Lockout Tips

Who doesn’t love summertime? Unfortunately, summer can have a downside, and homes can be at higher risk of being burglarized than any other season. As we savor the warmth and fresh air, we can become careless with locking doors and windows or leaving draperies open. In addition, we take more vacations away from home during summer. 24Hr Lockouts offers these tips to help maintain the security of your home and belongings.

Top Tips for Home Security

View your home as a burglar would. This means scrutinizing every area of your home inside and outside to locate weak entry points. Put away ladders in the garage. Do trees have strong branches near second story windows? Burglars who break in through windows seek out overgrown shrubs as cover, so trim shrubs near every window to clear the view from the street. Do you have dog doors? Vents? Is your security system linked to landlines? Those can be cut, so you want to consider switching to a cellular linked system.

Windows, Doors, and Locks

We love to open the windows during summer! However, these can tempt intruders. Remember to close and lock them if you leave. Sliding glass doors can be lifted out of the sliders if they are unlocked. You can add a glass break sensor to your security system as a backup. With technology advancements, you can now add automation technology to remotely monitor and control doors and be notified if a locked door is unlocked while you are away.

Do not open your door to strangers. There is no law that says you must answer a knock on the door, and a door security viewer is a truly helpful device to see who is ringing the doorbell. New apps and security systems allow you to remotely view the visitor and even speak to that person without ever opening the door. Remember that many burglars impersonate salespeople to double check if anyone is home. In addition, summer can be the top season for distraction burglaries, which is a situation when one person distracts your attention while another robs your home.

Keys and Key Chains

Review where you have placed your hidden key. Under the door mat or in the flower pot by the front door is risky. Find a very difficult place to guess. And never put an address on the key chain. That’s a very attractive invitation to burglars to target your home.

Security Lights

Exterior lighting is an excellent deterrent to burglars, especially in the back and sides of your house. A burglar does not want to be seen. Home security systems today frequently let you control and schedule your lights remotely, so you can always appear to be home rather than on vacation.

Newspapers, Lawn, and Social Media

There is no greater advertisement to a burglar than newspapers piling up on the driveway and the lawn becoming overgrown. Suspend delivery of the paper. If you will be away for an extended period, schedule a landscaper to mow the lawn. Cancel deliveries. And never mention on Facebook, Twitter, or other social media that you will be away. You can post your vacation pictures once you arrive home. 24Hr Lockouts wishes you a very fun, joyful, and safe summer!