Not only is spring a great time to do some cleaning and gardening around the house, it’s also a great time to carefully assess your home’s security. The warmer months usually trigger more activity from burglars so now’s the time to ensure you’ve taken the proper precautions. Here are the steps you should take to keep your home and family safe.
Security through gardening
As you’re planting and trimming in the garden this year, consider how your landscaping affects security. Shrubs around your front porch can help to hide packages delivered during the day when you’re not there. Prickly bushes planted beneath first floor windows make it more difficult for intruders to access those potential entry points. Bushes that aren’t properly trimmed actually can help burglars. They provide hiding places that allow them to sneak up on you, or wait until the coast is clear to break in.
Check for damage
Winter storms can wreak havoc on your home and leave it less secure. For example, warping of the trim around windows and doors can make it easy to pry those points open. Or, they could render locks less effective. If you already have an alarm system, you’ll want to test that it’s still working for each entry point of your home. Rain, snow and ice can sometimes damage sensors so they’re no longer triggered when a certain window or door is opened.
Let there be light
The cold winter weather can also be a problem for outdoor lighting. Especially those lights that you don’t often use. Be sure to check and replace all outdoor light bulbs and check to see if additional lighting may be needed in some areas. The more lighting the outside of your home has, the less attractive it looks to a burglar. Lights on timers and motion detectors are a great investment also. This is especially true if you’re away from your home for long periods at night or if you’re planning a trip soon.
It’s important to reassess your home’s security regularly to ensure that no area is neglected and vulnerable. For help finding the proper home security tools, come see us at BSG Security or give us a call at 855-MYSMARTHOME.
