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Making sure you're secure!
 1. Any liquid lubricant (that remains a liquid - such as wd40) in this application may eventually collect enough dust and dirt to cause the lock mechanism to stick. the best lubricants for lock mechanisms are teflon and/or silcone based lubricants from which the carrier solvents evaporate and leave a dry teflon/silicone coating on the internal surfaces of the lock mechanism. both are available in small cans at most hardware outlets. if you have a 'problem' lock you might try using a lock cleaning solution before using the silicone or teflon. 2. Window locks can add another blanket of security to home, as it can be used as a security lock. window sash locks can help keep out intruders and provide you with peace of mind. window locks can also be used for increased storm protection. they can be used on vinyl windows (plastic windows), aluminum windows or wood windows. any type of window can usually be outfitted with a lock, and this is very useful. 3. Install good deadbolt locks in your doors (not the spring-latch ones with the key in the knob) and use them! about 33 percent of burglars get in through unlocked doors and windows! 4. Avoid door locks that can be manipulated by breaking glass or door panels to reach inside. 5. Make sure outside doors, including the one between your house and garage, are solid 1-3/4 inch metal or wood and fit tightly in their frames. hinges should be on the inside. 6. Secure glass doors with commercially-availabale locks, with a rigid wooden dowel or other device in the track, or with a nail inserted through a hole drilled in the sliding door frame and projecting into the fixed frame. 7. Lock double-hung windows by sliding a bolt or nail through a hole drilled at a downward angle in each top corner of the inside sash, or buy window key locks at a hardware store. consider grills for basement or street-level windows. 8. Windows that cannot be seen from the street because of location or fences are a favorite place of entry for burglars. these windows should be locked with secure locks, burglar-resistant glass or releasable iron bars. 9. Keep the garage door closed and locked. this helps protect valuable property stored in your garage and prevents access to interior doors to the house. an open garage is an invitation to a burglar. 10. Garage windows should be locked and reinforced with mesh screening. they should be covered with shades or blinds so a burglar cannot look inside for possible loot or for an indication of someone being home. 11. Immediately change the opener remote control security code from its factory default setting to prevent others with the same unit from opening your door. many garage door openers have a manually changeable code that must be changed to match the remote control. 12. a) Trim back shrubbery that hides doors or windows. cut back tree limbs thot could help a thief climb into a second story window. b) Plant thorny or aggressive plants under windows and along fences. 13. Make sure all porches, entrances and yards are well-lighted. 14. Make sure your house number is clearly visible from the street (and alley) during the day--and at nighttime--to help police and fire departments respond to emergency calls. 15. light the outside of your house. exterior lights are important, especially near doors, windows and carports. criminals do not like light and will avoid it. 16. Place your mailbox where it can be seen and observed by neighbors. put only your street address on the box, not your name. 17. Storage sheds or outside buildings should be securely locked. any tools or equipment that could help a burglar break into your home should be locked in the shed or stored in a locked garage. 18. Fences make it harder for a burglar to carry away large items, but are only effective if the gates are locked. gates should always be locked. 19. All sides of your home should be protected by security lighting. - attractive, low-wattage lighting may be an effective way to keep intruders from getting interested. 20. Help keep your neighborhood in good shape. dark alleys, litter and run-down areas attract crime. 21. Do not hide house keys in mailboxes, planters, or under doormats. give a duplicate key to a trusted friend or neighbor in care you are locked out. 22. Do not put any personal identification on key rings. 23. Leave only your ignition key with service mechanics and parking garage attendants. 24. If you lose the keys to your home, or move into a new home, change the locks immediately. 25. Install a peep-hole or wide-angle viewer in all entry doors so you can see who is outside without opening the door. a short chain between the door and the jamb is not a good substitute because it can be easily broken. 26. Install a security screen door and keep it locked at all times. 27. Don't open the door to anyone you do not know without first verifying that person's identity. 28. A sign indicating an alarm system has been installed, that a dangerous dog is present, or other waning signs can be a good deterrent. to be effective, signs must be of sufficient size to attract attention and be in a conspicuous place. |
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29. Locks and doors are your first line of home security ; most burglars enter through an existing opening. with locks, perhaps more than with other hardware, you get what you pay for. you shouldn't scrimp when selecting locks, a few dollars up front can prevent a sizable loss later. you want the best quality locks you can afford! 30. You have security with a lock only when you can account for every key; if you are buying an existing home, pay for a qualified and reputable locksmith to change the keyways and establish good key control from the outset. 31. Key-in-the knob locksets offer virtually no security; if your home is equipped with these, they should be replaced. the most secure locks are double-cylinder deadbolts, which require a key to operate from either side. the bolt (the part that extends from the door) should be at least one inch long, and should be hardened steel. the strike (the plate which the bolt sticks into) should be installed with screws long enough to engage the structural stud behind the doorframe (and not just the door frame or trim like many are currently installed); a box strike (one which surrounds the bolt; not just a "plate") is best. 32. The door should swing in to prevent any attack on the hinges; if code requires a door swing outward, it should be installed on non-removable pin hinges or the hinges should be "pinned" (meaning you remove the screw from opposing positions on both top and bottom hinges, and drive a pin or nail into one of the holes; when the door is closed, this pin engages the matching hole, and holds the door in place even if the hinge pin is removed). any contractor can pin hinges (you can probably do it yourself with simple hand tools). 33. Whether to have double-cylinder deadbolts on a home (if permitted by local fire codes) is largely a safety decision. double-cylinder deadbolts are those which have no inside thumb-turn, but require a key to open from the interior. while much more secure, they can pose a threat to personal safety in the event of fire. most law enforcement officials agree that this threat can be minimized by forming the habit of inserting yours key(s) in the main entry lockset whenever anyone is home. this enables you to have the security of the double-cylinder deadbolt, but ensure that no one is trapped should a fire or other emergency necessitate evacuation. 34. The safest locksets are called panic-proof deadbolts; they give you the security provided by a deadbolt but open from the inside with a single action (usually a turn of the knob), thus preventing any entrapment in the event of an emergency. panic-proof deadbolts are somewhat vulnerable to manipulation from outside if adjacent to a glass panel. doors should be configured so that any glass panel is at least thirty-six inches from the inside doorknob to prevent manipulation from the outside. if glazing panels must be closer than this, non-breakable glazing should be used (polycarbonate or acrylic panels are available). 35. If there is a mail slot in the door, it should be removed and the hole patched, or the flap should be secured in place from the inside so that the opening cannot be used as a means through which the lock can be reached and manipulated. 36. If there is no glazing panel in the front door, or the glazing is not transparent, a door-viewer should be installed. door viewers are available which give a very wide field of view; the wider the field, the better for security. low cost surveillance cameras can also be used and viewed from your livingroom or bedroom t.v. 37. Sliding doors are inherently less secure, and should be avoided if possible. double-door sets incorporating one fixed door and one working door within a sliding door-sized opening are much more secure and give nearly equal light and openness. if sliding doors are already in place, or must be used for some other reason, make certain the sliding panel is inside. if it's outside, you've got a serious security problem, because most can be lifted and removed, and almost all effective security devices for sliding doors rely upon the sliding portion being inside. have your contractor install screws in the track above the sliding part so it cannot be lifted and tilted out of the frame. ask for an after-market security device such as a "charley-bar", which is a solid bar that latches in place between the sliding panel and the frame. also install a pin-lock (drill a hole completely through the sliding panel so that a solid metal pin can be inserted and secure the sliding to the fixed panel). most locks on sliding doors are of poor quality; any device which latches to the frame can often be jostled out of the locked position from the outside. look instead for a plunger-type lock which operates in the same manner as the pin-lock described above but incorporates a keyed plunger. 38. French doors, or any paired doors which do not have a center post, are inherently insecure, and should not be used on the exterior of a home. if an existing home has such doors, security can be enhanced by installing heavy-duty vertical bolts to secure the inactive leaf of the set to the threshold and the top jamb, and installing a quality deadbolt on the live leaf to secure it to the inactive one. comments {above} about hinges apply to these doors. 39. Auxiliary locks on doors, typically a sliding piece attached by a chain to the door jamb, are not effective security devices, and their use is discouraged, as it tends to create a false sense of security. almost any adult can force open a door secured only with a chain; proper security is achieved by not opening your door until you are satisfied that you want to admit whomever is outside. locks are only effective when properly installed in a quality door and jamb assembly. installing a quality lock on a cheap door is pointless. and installing a lock improperly negates almost all security value. check to ensure your primary security devices are providing the desired protection!  |