Home and Family

A man’s home is his castle, as the saying goes. But homes today don’t normally feature ramparts, drawbridges, moats and six-foot thick stone walls to keep out unwanted visitors. Today, a home security alarm, and preferably a monitored home alarm system, is needed to ensure your home’s security. Not only does installing a home burglar alarm system improve the safety of your family and possessions, but it can also decrease your home insurance costs. The Top Ten Home Alarm and House Security Devices list highlights ten devices and features of home security alarm systems that can make your house a safer place.

The Top Ten 10 Home Security Alarm Items:

1. Smoke Detectors – Add another layer of protection to your home, especially when they are integrated into the home alarm system. Not only do smoke detectors indicate a fire and give you time to escape safely, but when included in a home security package, they automatically notify the managing company and the fire department. Some systems even integrate the power supply to the smoke detectors. That means you will not have to ever replace the batteries!

2. Back-Up Power Supply – Is important in maintaining home security even during a power outage, when the risk of break-ins and looting is increased. Your home alarm should be effective even when your power is not. The easiest to maintain back-up power supplies use standard size batteries. Look for a model that uses rechargeable batteries to lower your maintenance costs.

3. Master Control Panel – Is vital to any home alarm system. The heart of the home security alarm system, the master alarm control panel is typically installed on a wall in a location with easy access. The panel receives information from all other sensors and key pads, computes it, and transmits relevant information to the monitoring company. If you choose to arm the system from the panel when you leave the house, the master control panel also receives the disarm code when you return home. Some can even be disarmed by telephone!

4.Talking Devices – Make it easy for you to comprehend the status of your home security alarm and monitoring system and also make programming your alarm system simple and quick. Some security systems feature talking master control panels, key pads or remotes.

5. Installation, Monitoring, and Repair Services – These services increase not only the level of safety but the convenience of keeping your home safe. A house alarm alone cannot notify the police or fire department in the event of an emergency. The most complete systems include buttons to notify police departments, fire departments and medical help instantly. Another advantage offered by the best monitoring companies is live customer support and full service installation and repair of the system by employees who have been background checked, licensed and drug tested to ensure your safety. Finally, some companies even offer relocation services to keep you secure even when you move.

6. Wireless Systems – Safeguard your residence without adding excessive wires which may create a tripping hazard or require professional installation of behind the wall alarm cable. In wireless home security alarm system magnetic alarm contacts, keypads and other devices transmit information to the master alarm control panel using radio signals or through available previously installed wiring in your residence. A burglar will never be able to disarm the system by snipping the alarm cable. This ensures the system is fully integrated and monitoring all parts of your home without using up your outlets or creating an obstacle course of alarm cable for you.

7. Key Pads – May not always be enough to keep burglars out. Magnetic Alarm Sensors on Windows and Doors decrease the chance of a home invader entering undetected and are a vital component of a residential security alarm system. The degree of security protection is elevated when Security Alarm Motion Detectors are installed within the residence. The most sophisticated security motion detectors include a feature to ignore pets’ movement to avoid constantly setting the alarm off inadvertently.

8. Extra Key Pads – Are also important. Exterior mounted key pads can provide secure key less entry to your family. Some systems also offer remote control key pads which are lightweight and portable. A home alarm system that features a security code with a key pad increases the security of your home. A monitored system can also lock down entry after several repeated, failed attempts at entry which indicate a possible break-in attempt.

9. Yard Signs and House or Window Decals – Advertise your home’s protection. The Greenwich Study of Residential Security found that homes without alarms were 2.7 to 3.5 times more likely to be burglarized, and that the most effective deterrent was the alarm monitoring company’s yard sign (SIA Research Update, Security Industry Association, October 2001). Some choose to post the signs to deter possible break-ins without actually installing a home alarm system. While this effort will lower the odds of an attempted burglary, a yard sign alone cannot fully protect your home.

10. Extra Key Fobs and Remotes – Some home alarm systems include extras like Key Fobs and Remotes to control the system at a distance. Somewhat similar to a car’s key fob, home security key fobs include buttons to activate and deactivate the house alarm system. Some even include a “panic” button that activates the house alarm and alerts the proper authorities in the event of an emergency. Remote controls are similar and often larger. The features of remotes vary greatly and can include a full key pad, a talking feature and a panic button as well. The talking feature may not result in great conversation, but it will help you understand your system a little better.

Of course, this list is not comprehensive, and the needs of every home and homeowner are different.

So, finally you have bought your dream home and also decorated it with all the contemporary accessories. Now comes the question of implementing home security measures. Often, we tend to overlook the importance of a home security system until it’s too late. It’s better to consider applying the safety measures before hand and save ourselves from any situation. Let us take a look at the best home security practices.

Add a whole house security alarm system. You can add separate alarm for the doors and windows of your home, deciding which doors or windows to have alarm enabled. Keep in mind that it will be more expensive if you want to install the alarms to a lot doors or windows, depending on how many you have. Ask your alarm system installer if they have any special offer that will help you in saving some money.

Add a live monitoring system service. It is definitely a good idea to invest into a home monitoring service. Home monitoring services can automatically contact police or fire when the alarms you have in your home are triggered. Conduct thorough research to find out the best service provider as quality of services may differ from company to company.

Home Security Systems and Home Security Measures

A security alarm system is not at all a complicated set up. First, you have to decide upon where you want to install the alarm control box. It can be your front door, back door, main window, anywhere. Once you have chosen the place, then you have to program a code in to the alarm. You are required to do this in order to successfully set the alarm and also to turn it off while you are at home. There may be a motion sensor included with the home alarm system. With a motion detector, your alarm will go off when it detects movement inside the house. This motion sensor acts as a back up in case someone gets into your house without tripping your alarm.

Outdoor alarm system. Outdoor home security alarm systems are programmed in such a way that they switch on the floodlights as soon as they detect some motion just outside your home. In the early years, an outdoor alarm used to go off even if there was just a cat or a stray dog strolling near your house but the modern ones are configured in such a way that they determine the weight and size of the intruder. So the chances of false alarms are almost zilch!

Use proper locks. If you have bought a second hand home, then make sure to change all the locks. You never know, the previous owner might keep a duplicate key with him. It’s better to take no chances at all and replace all the old locks with new ones. Not only should you put locks in the front doors but also install locks in the windows, if there isn’t any at the moment. This way you can ensure that nobody can enter your home through an open window.

Introduce yourself to your neighbors. Once you move into your new neighborhood, with no delay, introduce yourself and your family members to your immediate neighbors. If your neighbors know you well enough, then they can report to you or take necessary actions if they see any stranger trying to make an entry into your house.

Participate in community watch programs. If there is any thing such as community watch program in your locality, do take active part in it. This way your neighbors can keep a watch on your property in your absence and vice versa. This would definitely cut down a lot of crime.

Add video surveillance or wireless cameras. Adding CCTV or video surveillance is a very effective home security measure. You can use a wireless camera security system for video supervision, there are several transmitters and only one receiver that is linked to your TV. Some of the best security systems are those that include wireless security cameras.

Install a smoke detector. By installing smoke detectors in your home, you can have an advance warning if your house should happen to catch on fire.

Besides these aforementioned home security measures, you also have to be careful that your doors and windows are sturdy enough. Put grills in the windows if you have to. Also, see to it that there are lots of lights outside your house and that easy to get to ground floor windows have thorny bushes planted beneath them.

Thus, you see that there are a lots of home security options to take into consideration. In order to choose the security options that would suit you the best, you can go in for a risk assessment of your home. Several home security service providers offer risk assessment modules that will help in determining your individual needs, thereby letting you decide the correct type of security measure for your house.

Whichever home security system you have installed, make sure you understand how it works, so that you can enjoy your getaway without having to worry about the safety and security of your home.