Home Security Systems

Reba said:
Oh, now I know what you mean. Those aren't wind chimes. Those are either bells activated by the door's motion, or electronic chimes activated by buttons from the door's opening. Some stores use motion sensors at the doorway but not on the door itself.
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That, too but I believe that Naisho meant that a small wind chime is hanged on the top of the door inside which I noticed some low-budget stores use.
 
CrazyPaul said:
That, too but I believe that Naisho meant that a small wind chime is hanged on the top of the door inside which I noticed some low-budget stores use.
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Maybe. I'm not familiar with those. I have wind chimes near my front door but they are positioned for the wind to move them, not the door.
 
Reba said:
That's not going to fit design of my house or yard. :)
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Remember, the operating methodology here is 'cheaper alternatives'. These are just some quick ideas to get you thinking, "What can I do to improve my home security that doesn't involve thousands of dollars?" It is not necessary to disapprove or criticize the philosphy of them, since they are used out there for purposes of security alone.

The purpose is to utilize three major components to dissuade a habitual offender who decides by chance. They will never really have full effect on a motivated offender.
Natural Surveillance: Dissuade potential wrong doers by activating public spaces and creating lines of sight.
Natural Access Control: Use attendants, fences, locks, or simple definition of architectural space to create a perception of risk in potential offenders.
Territorial Reinforcement: Use physical design to create a territorial sphere of influence so that users of a public space feel a sense of ownership over it.
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They work for some people, others not so much. Some cities have gone a step further and have shared the ideas with their residents based on experiences and studies. Portland shares their ideas publicly, their examples are here:
http://www.portlandoregon.gov/oni/article/320548
ENB-22.01 - Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) Policy Strategy (If you click on Exhibit A - City of Portland CPTED Definition and Policy Strategies, you should be able to see a full out example for various residents of the city.)

Reba said:
On the doors? Or near the doors? I don't understand how that would work.
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On the doors. They don't have to be chimes, they can be as simple as loose bells. Chimes can be suspended with an overhead arm so they go with the movement of the door or screen. Or you can go the other route of the electronic method. The idea is to serve two purposes, one is to let a preying buglar to "see" that s/he needs to dismantle the device before intruding. The other is to alert nearby neighbors or you by just merely looking at who's in your doorway. Obviously, this is suited towards hearing residents, not so much for the deaf. Although the neighbor principle still applies, but only if the neighbors are active in being alerted and doing something about it....
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Reba said:
Can you give an example? I understand about the high contrast but I don't understand how that would indicated whether or not the door is locked.
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Some studies on offenders/burglar psychology have shown that they can be thwarted by first impressions. A fence painted with two opposing contrasts (on the door, and the locking mechanism) draws attention to the native eye, and this increases the likelihood of the prospective burglar seeing that it is locked securely (if padlocked) thus dissuading them from further considering. An analogy is sort of like a man seeing a vibrantly colored ring on a woman's ring finger. It would dissuade some men from attempting to woo the lady based on that split second reaction alone.

Reba said:
I hope that no intruder would be in my back yard because we keep the privacy fence gate locked except when we're moving the trailer in or out. However, I did have a guy scale my fence once. He was on drugs and shirtless. I was sitting at my kitchen table in front of the slider door when I saw him looking in. I got up, shouted, "What are doing?" and then ran out my front door. I found some other neighbors standing in the street, and they told me who it was and what happened. The police came and apprehended the guy.
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That's a crazy experience. Now I haven't experienced an offenses yet, but did I keep with reading crime reports and news in local areas. Some burglars were talking about the backyard being an instant point of entry, since they can immediately check if there are any valuables stored there. That's what drew some residents to put up taller metal gate-type doors with very sharp finials to dissuade fence hoppers.

Reba said:
This is the suggestion that I questioned as "seriously?" Even if they were allowed in our neighborhood (they are not), I don't want to live in a prison.
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I understand the expression, hence I was referring to the prison style. Anyway, in all seriousness if you look at the designs they offer today it's not so "prison-ish".. Have a look at some of them - not that I'm trying to convince anyone to get one!
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Reba said:
One thing we have is good nighttime outside lighting. The street light is on the corner of our lot, so most of the front yard is lit up. We have a flood light on our Flag all night, which also lights up the front porch. We have motion detector lights at the front door, back deck, garage door (each side), and both sides of the house.
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Nighttime lighting is discussed a lot, it's good to see you are prepared in that. I was reading about the illumination type may be having an effect, but I'm not sure if I buy those opinions. There's usually talk about lamp colors and type having an impact (here's one that talks about it: http://www.sdsheriff.net/documents/cfmh_manual.pdf)
 
naisho said:
Remember, the operating methodology here is 'cheaper alternatives'. These are just some quick ideas to get you thinking, "What can I do to improve my home security that doesn't involve thousands of dollars?" It is not necessary to disapprove or criticize the philosphy of them, since they are used out there for purposes of security alone.
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I was just explaining why I can't use some of those suggestions.

On the doors. They don't have to be chimes, they can be as simple as loose bells. Chimes can be suspended with an overhead arm so they go with the movement of the door or screen. Or you can go the other route of the electronic method. The idea is to serve two purposes, one is to let a preying buglar to "see" that s/he needs to dismantle the device before intruding. The other is to alert nearby neighbors or you by just merely looking at who's in your doorway. Obviously, this is suited towards hearing residents, not so much for the deaf. Although the neighbor principle still applies, but only if the neighbors are active in being alerted and doing something about it....
AWWcS3T.jpg
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Ah, that makes it more clear. :)

Some studies on offenders/burglar psychology have shown that they can be thwarted by first impressions. A fence painted with two opposing contrasts (on the door, and the locking mechanism) draws attention to the native eye, and this increases the likelihood of the prospective burglar seeing that it is locked securely (if padlocked) thus dissuading them from further considering…
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Oh, I see, padlocks. That makes more sense. A regular door lock isn't obvious about its status but a padlock would be. Of course, I can't use padlocks on my house doors. We do have one on our drive-thru gate.

That's a crazy experience. Now I haven't experienced an offenses yet, but did I keep with reading crime reports and news in local areas. Some burglars were talking about the backyard being an instant point of entry, since they can immediately check if there are any valuables stored there. That's what drew some residents to put up taller metal gate-type doors with very sharp finials to dissuade fence hoppers.
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When I was in Ecuador, I noticed that the top edges of all the walls were covered with broken glass.

However, in my neighborhood, walls, barbed wire, concertina wire, etc., are not allowed. No kind of real fencing is allowed in the front yards.

I understand the expression, hence I was referring to the prison style. Anyway, in all seriousness if you look at the designs they offer today it's not so "prison-ish".. Have a look at some of them - not that I'm trying to convince anyone to get one!
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Yes, I know they make decorative protective bars but we aren't allowed to have any kind on our windows or doors.
 
Best security would be to have nothing worth stealing..lol Only kidding, don't be like me. :p
 
Chevy57 said:
Same feature as live streaming in my iPhone and motion alert send email on dropcam.com But no recording.

I like Logitech Alert security system but cam is too costly. Cam w/ night vision cost $299 and w/o night vision $199. Dropcam cam is cheap cost at $150. I had won eBay bid to get new one at $122. I will get other one for my den office later.
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I know a cheaper one which will only cost $46.99 on eBay.it is TENVIS, which is not a famous brand, but it has all the functions that a monitoring camera should have. I have bought one mainly because of its cheap price, it truns out that the quality is quite good.
 
Reba, look into coating your windows with security film. There are a few different companies that make it. One is Shatter Safe with a really bad website, and this is 3Ms series of security window film 3M Scotchshield Automotive Security Films - Clear and tinted Security films for cars, trucks - 3M Scotchshield

If all the windows are locked and your doors are locked, the burglar is then going to look for the next quickest way into your home which is bashing a window. Both sites have videos of people trying to break the window down. These films will not keep someone out permanently, but they take more effort and time than a burglar has, they won't spend 5 minutes bashing at a window with a baseball bat.

One thing I never understood is why people who have dogs actually think the dogs are going to do something if their home is burgled. Family dogs are generally nice animals, the same thing that makes them nice to family makes them back down when a threatening person comes by. They are not going to do anything to the person. Some more naturally aggressive breeds might make a stand, but even in those breeds it's rare that they do anything but posture. There used to be a show called "It Takes a Thief" where a former thief was shown breaking into random homes to show just how easy it was. Every single dog backed down and didn't approach the strangers in the house except for one Shar Pei. That dog actually stood his ground. The thief was able to push him into a back room using a broom. The only dogs that might do something are actual attack trained dogs.

The repeated lesson that that show came up with is that the vast, vast majority of break ins happen because there is an easily fixed safety issue. Windows on the second floor were left unlocked, the door between the garage and your home was unlocked, your garage was easy to get into and you store ladders there, etc. Video surveillance does seem to be a good deterrent and motion sensors help (the ones that flash an outdoor light).
If you're worried about not hearing the beep of your alarm system, the company can actually wire a horn into the system, or it's easy enough to do yourself and they are cheap.
 
Thank you for your input. :ty:

Eater of Worlds said:
Reba, look into coating your windows with security film. There are a few different companies that make it. One is Shatter Safe with a really bad website, and this is 3Ms series of security window film 3M Scotchshield Automotive Security Films - Clear and tinted Security films for cars, trucks - 3M Scotchshield

If all the windows are locked and your doors are locked, the burglar is then going to look for the next quickest way into your home which is bashing a window. Both sites have videos of people trying to break the window down. These films will not keep someone out permanently, but they take more effort and time than a burglar has, they won't spend 5 minutes bashing at a window with a baseball bat.
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We've thought about that, for storm protection, too. We have 24 windows, half of them 6-footers, and all of them are the small individual panes (colonial style, I call it). What I really want is new windows but that would cost over $10,000. I don't like my current windows because they are very hard to open, hard to clean, and the outside trim needs frequent painting and/or replacing.

One thing I never understood is why people who have dogs actually think the dogs are going to do something if their home is burgled…
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We used to have two Labradors, mother and son. They were very friendly. The only thing that roused them up at our previous home was if someone tried to scale the back fence, a 4-ft. chain link. For some reason, that drove them wild, even if it was one of the family. They got very defensive. The problem was, they also got competitive. They usually ended up attacking each other rather that the interloper. However, all that snarling, barking, snapping and leaping might have deterred someone from entering the yard.

The only dogs that might do something are actual attack trained dogs.
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True. We used to know someone who had a huge Russian wolfhound. Her house was broken into. She replaced her locks and door, and got broken into again. (They removed the entire door.) Finally, she bought (or maybe leased) a trained guard dog who was strictly a working dog. No more break ins. Also, no one ever wanted to visit her at home anymore. If she had a social event she had to send the guard dog to the handler.

The repeated lesson that that show came up with is that the vast, vast majority of break ins happen because there is an easily fixed safety issue. Windows on the second floor were left unlocked, the door between the garage and your home was unlocked, your garage was easy to get into and you store ladders there, etc.
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In our neighborhood there's been a rash of "break ins" into vehicles. I use the parentheses because I don't consider them true break ins because the vehicles were unlocked. We keep our vehicles locked all the time. What gets me too, is that people leave cash, guns, jewelry, electronic equipment (phones, cameras, tablets, etc.), purses, wallets, important files, etc., in their unlocked cars in plain sight!

Video surveillance does seem to be a good deterrent and motion sensors help (the ones that flash an outdoor light)...
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We're considering that. One benefit we have is outdoor lighting.
 
I'm here, just haven't seen anything helpful yet. I'm not interested in a security camera.
 
I know nothing about home security but need a efficent one if we move in an apartment complex where sometimes break ins can happen.
 
I had an ADT system installed a year ago. With a little research of my own I was able to customize the system to my needs. It was $59 installed with a new model panel with LCD display and 2 door sensors and 1 motion detector. Monitoring fee is $50/month. I added another door and motion detector I bought from ebay. The panel has a 3 day battery backup and buttons to call police or fire departments. Fire/smoke sensors were extra so I got that from ebay also. I was not able to hear the arming beeps or the voice prompts (yes, it talks too) in the beginning But I added a remote keypad (also from ebay!) to put near my entry door and I can actually hear the beeps and voice prompts from the new keypad. I have severe frequency loss but with hearing aids I hear a little. The monthly fee is kinda high but after my contract is up there are several other alarm monitoring companies that charge only $10/month and are compatible with the ADT system. Overall I am satisfied with it after tailoring it to my needs.
I get text messages for alarms and can setup texts for simple events like door opening or disarming/arming, etc. In the even of an alarm, I get an immediate text.
 
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