For most of us, our home is our sanctuary. It’s where we come back after a hard work day and where most of our memories are made. It’s also where we keep all our most precious belongings.
Keeping it secure – and our family, for that matter – is a no-brainer. But what is the best way to ensure your home is secure and protected?
@metpoliceuk: “Burglars are often opportunistic thieves who prey on houses and flats. They seek out any opening that they can take advantage of, specifically doors and windows that are left open or unlocked or are easy to force. Anything of value that they might spot through a window will only spur them on.”
Here are some of our ideas for keeping your home safer, from windows with reinforced glass to make them harder to get through to window locks and high-security doors with multipoint locking:
Multi-point locking door system
A front and back door with a multi-point locking system is extremely popular in the UK. The system involves a lock bolt, a deadbolt, and many hook bolts and compression bolts. A lot of locking, in other words. This makes it extremely secure against burglars. Multi-point locking doors are designed specifically for high-security purposes.
Window locks
It’s usually through a window that a burglar enters a home – that or a carelessly left open or unlocked door. It makes sense then to get locks for all your windows – at least those on the ground floor, or other windows that are easy to access by ladder or standing on a bin etc.
You can also add laminate film to the glass to prevent a frustrated burglar from breaking the glass when they come across a window lock. This makes it harder to push the glass away from the window. Sash windows are more difficult to open from the outside and worth considering if you are worried about your home security.
Reinforced glass
Installing toughened glass is another way to keep burglars from breaking into your home. The glass is made to withstand strong impacts and won’t shatter like typical glass panes. Reinforced glass contains several sheets of glass – each sheet separated from the others with a transparent film. You’ll also find it referred to as laminated glass.
When buying reinforced glass, you will find there are several categories of resistance, from lowest to high. Your choice will depend on the damage your windows are likely to face and how much you want to pay.
Gravel path
Most homeowners do not traditionally view it as a safety measure, but the noise of a burglar walking on a gravel path in the dead of night can alert you to a possible break-in. And it could even put a burglar off attempting to break in in the first place. So, is a gravel path worth considering? Absolutely.