Best Home Security Reviews

Tens of thousands of thefts occur in the country every year. Statistics show that intruders enter the apartment in most cases by breaking the lock or by selecting the key, another popular way is through windows, vents and balconies, less often they use rough methods of breaking the door. The professionalism and resourcefulness of criminals is growing every day, and the number of thefts increases during holidays and school holidays. This is not a roundup of crime news and not an attempt to intimidate someone. We all know that forewarned means forearmed, so the most popular methods of burglary allow us to build the most effective strategy for protecting our own home and increase the security of the apartment and house. Consider the most effective ways to protect against theft, but looking ahead, we note that it is better to use several methods in combination.

No. 1. Protection of the entrance to the apartment

The most common way intruders get into an apartment is through the front door. Yes, resistant doors and locks are expensive, but such a purchase is clearly better than what can happen if you save money and purchase a flimsy door with a standard lock. We note right away that there are no doors and locks that are 100% secure - our main task is to install such a system that will take the attacker maximum time to open. The thief may quickly give up, risking being caught, or else be caught red-handed.

Entrance door protection consists of two main methods:

protection of the door leaf from knocking out, opening with a grinder and other vandal methods of entering the apartment;
selection of reliable locks that could not be opened with master keys and other tools.

No. 2. Choose a reliable door

The first thing to buy on the way to improving the security of the apartment is a reliable door. The best option is a steel door, but to make it really difficult to break, deform or cut, you need to pay attention to a number of parameters:

the greater the thickness of the steel sheets, the higher their strength. For installation in an apartment building, a door with a sheet thickness of 2-3 mm is suitable, and for country houses it is better to take an even more reliable door with a sheet thickness of 3 mm or more;
steel can be either only the outer part (the inner part is made of MDF or other materials), or the outer and inner at the same time. The second option is more expensive, but better in terms of security. The outer steel plate must necessarily be monolithic. You can find doors with an additional sheet of steel between the inner and outer - this is ideal in terms of burglary resistance;
the door frame is made from a profile pipe by welding. The fewer pieces of pipe present and the fewer welds made, the more durable the frame will be. It is optimal that it be made from one long piece of pipe with one seam;
the lock zone is the most vulnerable, therefore it is better if it is covered with an armor plate or an additional sheet of steel;
stiffeners that are inside the door should be evenly spaced;
the simplest external hinges are easily cut off by intruders, so it is better to take a door with anti-removable bolts, which, when the door is closed, enter the holes in the wall and resist breaking. An alternative option is internal loops that cannot be cut;
all steel entrance doors are divided into security classes from 1 to 7; in residential apartments and houses, doors of the first four classes are used. The higher the class, the more difficult it is to crack the door, and the more time it takes to try to do it.

It is better to install the door so that it opens outward - it will be more difficult to knock it out. It is advisable to strengthen the door frame with steel squares or metal pins concreted in the ceiling, walls and floor. Another trick is to make a fake alarm that will scare away some thieves. It is enough to attach a sensor at the top of the door and run a wire from it to the junction box, nothing needs to be connected. The same effect can be achieved by simulating the presence of a security camera.

Number 3. CHOOSE A RELIABLE LOCK

The door is only half the battle. Even the most durable canvas will not help if the lock can be opened with a simple master key. For those who live in an apartment building, a cunning lock is even more important than a durable door leaf, since few people dare to work as a grinder or a sledgehammer. There are no locks that cannot be opened, so it is worth choosing those that take the thief the maximum time to open. Based on this rule, it is better to install two locks with different mechanisms on the front doors. The longer the thief takes to open the locks, the more likely it is that someone will notice him, or that he will surrender on his own.

Today, the following types of locks are installed on the entrance doors:

lever locks are considered the most reliable and burglary-resistant. It is better to take a lock for 6 or more levers and give preference to a design protected by a manganese lining. It will be difficult to drill such a lock, and it is almost impossible to open it with a master key. The best version of a lever lock is a crab structure, when the crossbars are extended in different directions (into a wall, floor or ceiling);
cylinder locks are cheaper than lever locks, and if the key is lost, the cylinder can be easily replaced without resorting to replacing the entire lock. The reverse side of the coin is ease of hacking, so it’s better to take a lock with 4-5 crossbars, protect it with an armor plate and use it with a lever lock;
an electronic lock can also pair with a lever lock. The fact is that some attackers pour acid into the key hole, which corrodes the metal of the lock. Electronic locks do not have holes on the outside, they open by code, fingerprint or electronic key, and for breaking them you need to have remarkable intellectual abilities and a set of specific tools;
monoblocks or combined locks combine two different types of mechanisms at once. At a price, such systems are cheaper than two separate locks, and when using a dependent lock system, the burglary resistance of the door increases. Minus - a small distance between the crossbars of the two locks.

Apartment security experts also advise using a chain from the inside of the door. A bolt will provide additional protection. The pupil on the door is also important, because it allows you to see what is happening on the landing.

To be as sure of your security as possible, select a lock with a keyhole protection against foreign objects. Even the most complex lock can be disabled by clogging it with small debris, and the door will be easy to open in the simplest ways.

No. 4. ALARM FOR APARTMENTS AND HOUSES

The alarm is usually installed as an addition to other security systems. This is one of the best ways to ensure the inviolability of your home, but even here it is not so simple, because the alarm must be smart and reliable enough so that the attacker does not know how to disable it.

Experts advise taking entire alarm systems and not being limited only to the sensor on the front door. To protect your home to the fullest, it is better to install lock and door break detectors, a glass break detector and motion sensors. Place them on windows, doors, bars, walls and furniture.
Sensors detect movement or intrusion into the house in many ways and are divided into infrared, microwave, seismic, acoustic, television and complex. The latter, of course, are the best.

Once triggered, the alarm can make a loud sound, scaring off thieves and drawing attention to the apartment - this is the simplest option. There are alarm systems with auto-dial, when the owner of the apartment receives a notification on the phone, but the best and at the same time the most expensive alarm option is remote control, when the signal arrives at a private or state security company. In this case, its employees arrive at the place within a few minutes. You will have to pay for such an alarm not only during installation, but also every month to pay for the services of a security company.

No. 5. CCTV

Surveillance cameras cannot be called an independent way to ensure the security of an apartment. Rather, it is one of the most effective ways to increase this very security.

Surveillance cameras can have different characteristics, transmit analog or digital images, have different viewing angles, infrared illumination, some can even rotate independently. In general, you can choose an option for any budget and with any necessary set of features, and in the home security system, the following tasks are assigned to the camera:

scare off the intruder. Seeing a camera in front of the front door, the thief may be afraid to commit a crime;
fixing the fact of a crime and helping to find the thief is a direct function of the camera. To cope with this task, the camera, on the contrary, should not be conspicuous.

No. 6. WINDOW SAFETY

Windows are among the most vulnerable places in the apartment, but, unlike the door, you cannot close them with a thick monolithic sheet of steel. It is worth thinking about increasing the safety of window structures in such cases:

the apartment is located on the first, second or last floor;
the apartment adjoins a common balcony;
near the windows of the apartment there is a tree, a fire escape, a pipe, the roof of an adjoining building;
windows overlook an unglazed balcony or loggia.

There are several options to protect the window:

install the grate;
put roller shutters;
make reservations for windows and frames;
use protective equipment.

Lattices are the easiest, most affordable and reliable way to protect a window opening. Stationary gratings with a large penetration of the reinforcement into the walls and a rod thickness of 12-15 mm show themselves best. The reverse side of reliability and burglary resistance is the inability to get out of the apartment in case of fire. As a compromise, removable grilles are used, which are inferior in terms of reliability, but in which case they can be dismantled to get out of the apartment. Swinging lattices and lattice-curtains, rather, create the appearance of security than real security. However, they can also be used if installed inside the apartment, and an alarm is placed on the window. When an intruder breaks the window, an alarm will go off and he will have a minimum of time. Under such conditions, even the simplest grating will become a serious hindrance.

Durable steel roller shutters are able to reliably protect the windows of a country house and actually serve as an analogue of gratings, however, when buying, you should choose special burglar-resistant models. Their main plus is to ensure the possibility of evacuation through the window in case of fire, but in ordinary city apartments in our country, few people install shutters.
Durable steel roller shutters are able to reliably protect the windows of a country house and actually serve as an analogue of gratings, however, when buying, you should choose special burglar-resistant models. Their main plus is to ensure the possibility of evacuation through the window in case of fire, but in ordinary city apartments in our country, few people install shutters.
In addition to armored glass, an armored frame with steel plates can be installed. Linings are installed at the junction of the glass to the frame, the most vulnerable area of the window structure.

For a guarantee, the window can be protected with anti-burglary fittings, which include special hinges, locks and other elements. WK1 fittings provide resistance to manual burglary attempts without special tools, WK2 fittings will withstand pliers or a screwdriver, and WK3 will protect against burglary with a crowbar or pry bar.

If the window is clearly visible from the outside, then in the evening it is better to close it with curtains, since the less information an attacker receives about the apartment, the better.

No. 7. WE PUT A SAFE

The most valuable things are best stored not in mattresses and not among books - these are places that thieves know well. In case the attacker overcomes all obstacles, he will not be able to take money, jewelry, securities and other important expensive things, as there will be another obstacle ahead - a safe.

The choice of a safe is a whole science, which provides for the observance of a number of rules:

burglary resistance class, from 0 to 12, depends on the design of the safe and the locks used. For the home, models of 3-4 classes and 5-6 classes are suitable if you plan to store something very valuable;
the reliability of installation is no less important than the design of the safe. If the fastening is weak, then the attacker can take the safe with him;
safes can be freestanding and built-in, and they hide them in walls and furniture, cleverly disguising them. Experts recommend placing the safe away from the front door, and as a bait, you can put another safe in a conspicuous place with a low level of protection and a minimum amount of money inside.

No. 8. SIMULATED HOUSE LIGHTING

Experienced thieves watch the apartment for a long time to make sure that the owners are away. If the light is not on in the apartment in the evenings, and the press has gathered in the box, then this is a sure sign to take action. Correspondence can be entrusted to pick up trusted neighbors. They can sometimes go into the apartment to water the flowers, and by opening the door, they will get rid of the so-called marks that thieves leave.

With lighting, everything is much more complicated. The easiest option is to leave a light bulb on in one of the rooms, but it is much better to invest in a smart system with a timer. It will allow you to alternately turn on the lighting in different rooms with the onset of night, thereby simulating the real movements of the household.

No. 9. ENSURING THE SECURITY OF A PRIVATE HOUSE

It is more difficult to secure a detached house than an apartment in an apartment building. Here, of course, all the listed means work, but they should not be limited. To improve the security of a private house, it is worth taking a set of additional measures:

good lighting of the entire area in front of the house. It is advisable to provide some light sources with motion sensors. When an intruder steps on the site, a light will suddenly turn on, which will give him away. At the same time, care must be taken to ensure that there is a maximum distance between the nearest possible hiding place of the intruder and the house;
a country house alarm should have an alternative power source in case intruders de-energize the home;
a high fence and reliable gates will become another obstacle on the way to the house;
the easiest and most proven way to warn the owners about the appearance of guests is a dog. This method is also applicable to urban apartments. Dogs, firstly, will love their owners, secondly, protect them, and, thirdly, thanks to a subtle sense of smell and hearing, they will warn about approaching guests to the house.

No. 10. HOW ELSE CAN YOU PROTECT YOUR APARTMENT?

To protect the apartment and the valuables stored in it from intruders, it does not hurt to follow these simple rules:

do not leave the door to the entrance open and install an intercom;
do not let strangers into the apartment;
with the onset of darkness, draw the curtains if the windows are well looked after from the street;
children need to be told that strangers should not open the door, talk on the phone and answer questions from strangers is also not worth it. By the way, it’s better not to tell kids where valuables are stored in the apartment;
when the keys disappear, it is better to change the locks immediately;
good relations with neighbors - a bonus to the safety of the apartment;
trite, but important - even the most secure windows and doors must be firmly closed when leaving. Often in a hurry we forget to do this;
for those who are very worried about what they have acquired, along with the alarm, it is recommended to use another reliable tool - property insurance.

A large percentage of burglaries are carried out on a tip, so it is unnecessary to talk to all parties about large expensive purchases or an upcoming long departure. It is worth keeping valuables, if not in a safe, then in a safe deposit box, at least for the time of departure, since thieves are well aware of all the seemingly cunning and unpredictable places in the apartment where expensive things are usually hidden.