By
Alan
Whether you’re an experienced
home defense guru or a complete amateur, the best way to prepare against a
burglary or home invasion is to prevent it from happening in the first place.
But no matter how watchful you are, sometimes you have to sleep, and some
thieves know how to get around the standard home security measures. In case
that happens, there are many unusual methods to protect your family and
valuables–methods that don’t involve moving out of your 3-bedroom house and
into a fortified castle.
Here are 7 unusual home security tips you probably didn’t know.
1. Use Dowell Rods in Sliding Glass Door Tracks
You’ll be hard pressed to find a home that doesn’t feature an aesthetically
pleasing sliding glass door. They provide a great view and allow natural light
to flood the house. However, they’re not very secure. A well-prepared and
knowledgeable burglar has ways of getting around the average sliding glass
door. And if the door is improperly installed, they can easily lift it off the
tracks, so be sure to check your sliding glass doors for base line security.
The best way to secure a sliding glass door is to put a dowel rod or something
similar on the tracks, and lodge it between the door and the wall. If a burglar
manages to unlock the sliding door, they still won’t be able to slide it open
if a dowel rod is in the way.
2. Move Your Alarm Keypad
Installing a home security system is a fantastic way to deter potential
burglars, but it’s not fool-proof. Most alarm pads are placed by common
entrances, such as the front door or back door. This is done because it’s
convenient and because you’re only allowed a brief amount of time before the
alarm goes off and the authorities question you for living in your own home.
Because the front and back doors are such common places for a keypad, burglars
know exactly where to look. An observant thief will scope out the place and
watch the numbers you enter into the keypad. A would-be burglar can also glance
through the window to see if you engaged the alarm system before leaving the
house.
Be mindful of who might be able to view your keypad when you arm or disarm it,
and move it somewhere out of sight. Or at least block the keypad when using it.
Another option is to have multiple keypads, one by an entrance and one in the
master bedroom in case of a suspected break-in when you need to act fast.
3. Use a Key Lock Box
Everybody knows someone who keeps their spare key in an extremely common
place—under the mat, in the mailbox, under a potted plant, or in a fake rock,
just to name a few. Don’t be that person. If you want to leave yourself a set
of spare keys somewhere, install a key lock box somewhere on your property–the
kind realtors use. Backup keys will be just a simple combination away, and only
you will have access to them. Just like with your security system keypad, make
sure nobody can see you enter the combination.
4. Use Mother Nature’s Help
Mother Nature has had eons of time to develop the perfect home defense system:
thorns. Consider planting bushes, vines, or trees in areas you don’t want
strangers access. For example, you could plant a thorny shrub underneath the
windows of your bedrooms so no one can climb through them without getting torn
up.
Some great examples of thorny bushes, vines, and trees are:
-
Many mesquite varieties
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Honey Locust
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Pyracantha (fire thorn bush)
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Climbing roses
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Catsclaw acacia
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Oregon grape holly
5. Don’t Hide Valuables in the Master Bedroom
The master bedroom is one of the first places burglars look after entering a
house. Master bedrooms are typically easily to access, which is part of the
charm for burglars.
Take a quick inventory of what you keep in your master bedroom. Is there
jewelry, electronics, cash, or credit cards? Anything of value that can easily
be moved should be relocated to somewhere unexpected. And what’s more
unexpected than jewelry in the laundry room? Or an emergency fund stashed in
your toddler’s bedroom? Few criminals would think to check for valuables in
these places. Doing the unexpected can save you in the long run.
Avoid the more common hiding spots such as in CD or DVD cases, under
mattresses, behind pictures, or in lightweight safes that can be easily be
carried away. Some burglars might not give up until they find something
valuable. In case of that, you could keep fake jewelry in a jewelry case by
your bed. This would serve as a great decoy for any burglars. Speaking of
decoys…
6. Get a Decoy Safe
To start with, never store your valuables in a safe that is not high quality
and hasn’t been bolted down. But if you really want to foil criminals, from
clumsy robbers to Ocean’s-11-caliber operators, buy a small decoy safe to throw
burglars off the scent as to where the real goods are. Because burglars want to
get in and out as fast as possible, they’ll be much more likely to run off with
a decoy safe full of fake valuables and discontinue their search. Be sure to
put the decoy safe somewhere easy to find and the real safe somewhere very
difficult to find.
7. Keep Your Car Keys With You
Keep your keys on you during the day and by your bed while you sleep. Most car
key fobs have a panic button nowadays. If you hear or see a burglar trying to
get into your house, press the panic button. The last thing a burglar wants is
to rob a noisy house that draws unwanted attention. Better yet, also keep a
garage door opener nearby. If you open the garage, it will make it easier for
the neighbors to hear your car alarm. Just make sure the door leading into the
house is locked. Note: This only works in neighborhoods where the houses are
very close together.
Read more: 7 Unusual Home Security Tips You Probably Didn’t Know
Related article: Are Your Safe In Your Home?
