4 Common Home Security Mistakes

Most people want to feel safe when inside of their home and have peace of mind that their home is not an easy target for burglars when they are away from home. However, many homeowners rely on home security tactics that do not work or engage in habits that lead to their homes being ideal targets for home intruders.

Learn about four common home security mistakes many homeowners make.

1. Relying on a Privacy Fence for Home Security

Many people surround their homes with fences in an attempt to prevent home break-ins. Unfortunately, burglars can often climb over short residential fences, and tall privacy fences also provide little home security.

In fact, when 86 people serving time in prison for burglary were asked how they decided if a home would be easy to burglarize, many stated that they looked for homes with big or tall fences. Tall privacy fences block the view of home entry points from the street and neighbors’ yards, so burglars can often break into the door or window of a home shielded in privacy fences without getting caught.

If you like to have a home perimeter fence to keep your children or pets safer when playing in your yard, then you do not have to remove this fence to increase home security. However, you should never consider a fence a home security device.

2. Allowing Your Home to Appear Unoccupied While Away

Burglars usually find homes currently unoccupied easy home invasion targets. They do not have to worry about a home occupant coming home and catching them when they are in the middle of burglarizing the home. Burglars often look for any telltale signs that a family is away on vacation. When you learn what they look for, you can take steps to make your home appear occupied when your family is away.

One telltale sign that a home is unoccupied is lots of mail inside and around the mailbox. To prevent this, visit the post office before your family leaves town and tell them to put a hold on your mail until you return. You can then pick up all of your held mail when you get home. Also, be sure to put newspaper subscriptions and package deliveries on hold while away, as well.

Another sign of an unoccupied home is no lights on in the home for an extended period of time. While some homeowners leave one light on in hopes they can trick home invaders, many burglars will notice that this light never turns on and off and is simply a burglar-deterrent light.

To make it look like people are in the house turning lights on and off, attach light timers to several lights in your home. Program them to turn lights on and off several times a day.

3. Not Investing in High-Quality Exterior Door Locks

Many homeowners do not realize that some exterior door locks are much more secure than others. Less secure or old, deteriorated door locks can break or be picked very easily by burglars who want to gain access to your home.

All secure door locks should be of strong metals, such as stainless steel, and contain no plastic components. Deadbolts should have reinforced strike plates that attach to the door frame with screws no shorter than three inches in length — shorter screws make kicking in the door much easier. 

Also, look for locks that have high security ratings by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). This organization rates door locks on a scale of 1–3 based on the lock's durability and ability to withstand forced entry. Grade 1–rated deadbolts are considered the most secure locks available today.

4. Installing a Security System Control Pad in the Wrong Location

Installing a residential home security system is one of the best ways to prevent home burglaries. These systems often have door sensors, window sensors, or motion detectors that detect a burglar entering a home when the system is armed. When a break-in is detected, the system typically emits a loud alarm and sends a signal to the local authorities alerting them of the break-in.

However, all alarm system components must be in strategic locations for optimal protection. One system component often misplaced is the system control pad. If this control pad is in a place where it can be seen from the outdoors, then burglars can glance at this pad to determine if the system is armed or not. If the potential burglar notices that the system is not armed, they may decide that this is the best time to break into your home without getting caught.

While ideal security system control pad placement will vary greatly from home to home, it should always be in a place where people can’t see it from outdoors.

Avoid making these four mistakes that can jeopardize the security of your family and home. Contact the home security experts at Dixie Safe & Lock Service for all of your home security needs, such as home security system installation and secure door lock installation, today.