How to Burglar Proof Your House

Many people have their houses and vehicles burglarized and feel completely helpless to stop it. Here's some tips and hints to try and keep you from becoming a victim.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Good locks for windows/doors
• Motion detector lights
• Shatter safe film for windows
• timer for lights
• cleaning supplies!

1. Burglars are going to look for the easiest houses to break into. Most burglaries happen during the day while you're out, or while you're on vacation. The trick is to make it very difficult to break into your house, or to make them think you're home when your on vacation. However, if someone is determined enough, they ARE going to get into your house, no matter what you do... so get insurance. Also, if you have an alarm system- make sure you set it! Check and see what kind of response times your alarm company has and how quickly they contact the police.

2. First off, do the obvious. Make sure ALL your windows and doors, including second floor windows, are locked, even if you're leaving just for a minute. Check all your locks and make sure they work and the screws are tight. Make sure to use your deadbolts as well. Don't leave ANY windows open ANYWHERE. Make sure to lock your garage.

3. Secondly, if you have privacy bushes around your house, I'd suggest removing them or putting in bushes that would be truly painful to crawl through (something with nasty thorns). Otherwise you're just making something convenient for burglars to hide behind while they're breaking in. Make sure there's nothing available in a shed that could be used to climb the house or break into the house (like a ladder!).

4. Install motion sensor lights in your back and front yard. You may want to get a timer for lights inside as well when you go on vacation. Don't let your mail or newspapers build up while you're gone, have a neighbor collect them for you. DO NOT let your children post on their my space or tell their friends you will be gone for vacation because someone will find out and know they can crash at your house for a few days. Teenagers commit alot of break-ins and they usually go right for your food and alcohol.

5. If you have a fenced in yard, make sure it's something that isn't easily accessible. Make sure it's tall, you can't climb it, and that you can't open the gate from the front. Privacy is good to have but also makes it nice for burglars. If you have a back door make sure to secure it more than the front. Put a deadbolt, chain-lock, whatever. A burglar will kick in your door to get in, but they will be more likely to kick in a garage door or a back door where they won't be seen. They will kick in your front door if they're determined enough to get in.

6. Most burglaries I have been on have been burglars throwing rocks through a glass door or window and then crawling in or reaching inside to undo the lock. This is usually done during the day when most neighbors won't be at home to hear it. The only solution I have come up for this is a product called "Shatter Safe". Shatter safe is a film that bonds to your window and makes it so that if it's hit, it will break, but it will stay in tact in your window. They can hit it multiple times and the window will not come out. Hopefully, between the good locks and the shatter safe film, it will be enough to deter a burglar looking for an easy target. See tips for their website.

7. For your vehicle- do not leave anything in your car that's worth stealing- or looks like it's worth stealing. Take out your stereo, lap top, etc. Make sure to lock the car! Don't leave your windows down even a little! I know this seems obvious but it happens all the time. You can buy the Shatter Safe film for car windows as well since most burglars will just break a window out to get at what they want.

Tips & Warnings

• Shatter safe is about 4$ a foot I believe, their website is www.shattersafe.com.
• One very important tip is to keep your house and vehicle clean! When crime scene shows up to process your house/car we have a hard time telling what was gone through if you house is already a mess. Also, if your windows are clean we have a much better chance of getting a useable fingerprint off them. If your windows and house are covered in dust the burglars most likely won't leave any prints, they will just pick up the dust onto their fingers.
• For businesses- have your employees clean everything right before they go home. That way if someone breaks in at night, all your employees and customers fingerprints will not be on everything and it will help us eliminate what prints are suspects and what are yours.
• No matter what you do- if someone is determined enough, they will break into your home. Keep everything valuable secured inside your home. And not in a lock box. You can pick up a lock box and take it back to bash it open at your leisure. Buy a safe that actually hooks to the wall and will be a pain to remove. Don't leave expensive items near windows where they can be seen from the street- otherwise your advertising what you have. Keep all ID numbers from electronics/firearms/jewelry etc. in your safe so detectives can track them down if they need to. Also, take pictures of your expensive items for detectives and for your insurance.

Resources

• Hungarian Red
• www.shattersafe.com

[lizziebeth]

on 1/20/2009 Add extra long screws along the door jams. Most builders nowadays do the cheap thing and install 3/4 inch screws. Choice home builders are notorious for doing this, among others.

[arianacherry99]

on 8/15/2008 This offers some great information. We can never be too safe anymore! These days it doesn't seem to matter if you live in a small or large town-Theft can happen anytime-and anywhere!... Always be prepared. Thanks for the tips.

[Nuntius]

on 8/14/2008 An extremely useful article,even though it contains some pointers that are "common-sense" (which is "not so common", as the wise man said. The tip about "Shatter Safe" is very interesting.
I definitely intend to adopt as many of the pointers as are obtainable in my country,and to adapt others which I can.

[Nuntius]

on 8/14/2008 An extremely useful article,even though it contains some pointers that are "common-sense" (which is "not so common", as the wise man said. The tip about "Shatter Safe" is very interesting.
I definitely intend to adopt as many of the pointers as are obtainable in my country,and to adapt others which I can.

[Feather]

on 8/14/2008 Excellent article with lots of great information!