How to Burglar Proof Doors and Windows

A house should be a safe haven for all who live there but statistics show that this isn't the case. Most criminals who break into homes try to do so when the house is empty. They look for homes that have door and windows that provide poor visibility to others and relatively easy access. The trick is to make breaking into your home as complicated as possible so it will not be seen as an easy target. Securing your doors and windows--your points of entry--will help to keep your home and family safe.

Instructions

1. All entryways should ideally have some light around them. At the very least all doors should be well lit. Lights that come on with dusk are great. Motion sensitive lights are also good. Another option is halogen lights that are available for a monthly fee from most power companies. These provide a great deal of light over a large area.

2. Doors should be secured with deadbolt locks that extend 1" into the door frame. Never trust chain locks as these are surprisingly easy to kick or push through. If you are in a new house or apartment, it really is safest if you change out the locks. You have no idea how many keys are out there or whose hands they are in.

3. If you need to hide a key outside, don't put it in obvious places - under mats, on door frames, under flower pots or lawn art. Hide it inside your shed out of sight or put it into a watertight container - like the plastic ones that film is sold in - and bury it in the yard. Make sure it's in a place where others can't see you retrieving it. Bury it near a landmark like the swingset or grill.

4. Windows and sliding glass doors need to be secured. You can buy locks specially made for this or you can make them with a hammer and 3/4 to 1" nail. Hammer the nail into the window track when the window is closed. You can put it up a bit so that the window can open a few inches but anymore than that defeats the purpose. Do the same with sliding doors. You can take the nail in and out easily by using anail a tiny bit bigger first make your nail hole or by wiggling the nail a bit. Make sure the hole is not so big that the nail could fall or slide out easily.

5. Curtains should be opaque and they should always be kept shut after dark. Any windows in doors should be covered with a blind or curtain - or just a piece of fabric as well. Most houses are staked out before they are actually broken into. Nightime visibility makes the bad guys jobs really easy.

6. It's good to have signs in the window as deterrents. You can buy home security signs on the internet and in some home improvement stores. Beware of dog signs are also great - even if you have a chihuahua those signs serve to complicate the picture.

7. Another sign that helps is 'No Solicitors-Day Sleeper' since most break ins are done in daylight hours. You could write the same signs with "Day and Night Sleepers Here' if you fear night time break ins.

8. Peepholes should be installed in every door that has no windows. You really need to see who's knocking or even just who's around before you open your door. If you have an apartment or for some reason ca'n't do that, you can install an auto mirror with the rounded mirror mounted on it. You can find these in automotive stores or department stores. They aren't terrible attractive but they can be mounted on the house near a window so that you can view the fromt of the door. Never open the door for anyone you don't know.

9. You can buy fake cameras to put up around your home so that it looks like it's being surveilled. Make sure you put them high enough to be out of reach but still visible so theives can't rip them out and see that they aren't real.

10. Securing your points of entry takes little time and effort yet it may save your property or even your life.