The safety of your home and your family is of the utmost importance.? And while you may have addressed basic security issues by installing a deadbolt on the front door, keeping doors and windows locked at all times, and even locking the garage, there are still plenty of ways that potential intruders could break into your home for the purpose of theft, personal attack, or other criminal mischief.? Even if you live in a fairly safe area, it pays to look into other ways of protecting your home from possible threats (both external and internal).? Here are just a few ways you can do so.
- Fencing.? Just because your house is designed to keep intruders out doesn?t mean that your yard is equally impervious.? A picket fence may be pretty, but it won?t stop anyone from getting in.? By adding more secure fencing, you can stop potentially serious situations such as pets escaping (getting hurt or harming others), children wandering off or getting snatched, and of course, others coming in.? If you have a pool, a secure fence and locked gates are a necessity; you don?t want neighborhood kids sneaking in for a swim only to drown.
- Flood lights.? This is an excellent way to deter intruders, since they likely don?t want to be seen breaking into your house.? They can be annoying since any movement caught by sensors will set them off (animals included), but for the money, they are a simple and inexpensive way to protect your home.
- Burglar alarms.??Installing an alarm system?in your home comes with three great perks.? For one thing, it gives you early warning of intrusion.? For another thing, it means police will soon be on the way.? And finally, it will give you a break on your homeowners insurance.
- Surveillance system.? Placing security cameras around your property may constitute going overboard for the average homeowner.? But if you find that you are in danger of imminent attack (because of fame and fortune, a stalker, or some other threat), then nothing that ensures your safety is too much.
- Neighborhood watch.? Even safe areas are prone to criminal activity once in a while.? By setting up a neighborhood watch, the community can work to ensure the safety of everyone living there by keeping their eyes peeled for strange activity.? This will make it much more difficult for strangers to gain entry into homes or access to children.
- Fire safety.? Now that you?ve found a few ways to protect your home from outside threats, it?s time to consider what you can do inside to ensure the safety of your family.? House fires are more common than you might imagine, so it?s imperative to keep working smoke detectors in every room (check or change the batteries every six months when you roll your clocks forward or back) and fire extinguishers on every floor (check the gauges once a year and refill as needed).
- Chemical safety. There are all kinds of chemicals in the home that you know not to ingest, but your kids and pets are a different story.? Keep them safe by storing cleaning supplies and medications out of reach and in locked cabinets.? And program the number for poison control into your phone just in case.
Great article. I am glad that you addressed chemical safety. It seems a lot of parents consider what is unsafe for their child, but not necessarily for their pets. We keep a poison control magnet on the fridge.. one for the kids and another for a pet hotline.