Your home is a fortress for you and your family during good times and bad. A solid security system can help prevent intruders from entering your property and give you time to escape if there’s a breach. But blind spots can allow trespassers in, so focusing on potential vulnerabilities can help you to stay safe.
With that in mind, here are nine pointers to up your security, no matter the situation.
1. Keep an Inconspicuous Exterior
Keeping an attractive exterior is tempting, but a home that looks too nice can indicate valuable items inside that someone could sell or trade. Conversely, a house that looks disheveled could seem like an easy target for shelter or looting. Keeping your exterior somewhere in the middle can prevent strangers from approaching.
Store valuable lawn equipment, furniture or toys inside. If you have a bug-out vehicle, keep it in the garage or cover it overnight. You can avoid weaknesses in your home security by making it appear as “invisible” as possible. A house that blends in with the surrounding neighborhood or looks unsuspecting gives burglars no reason to attempt an entry.
While you want a well-secured home, you don’t want it to look like a fortress either. Doing so could make it a prime target for anyone who wants to see what’s worth that amount of protection. Try to stay under the radar and avoid attracting attention.
A garage door opener is a common blind spot in security systems. If you have a car outside your home, experienced criminals can break into it even with locked doors. An opener in the car makes it easy for them to gain entry.
You should also know about the vulnerability of your garage door pull string:
2. Use Exterior and Interior Lighting Systems
Trespassers often avoid bright lights because they don’t want to risk identification. During a catastrophic event, the light will expose an individual’s position. Intruders approaching in the dark will likely rely on the cover of night to take things. A security light can ruin their plans.
Exterior lighting illuminates common points of entry like doors and windows. However, keeping them on constantly could help nefarious individuals see the potential in your home. Motion-detection lights only turn on when they sense someone approaching, catching the intruder off-guard and possibly alerting you, too.
You can save time and money by investing in solar-powered lights. They remove the need for batteries or electricity— you can mount them almost anywhere on your property. These lights will still work when the grid goes down, ensuring continued safety.
[Editor’s note: I prefer solar motion lights for spots where it’s difficult to add hardwired lights, light the backside of sheds or garages. Use hardwired lights whenever possible.]
If you leave your home overnight, keep your interior and exterior lights on a timer so it looks like someone is there. An intruder is less likely to enter your property if they think you’re home. Most burglars don’t want to risk the confrontation.
Another way to use lights to protect you and your family is installing motion sensor night lights that can kick on when they sense you coming down a hallway or into a room. They can help you navigate if you need to make a quick getaway.
[Editor’s note: Better yet, use plug-in emergency lights since they won’t automatically turn on unless the power fails. That way you’re not constantly annoyed with lights that turn on as you pass by. I use these Energizer emergency lights.]
3. Plant Defensive Landscaping
You can use nature to protect your home with defensive landscaping. While security systems, electricity and Bluetooth devices can fail, plants won’t.
Planting bushes or shrubs around your house’s perimeter can make it harder to get to an entrance. Thorny bushes and cacti can make accessing a first-floor window challenging. Consider planting dawn redwood or bald cypress trees that grow quickly and are thick enough to provide plenty of privacy.
The thicker your landscaping is, the less likely someone will get through — including you. Leave yourself a path you can easily see from your home if an intruder approaches. You can install a fence with a gate code outside to improve security and place lights or cameras on the path. Having a single accessible pathway from outside your property gives you opportunities to prepare your defense or grab your get-out bag and escape to your bunker.
[Editor’s note: Adding landscaping like this is a double-edged sword as it can also provide places for intruders to hide.]
4. Take Advantage of Noise
Noise is another excellent way to deter an intruder. It can also alert neighbors that there’s a problem. Alarms and other notifications on a property can provide you and your family valuable seconds to defend yourselves or flee. A sudden, loud sound will likely slow a person or creature, if not scare them away. Devices and trip wires can trigger an alarm once they detect someone passing through.
You can arrange for smart devices to trigger an alarm noise when someone enters the home outside of set hours. Some smart cameras allow you to set off an alarm on a device once it alerts you to motion. A few systems will let you customize the noise to sound like angry dogs barking or gunshots.
Some alarms will go off when someone enters your driveway or the property’s perimeter. You can install devices to make loud noises when this occurs or have the alarm trigger inside your house to give you time to prepare for the intruder.
A more subtle way to use noise is to leave your television, radio or streaming service on when you’re away. It will seem like someone is home and deter criminals from trying to enter the house.
Many security systems contact an outside company when your alarm goes off, alerting the police to come to your home. Remember that response times can vary depending on your location and that the system might not work as well during a disaster. However, it can serve as a tool to help protect you and your family.
5. Install Security Cameras
You can install many security cameras on your property to deter and monitor strangers. Modern models let you view your home in real time and alert you to motion or sound. Smart camera systems often come with 4K video, automatic lights and alarms.
If you don’t want a smart system, you can get more traditional cameras that hold SD cards. They can help identify intruders after a property breach. Visible cameras can prevent them from hanging around your home. Night vision can be inexpensive and help you see what happens on your property. You can connect many cameras to a centralized computer that you can keep in your bedroom or another location where you can easily monitor things. Look through the files if you suspect criminal activity.
[Editor’s note: I prefer my cameras stand out, which is why I choose black cameras because my house siding is white. They are plainly obvious to any who choose to look.]
When adding cameras to your home, ensure you don’t leave any visual blind spots. All cameras have range limits, and placing one within each field of view covers your entire property.
If you don’t want to invest in cameras, consider getting decoys to place around your home. A camera is often enough to scare someone off, even if it isn’t recording. Some fake options have lights that make them seem more realistic and help keep intruders away. An invader that thinks you have a security advantage may stay away from your property.
6. Consider a Dog
Dogs can be significant crime deterrents, although you should never get a pet solely for security. A deep, threatening bark can scare an intruder into thinking it may attack them. Even smaller dogs can make someone turn away since they know the barks will likely alert your family to something going on. Ensure you consider your dog or other pets when stockpiling food and water.
If you don’t want to commit to a pup, try leaving dog toys around your yard to make it seem like you have one. Larger toys and bones can make it seem like you have a beast an intruder isn’t going to take a chance on.
A “beware of dog” sign can also be effective. Choose one indicating a large, intimidating breed. A German shepherd or Doberman is often scarier than a chihuahua or golden retriever. However, a generic sign will work.
7. Post Signage
Posting signs can make your property seem threatening even if it isn’t. Security company protection, “beware of dog” and indications you have a gun and aren’t afraid to use it could keep away intruders.
Burglars often want to target accessible properties. When you post a message, they don’t know if you’re serious or not and likely won’t want to risk it.
Don’t overdress your home in warnings, though, as it could make it stand out too much. Instead, make them obvious to anyone who considers entering your property. Some people even have doormats with vaguely threatening messages. Whatever you can do to make yourself seem like a threat could keep the worst away.
[Editor’s note: I’ve heard that some overzealous prosecutors might use overly-suggestive warning signs as a way to bring charges. Perhaps it’s best to tone down the threats and keep your warnings simple, such as “No trespassing” signs, and avoid the more creative options.]
8. Add a Fence
Some preppers recommend a 7-foot tall fence or wall around your home, but that could make it a challenging target for invaders. Instead, consider a sturdy but less conspicuous option. A chain link or wooden privacy fence can keep your home looking innocent while offering some protection.
Keep barriers a good distance from your property. This will give you time to spot the intruder if they do get over them. Place a camera or motion detection light nearby to scare them away and notify you sooner.
9. Secure Windows and Doors
You want to provide extra security to your home’s main entrance points, making it hard for an intruder to enter. Multiple deadbolts can strengthen your door’s seal and help prevent a break-in. Single-cylinder options are easier to open from the inside if you need to bug out while still keeping the door tight against its frame.
Replace any hollow doors with metal or solid wood to make them harder to break down, and use longer screw plates that will make them challenging to penetrate. A jammer can serve as a last resort if someone manages to make it through.
Large windows can make it easy to see into and enter your property. Standard glass windows could be the most vulnerable part of your home. Securing them can help you enjoy their benefits while increasing their durability.
Locks are your windows’ first line of defense, although intruders may break the glass if they want in. You can prevent impact from a bat or small rock by installing a security film, which keeps a window from shattering when struck. Bulletproof glass is an expensive but worthy alternative.
Burglar bars provide another layer to your window security. Even if someone breaks the glass, they will stop them from entering the home. Ensure they are easy to open from the interior so you can get out if needed. You can store boards or sandbags under your windows to fortify your property in severe weather or an emergency.
Don’t leave any guns, larder items or other potential good for looters visible from outdoor windows. They make your property more attractive and could cause an intruder to work harder to break into your home.
Preparing for the Worst at Home
Although you can secure your home from everyday threats, taking precautions is still important in an emergency. Keep an easy-to-grab bug-out bag handy with supplies. Night vision binoculars can help you see intruders and develop a plan to exit your property safely.
If you’re going to stay put, keep a store of food, fresh water and medical supplies that no one else knows about. Keeping these items out of sight from others can help prevent a breach. Store them in a bunker to create a suitable shelter that you can stay in for long periods. Portable charging boxes can keep your devices running, and radios can provide information during an apocalypse. Toys and games can occupy children while you develop a plan.
Always be prepared for self-defense in your home. Teach family members to use various weapons. Heavy household items, including baseball bats, fire extinguishers and golf clubs, can also work well. You can keep these items in your shelter or hidden in a larder or secret compartment.
Avoiding Security Blind Spots
Disaster could strike at any time. Whether it is a criminal who wants to sell your items or the end of the world as we know it, a security system can help you and your family stay ahead of any threat. Deploying these tactics enables you to avoid potential blind spots and remain safe.
[Note: This was a guest post.]
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