Home Security Monitoring

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As the spring starts to slowly transition to summer, the season of home repairs and chores begins. You put off cleaning the gutters and replacing that cracked second-story window all winter; now with the warmer weather you have no more excuses. And in this category of resident repairs is reanalyzing your home security situation, to see if any things need to be replaced, reinforced or revamped.

While doing those household tasks, a good idea is to take notice of your home’s perimeter, paying particular attention to points of entry, to see if any possible damage has occurred during the winter months. Statistically speaking, first floor windows and front doors are the most common access points for thieves attempting to break-in, and cold temperatures, rapid snowmelt and overall weathering can do a number to their frames and locks. Making sure that each door and window shuts and locks securely is key. If problems exist, it may be a good idea to head to the hardware store.

Besides the primary points of entry, take a look at the cellar door – if one exists – as well as the your hiding place for that spare key. Cellar doors traditionally have weak padlocks keeping strangers out. Unfortunately, many people fail to realize that the basement level of a house is a huge threat to home security; especially since home alarm systems do not monitor them. Therefore, making sure that the entry door from the outside is strong and sturdy is crucial. Additionally, if you have followed the advice of most security experts and hid your key near an outside air conditioning unit or under an outside panel of the home, making sure that the spot is still hidden from common view is a good idea.

Removing plants and overgrown brush is not just a seasonal task of a homeowner; it is also a key way to enhance that home security system. Although most plants have just started growing in the spring, taking note of where overgrowth could occur, blocking views between the house and the street, is a very good strategy. If you can get rid of these issues before they become actual problems, you will thank yourself in the end.

Finally, the last task that should be included in those home repairs is testing that home alarm system. It may have lasted the entire winter, but making sure that no circuits have fried and that everything operates smoothly is essential. Besides, if a fire, carbon monoxide leak or actual break-in were to occur, that alarm would be one of the few things included in a home’s defenses. At the same time, check to make sure that the alarm company’s sign did not blow over or disappear during those snowy months. It may sound stupid, but that small little sign with the company’s logo in the front of the yard does more than just advertise the corporation’s logo, it proclaims to every thief thinking about trying to break-in that your home is fully equipped to take on any potential threat.