The changing of the clocks this weekend represents a new chapter of the year. We now have springtime right around the corner. With it comes the promise of warmer weather, with outdoor activities soon to follow. Obviously, many of us have spent the past several months looking forward to these events. However, as security professionals, we also recommend addressing some important concerns that come with the season. As the days get longer, the list of security concerns facing homeowners grows exponentially. In this post, we’ll share some valuable security tips for longer days!
First, we’ll explain why we have to focus so much on security during this time of year. This understanding will lay a good foundation for the rest of the material in this post. From there, we’ll look at some alarm sensors that can add security. These will include both burglary-related sensors, as well as some unique sensors for other purposes entirely. Then, we’ll shift our focus to the importance of addressing door hardware issues that may have arisen this winter. Finally, we’ll wrap up our tips with a look at securing your home during extended absences. After all, the coming of nice weather represents the beginning of vacation season. Now, let’s dive in with a look at some unique seasonal security challenges!
Security Challenges During this Time of Year
When it comes to seasonal security obstacles, the next several months present more than most. For starters, families start frequently leaving their homes absent during this time of year as travel plans ramp up. Moreover, as warm weather and longer days start rolling in, scouting homes to burglarize gets more and more tempting for criminals. This unique combination of security threats deserves some special attention during this time of year.
Creating a security plan for extended absences and vacations represents a proactive approach to daylight saving security.
As another weather-related daylight saving time security issue, we must also assess any potential damage done to your door security over the course of the winter. Cold weather can warp and crack door frames and locking hardware. Combine that with the presence of heavy, wet snow, and you may also find your door and window locks in a world of hurt after the remnants of winter weather fade away.
Furthermore, we also begin our “spring thaw” right as the clocks jump ahead. This brings with it weather conditions that can potentially damage to your home. Wet conditions can lead to flooding and HVAC equipment failure if not addressed. Furthermore, spring also brings the advent of stormy weather, which can provide its own issues! Therefore, we will spend some time discussing how we address this concern in this post as well. With these factors in mind, let’s get underway with our security tips for longer days.
Alarm Security Sensors
Adding a monitored home burglar alarm has long remained one of our top security tips for securing your home in your absence. When designing an alarm system, we take several things into account. First and foremost, we look at how to add the most security. Installing contacts to secure every likely entry point should be a no-brainer. However, insufficient installation of security contacts remains one of the most common security system installation mistakes. Sometimes, alarm customers designing and installing an alarm as a DIY project leads to this issue. Furthermore, customers occasionally turn down recommended equipment as a cost-cutting measure.
We certainly do not recommend going through the trouble of installing an alarm system only to take partial measures while doing so. In addition to securing the most likely break-in points, we also recommend at least basic coverage in somewhat less likely areas. After all, thieves know that many security systems leave weak points to exploit. For example, many homeowners do little to secure their second stories and basements. Installing at least basic security in these areas can greatly increase your overall security.
Many alarm systems out there rely solely on door and window contacts, along with motion detectors, to secure a property. However, while often largely effective, this approach does have its shortcomings. For example, window contacts only catch thieves who break in by opening a window. They unfortunately fail to catch those who break windows and climb through without opening them. While motion detectors can help in these scenarios if you are gone, you cannot arm these detectors while you are home without creating false alarms. For these reasons, we often install glass break sensors near casement windows, sliders, or large windows in general. These sensors, as well as equipment such as shock sensors and even security screens, can greatly improve the effectiveness of your alarm. Let’s now turn our attention to another type of powerful alarm sensor.
Environmental Sensors
When it comes to threats to your home, Mother Nature presents quite a few ways to do damage. This rings especially true during this time of year, when we experience the aforementioned spring thaw-related flooding threats as well as rainy and stormy weather. Luckily, we have you covered! We surprise many people by offering sensors that create alerts for environmental disasters that have the potential to cause major damage. These sensors can help you detect and address these issues before they create a mess that takes a significant amount of time and money to repair.
Environmental sensors, such as this combination freeze and flood sensor by Interlogix, can alert you to both frozen pipes or water in your basement.
For example, our “hi-lo” temperature detectors can create a central station response if your property experiences dangerously hot or cold conditions. This can help alert you to frozen pipes or HVAC equipment failures. Additionally, we offer flood sensors that can detect the presence of water wherever we install them. As an added bonus, some of our alarm manufacturers even create sensors that detect both extremely cold temperatures and the presence of water! These contacts provide a huge amount of environmental security in one compact piece of equipment. The effectiveness of these sensors makes them one of our top security tips for longer days. Now, let’s look at the impact the last few months may have had on your locking hardware.
Examine Door Closing and Locking Hardware
Winter weather has a negative effect on many aspects of your home and property. Cold temperatures, snow, and ice often wreak havoc on cars, roofs, and any appliances kept outdoors. However, people often let their door hardware deteriorate season after season without updating it or calling for repairs. Every spring, we encourage customers to ensure that their locks and doors operate smoothly. If any locks look “worse for wear” after the winter, have a locksmith replace it with an updated lock that will better secure the door.
Weather-weakened door frames also make burglars’ jobs easier. Calling a door company to have the issue inspected and fixed can help ensure that your security does not get compromised. As we pointed out in our post explaining How Professional Locksmith Services Help Homeowners, calling professionals to do the job has multiple advantages. For one, you will know that the work will get done right. Parts will be installed properly and will work as effectively as possible. Additionally, professional locksmiths will install high-quality locks that will better stand the test of time compared to a lock bought over the counter at the local hardware store. Next, let’s wrap up our security tips for longer days with a look at securing your home while you travel!
Begin Your Vacation Security Preparations
As we pointed out in our Vacation Security System “To-Do” List, families planning on traveling should take extra precautions to secure their empty homes. Some of these security measures do not take advanced preparation to complete. For example, exercising smart social media use during vacation and updating your security system contact list take very little time and energy before leaving for a trip. However, some aspects of vacation security should be figured out well in advance.
For example, many customers install smart locks to allow house sitters key-free entrance into the home. We recommend taking this step, as these locks allow you to grant temporary access to those watching your home without giving away spare keys that can get lost or even copied and used at a later date. Additionally, we advise vacationing families to create an alternate plan for mail delivery. This involves asking the post office to hold your mail, as well as finding a neighbor to grab any packages or flyers that might get dropped off while you are gone. Since a pile of mail often indicates an empty home, burglars often take this indicator as an invitation. A little preparation now can go a long way towards improving your security!
Putting our Security Tips for Longer Days to Work for You
We hope that these security tips for longer days helps you better secure your own home this spring and summer. As always, we encourage you to contact us with any questions this post may raise for you. We will happily answer any and all of your security-related inquiries. Moreover, we also invite you to take advantage of our free site survey program. We offer no-cost security audits and equipment quotes to both new and existing customers alike. We will happily come by your home and see how we can help you secure your property over the upcoming spring, summer, and beyond! Together, we can put together a complete security plan to keep your home, your valuables, and your loved ones as safe and secure as possible.