Home Security Tips

Many of the following home security tips are especially pertinent for those of you who live in houses/townhouses. Condo dwellers can still go a long way to ensuring their safety and that of their neighbours.

Doors, Windows, Locks and Keys

• All doors that lead to the outside should be metal or solid-core, 1-3/4 inch hardwood. Most hollow doors can be easily broken through.
  Each door should fit in its frame with no more than 1/8 inch clearance between the door and frame. A metal lining on the inside of an exterior door can prevent drilling, sawing, or kicking through.
  

• Make sure all doors to the outside have good locks -- dead bolt locks with a minimum 1-1/2 inch bolt. Make sure locks are also installed on screen and storm doors, garage doors, cellar doors, patio doors, and any other door that leads to the outside (including second-floor patios or decks). Always use the locks you have, on both your home and your garage. Lock up every time you go out, even if it`s only for a few minutes. Almost 50 percent of burglars enter homes through unlocked doors or windows.
  

• Locks on doors should be placed at least 40 inches away from windows, glass panels, and other potential openings such as mail slots. Make it hard for a burglar to reach in and unlock your door. Or install double cylinder, dead bolt locks that need to be opened with a key from the inside as well as the outside.
  

• Door hinges should always be on the inside and designed so that hinge pin cannot be removed from the outside.
  

• Never hide keys outside, such as under a bush, floor mat, or in a flower pot. Burglars know where to find "secret" hiding places. It`s much better to leave a key with a trusted neighbor.
  

• Don`t place identification tags on your keys or key rings; if you lose them, you give potential burglars help.
  

• Secure sliding glass doors with commercially available bars or locks, or put a stick/pole or broom handle in the door track. Burglars look for sliding glass doors because they are the easiest to open.
  

• Secure roof openings and exhaust systems.
  

• Make sure windows, especially those at ground level, have good locks-and always use the locks you have.
  

• The center thumb-turn locks on many standard windows can be easily pried open or reached through a broken pane. For especially vulnerable windows, install key locks or consider installing grates or grilles (but make sure the devices can be easily detached to allow quick escape during a fire or other emergency). Glass block windows offer excellent security for basement windows.

Shrubbery and Lighting

• Make sure all porches and other possible entrances are well lit, with at least 40-watt bulbs. A well-lit house is far better protected than a house without lights.
  

• Overgrown bushes, tree limbs, or landscaping can provide cover for burglars. Trim them to the height of porches or windows.

Other Suggestions

• Always lock up ladders and tools. Don`t give a burglar the resources to break into your home.
  
• Window air conditioning units should be bolted to the wall to prevent them from being easily removed from the outside.
  
• If you have recently purchased a television, stereo equipment, or other household item, do not throw the empty boxes out by your garbage can. This is a sure sign and strong temptation for burglars.
  
• Turn the ringer on the telephone down low. If a burglar is around, he won`t be alerted to your absence by a ringing phone.
  
• If you are out during the day or on vacation, use an automatic timer to turn on lights and a radio at different times of the day. It is an easy way to disguise the fact they you aren't home.
  
• Have a trusted neighbour pick up your mail and newspapers every day while you are on vacation