses. Harping back to the wiring again, its an ideal time to at least get some cables run.
I bought a small CCTV dome from the pound shop and installed it on the ceiling in my hallway/porch facing the door. You would be surprised at how many people notice it and comment on the fact I have CCTV, I do not tell them its a dummy £1 unit but simply say it might come in handy one day. My point is that people notice this type of thing and all you need to do is push the nasty people to another property that is less secure.
Its like this one on Amazon but was only £1 from Poundland
http://www.amazon.co.uk/UKayed-Imitation-Security-Camera-Flashing/dp/B001AVZ7J2

Friends of ours had a 3pm daylight break in (smashed patio door would you believe) and the homeowner noticed afterwards that his was the only side gate in the row that didn't have a padlock on it. The irony is that he had accidentally left his back door unlocked so the thief could have just walked in and not smashed his patio doors!
It might be coincidence about the visible padlocks but its worth thinking about.

I hope this helps.

Mr_Costcutter

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

Contact your local police and ask if they do free home visits for crime prevention.

We had an ''attempted'' burglary last year. This in turn prompted a visit from our local police security. They were extremely thorough and made a number of suggestions for our consideration. They made us smile when it was suggested that we get ourselves a dog - the very best deterent of all. Not sure that the cat would be happy

Delia_Cardei

redmalc wrote:

Alarm is a must these days,we never leave the house without setting it.
We also have a cctv system with cameras covering all of the doors and garage area

Agree. Solution can depend on the scenario.
1) wanna have peace of mind. If you're just looking for peace of mind, get a cctv camera system and use some motion recording to inform you any unauthorized activities. And alarm can also be a supplementary effort.
2) wanna catch someone in the act of something. You could still do the cctv security system thing, and remember to keep your monitor off and view it from your phone or laptop.
I happened to noticed that there's a discount for 1000 tvl camera kit, you can refer to the thread.

Skintdoogle

I wouldn't argue against CCTV, but it's only the icing on the cake. Wearing a hoodie can stymie CCTV, so I reckon physical and perimeter security should be higher priorities. Then add an alarm. And only then add CCTV, IMO. Google "TheCrimePreventionWebsite", which has the best advice I've seen.

The OP's rightly concerned about his French doors. Personally, I'd upgrade the doors' lock cylinders to Avocet ABS, plus a Patlock. Then I'd get a decent alarm that included a shock sensor on the French doors.

In addition, I'd want secure boundaries. E.g. good rear fence, topped with weak trellis to make it hard to climb without breaking the trellis. E.g. locked side gate. E.g. a low fence at the front, so that neighbours can easily see anyone at the front of my house, plus security lighting.

Only after all this would I look to get CCTV.

WobblyDog

While not wanting to argue against taking security precautions, has the house been empty for any length of time before you bought it? If it has, that might of encouraged opportunists who won't be as interested once the house looks occupied.


If you're worried about people climbing over fences, Pyracantha plants are cheap and are colourful at this time of year,

70sthrowback

We were broken into a couple of years ago through the rear patio doors. We had upgraded locks and a dog and neither of these stopped the break in. The thieves used a sharp metal object for example a screw driver and one hard tap at the corner of the glass and being safety glass it broke but didnt shatter. The thieves then picked away the broken glass carefully to get a hole big enough to climb in. Then took anything handy and expensive on the ground floor. We were none the wiser until we went downstairs the next morning.

Alarm and vibration sensors would have been the only thing to stop this. The police basically said to us, you just need to make your house more difficult to break in than your neighbours.

pendragon_arther

70sthrowback wrote: »

We were broken into a couple of years ago through the rear patio doors. We had upgraded locks and a dog and neither of these stopped the break in. The thieves used a sharp metal object for example a screw driver and one hard tap at the corner of the glass and being safety glass it broke but didnt shatter. The thieves then picked away the broken glass carefully to get a hole big enough to climb in. Then took anything handy and expensive on the ground floor. We were none the wiser until we went downstairs the next morning.

Alarm and vibration sensors would have been the only thing to stop this. The police basically said to us, you just need to make your house more difficult to break in than your neighbours.

You need a bigger dog.