In previous posts, we’ve focused on addressing security needs specific to different areas of the home. Recently, we examined Kitchen Security Measures for Your Home. Going back further, we also featured a post on Bedroom Security, as well as security tips for your Basement and Home Office. As a measure of adding exterior security, we even created a Guide to Shed and Garage Security. This week, in the final post of our room-by-room security series, we will focus on some important tips to increase living room security in your home.
We will begin by addressing how “window shopping” criminals may view your living room. Living rooms are often the most visible rooms from the street, so you should be mindful in arranging the room. From there, we’ll address unique security concerns created by the many electronic devices living rooms often hold. As usual, we’ll share some ideas for security equipment that you can install to address specific living room security concerns. Let’s begin by looking at your living room from the “outside in,” and arranging your living room with security in mind.
Placing expensive electronics within reach of windows creates a tempting situation for burglars and negatively affects your living room security.
Place Expensive Items Out of Reach — and Sight — of Windows
You may remember from our post on Minimizing Loss from a Home Break-In that thieves have specific items on their “wish-list” when they break into a home. These items generally include electronics, jewelry, and cash. Burglars know that they can turn certain items around for some quick money either on the street or at a pawn shop. The sight of laptops or expensive television sets from the street can entice thieves quite a bit. After all, they know that a break-in will provide them with some value even if they find nothing other than what they can see from the street. Furthermore, some families even place these items with reach of their windows. This means that someone could grab them without even getting into the house!
We recommend placing televisions and computers next to (or in some cases with televisions, mounted onto) walls not visible from the street if at all possible. Walk by your own house and consider what you can see from your home’s exterior. Can you see or grab anything valuable without entering into your home? If so, consider and appliance configurations that could minimize this risk. Later on, we’ll also look at adding security contacts to alert you if a burglar does attempt a living room robbery. For now, let’s look at some security and life safety tips regarding the many electronic cables in your living room.
Practice Safety with Electronic Cables
The presence of televisions, computers, and other electronics provides threats above and beyond inviting theft. Electronic cables provide the dual threat of electrocution and strangulation in the presence of children or pets. Keeping all loose cords wrapped tightly with cable ties can make them less tempting to grab. Organizing wires and placing them in protective tubing can also lower the risk of a child or pet latching onto or chewing on wires. Outlet plugs also provide an easy way to cover unused outlets to prevent curious fingers from danger. In addition to personal danger, all of these electronics and provide a fire hazard as well. In our next tip, we examine adding equipment to detect both fires and deadly carbon monoxide situations in your living room.
Add Carbon Monoxide and Fire-Detecting Devices to Your Living Room
A monitored smoke detector, such as this one by System Sensor, can create a fire department response to a fire at your home.
Our Primer on Carbon Monoxide Security explains why carbon monoxide (or “CO”) poses such a major threat to family safety. This gas defies detection by the senses and can prove especially dangerous in areas where residents may doze off. Carbon monoxide poisoning creates symptoms similar to that of the flu. Dizziness, an upset stomach, and confusion are all linked to dangerous levels of CO exposure. However, fatalities often occur when sleeping individuals fail to wake up in time to experience any symptoms and get fresh air. Of course, living rooms make a popular place to nap in front of the television after a long day at work or a big meal. For this reason, we strongly recommend adding CO detection to this area of your home.
As we pointed out earlier, living rooms often hold many electronic appliances and cords. Therefore, adding a smoke alarm in your living room also increases security and life safety. As an additional security feature, consider installing monitored smoke and carbon monoxide detection. Doing so creates a central station response upon activation of a smoke or CO detector. This means that a fire in your absence will create a fire station response. Additionally, the central station will call you if a CO detector activates. This especially helps if you have kids home in your absence, as you can ensure their safety during this time. Since any complete security plan involves life safety measures, we strongly encourage you to install this equipment. Now, let’s look at adding another type of security equipment in the form of security system sensors for your living room.
Install Burglar Alarm Contacts to Address Living Room Security Vulnerabilities
When we design a security system, we take a room-by-room approach to create a unique alarm system for each and every one of our customers’ homes. Due to their central location and multiple entry points, living rooms often require a variety of alarm system contacts. For starters, living rooms generally have an exterior door that receives a door contact. Additionally, living rooms often have many windows that can also work as points of entry. Burglars can pry windows open or simply smash through them to get in. These options are especially popular for a thief in cases where shrubbery or fences hide your windows from the street or from neighbors.
Alarm.com users can activate a number of different types of panic signals from their cell phone.
We recommend taking account of what specific dangers you may face and installing security equipment that addresses them. For example, glass break detectors can detect broken glass within a wide radius of the detector itself. We recommend these for homeowners with picture windows or windows large enough to smash and climb through. We can also individually contact double-hung windows. Doing so will create an alarm response if a thief pries a window open to gain entry. Motion detectors can also efficiently monitor large areas of your home for motion caused by a burglar already inside the house. For more options regarding window security, we recommend reading our post on Adding Window Security to Your Home. Now, let’s take a look at one more security tip to increase your own living room security.
Create Panic Button Response Options for Your Living Room
Panic buttons can create security in multiple ways depending on your individual needs. We detailed many different options for these devices in our Panic Button Options for Your Security System. Some of these devices create a medical response upon activation. This can prove especially useful in homes with older residents. Additionally, we also provide panic buttons that create a police response. You can also choose whether to have these buttons create an audible siren response or a discreet, silent signal sent to our central station. If you monitor your alarm through an interactive cellular dialer, such as ours powered by Alarm.com, you can even use your phone as a panic device! This option puts just about every panic function you might need at your fingertips, greatly adding to your overall living room security.
Creating a Complete Plan to Address Living Room Security
We hope that this post has given you some ideas to increase living room security in your own home. If you do have any questions about the material in this post, please do not hesitate to contact us. We provide free site surveys for homeowners. During our visit, we can work with you to create a complete room-by-room security plan for your home. While on site, we can address any specific concerns you have. Additionally, we can provide our own recommendations based on what we see. Together, we can create an individualized plan to keep you, your valuables, and your family as safe and secure as possible.