The crime figures of South Africa are sufficient to keep the majority of us up at night, but our nation is not the only one that is subject to break-ins, theft, and other horrifying crimes. The first error you can make is to adopt the mentality that “It only appears to be happening to other people,” which is a common misconception. To their credit, designers in South Africa are no strangers to the challenge of designing homes that successfully incorporate aesthetic value with structural touches to assist homeowners in maintaining a sense of safety and security.
If you have the right mindset, which is “I ought to keep myself and my family safe,” and you follow these tips for securing your gates, windows, gardens, and other spaces in your home, you and your family have a much better chance of avoiding having your home broken into.
When It Comes to Protecting Your Home, You Should Select an Alarm System Carefully
Thankfully, there is a wide selection of different alarm systems to choose from. If any movement is detected inside the house, the alarm will be triggered by the sensors or beams that you have installed in your home. You can position these in various parts of the house that you feel need additional security measures. In addition, you can configure your system in such a manner that it gives you the ability to select which detectors to initiate and when. For instance, you could turn the sensors in your bedroom on when you’re not there but turn them off when you’re in bed.
There is also the option of getting beams that are crafted to be pet-friendly. These beams are either placed in such a manner that they search above the medium height of a dog or cat, or they are tailored to record movement as coming from a source that is smaller than a human. When it comes to protecting your home from potential invaders, outer beams are especially essential. If you position these in the vicinity of your doors and windows, you will be alerted to the presence of any uninvited visitors who are on the exterior of your home.
Sensors at the points of entry are essential components of any alarm system. These are typically magnets or sensors that are attached to the windows and doors of your home, and they trigger the alarm if they are separated from one another. These sensors give you some leeway, so you can crack a window just a crack to let some cool air in while still maintaining your level of safety.
For Added Protection at Home, Install Burglar Bars
Intruders will likely try to gain access to the home through one of these points of entry first because it is relatively simple for them to smash a standard window. This is precisely the reason why there is such a wide variety of styles and kinds of bars available to assist you in securing your windows. Fixed exterior bars, also known as Spanish thief bars, can serve as a stylish feature on your windows. The curves or decorative elements can still go a long way toward protecting you from potential intruders.
In addition, there are a variety of strategies for concealing the presence of interior burglar bars. You can paint them to complement either your window pane or the walls that surround them; this will provide you with additional security without giving the appearance that your home is a prison. The perfect solution for uninterrupted views is detachable burglar bars. It is also suggested to have at least one extendable set in a bedroom or on the side of the property where everybody sleeps (whichever is applicable).
Install Security Gates
It should come as no surprise that adding a layer of protection to the doors of a home can save lives. A security checkpoint is yet another protective shield that a burglar must penetrate through to enter a building. Because of this, security gates are often effective deterrents for thieves who are looking for easy targets.
It is recommended to think about installing a two-lock system, which consists of a gate that has both a door lock and a spring-loaded lock. When compared to a spring-loaded lock, this alternative is significantly more robust and requires significantly more effort to select or breakthrough. On the other hand, in the event of an emergency, the spring-loaded lock enables you to smash the gate behind you and cause it to lock itself immediately.
Physical Barriers Like a Trellidor
According to the findings of several studies, it takes roughly 3 minutes for tenants to be dominated by thieves. Several layers of security work together to keep people out, but the final line of defense is physical barriers.
In South Africa, one of the most sought-after opportunities is to purchase a Trellidor franchise. They conduct a comprehensive security risk evaluation of a person’s property to identify its vulnerable spots and provide advice on suitable barriers that are affordable.
If you cannot afford to install locks on all of the doors and windows in your house, prioritize those that are the most susceptible to break-ins (like the ones leading to the bedrooms). Alternatively, you could combine several different types of barriers that are offered at varying prices. Price is generally a good indicator of resilience, so safeguard accessible entry points with the most robust barriers possible, and keep the rest of the openings protected with versions that are less highly engineered. In addition, make it a habit to double-check that all of your security barriers are locked at all times.
Some Reminders to Keep in Mind Regarding Home Security
You should give your alert system at least one test every month, and if it turns out to be faulty, you should contact a technician as soon as possible. Also, don’t forget to tell your surveillance supplier that you are placing your system into test mode so that they can prepare for it. It is important to cut back on the amount of vegetation and bushes that are located close to your driveway because these elements provide potential criminals with excellent hiding places.
- Choose an automatic gate instead of a manual one so that you can remain in your car while entering or exiting your property.
- Installing a wrought-iron gate or an expansive grille gate in your home will provide you with a secure location to which you can escape in the event of an unexpected event.
- You should program a number to call in case of an emergency into the speed-dial function of your phone.
- Pick a home security provider that dispatches officers to your house the moment the alarm goes off, rather than one that calls you first to check that nothing is amiss and then dispatches officers.
