Improve the Security of Your Home

Last Updated on June 19, 2012

With summer beginning, home burglaries skyrocket due to the ideal weather conditions. The added expense of a home security system can be overwhelming to some, so here are eight DIY tips you can do around your home to beef up your security and keep your family safe.

Here’s what you can do to strengthen your exterior doors:

• Reinforced Locking Mechanisms – Installing a 1-inch-long deadbolt lock, and a reinforced metal strike plate.
• Burglar-Proof Hinges – Re-hang your door to make certain the hinges are installed on the inside.  You can also hammer a nail through the midsection of the door hinge to make sure its hinges are never removed.
• Strengthen Your Door Frame – Secure your door frame to the wall by mounting a few three-inch screws along the frame and door stop.  Make sure the screws reach the wall stud.

So what can you do to prevent a burglar from coming in your window?

• Protect Glass Areas – 3M manufactures security or safety window film that can resist blows of up to 400 foot-pounds. This usually costs anywhere from $100-$150 dollars, depending on the size of your windows.
• Window Locks – Insert detachable eye-bolts in holes that you can drill into the sash where they both overlap.  Y can add locking scissor gates, or even metal grills.

Also check these added security measures you can take care of outside your home:

• Trim Hedges – Burglars hide behind hedges to get a better look into your home.  They can also break a window undetected by watching neighbors. Trim them down to a point where it’s possible to see your neighbors and anyone passing your home from the street.
• Security Landscaping – Another good way to deter burglars from breaking or entering your windows is to plant any type of thorny bush.  Roses are great and aesthetically pleasing.
• Lay Groundwork – Lay gravel under windows, or even as a surface treatment for a driveway.  A burglar’s footsteps can be heard in advance with these security measures in place.