|
|
|
Home Safety Tips: Arm Yourself Against The Threat Of A Break-In
(NC)—In 1999, Statistics Canada reported that there were approximately 92,485 break and enters reported to police, however, some of these crimes remained unreported. Property crime losses ranged from little or nothing of value to materials...
Light Up the Night! Quick Facts about Outdoor Lighting
When the days start to get shorter, the darkness may drive us inside from our porches, patios or decks. Don’t despair – outdoor lighting can lengthen the day and dramatically extend the potential of our outdoor living spaces.
The first step,...
My Story on starting out in buying properties for growing plants
Bill's Life and his Lessons Learned and Opinions, Part III
When I was twelve years old, I had bought and sold many shares
of stock on the NYSE. I was a motor mouth even then. I always
was eager to talk to anyone who liked to invest and...
Stop Dreaming! Magically Transform Your Garden By Night
(ARA) – It’s cold in most areas of the country, but those of us who love our gardens can’t help but dream of the spring, when we can spruce up our homes with color and life.
We take pride in our gardens, spending thousands of dollars making...
Wood Panels and Humidity
Coping with wood movement
All wood workers need to be aware of wood movement when building furniture projects. Failure to consider this important factor can cause wood panels to crack or split.
My high school biology teacher compared the...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Home Security: Your yard is the first line of defence.
Home Security: Your yard is the first line of defence.
You may not believe it but most burglars do not plan their break ins. They are crimes of opportunity. They pick what appears to be a simple target. If they see a greater risk than they anticipated, they move onto a safer target. Therefore the more effort you take to keep your home from seeming to be a simple target, the safer you will be.
A multilayered structure is the best way to approach arranging your home security, and the first layer is the landscaping and other features of your yard.
Landscaping and Yard Security
A few simple changes to your landscaping can help to protect your home from would be burglars. They are looking for a home they can get into and out of quickly; the more time they spend in your home the more chance of getting caught. Their best target is a home surrounded by tall hedges and shrubs, which restricts visibility from the street and your neighbours' houses.
Trim your shrubbery and trees so that your doors and windows can be seen by neighbors, and from the street, by forgoing a little privacy you will not be providing a hiding place for a burglar. If you have more than one floor, prune trees away from upper floor windows to prevent an intruder using them as a ladder, also make sure any trellises won't provide a convenient ladder to gain entry to the upper floors.
All planting close to the sidewalk, driveways, doors or gates, should be kept low say no more than two feet in height. As you move further away from the sidewalk you can increase the height but keep it down to no more than four feet.
Any plant under the window should be kept below the windowsill.
Trees should have their lower branches trimmed to at least seven feet off the ground.
Be sure to keep your lawn trimmed; an uncut lawn will indicate to a potential burglar that you have been away from your home for some time.
By placing gravel on the ground under windows you will be warned if someone walks on it, this can be a useful
psychological deterrent. Remember not to have any large rocks or stones near glass windows or doors. There's no point in providing a burglar with his tools!
Plant spiny (thorny) plants along fences and under windows, and on border fences, roses are ideal. Protecting your home with spiny plants is as good as using barbed wire, and it looks a lot better too.
Street Numbers.
Make sure your house number can be seen easily from the street. This can save time for the police and emergency services if they need to find your home.
It is best to use numbers made of reflective materials, or alternatively black on white, they should be at least six inches high to facilitate visibility from the street. Keep the number clean and trim any plants, so it can be seen. The number should be illuminated and near the front door or the garage entrance.
Limiting Access to Yards and Store Rooms:
The main thing burglars are looking for is an obstruction free and speedy exit. Fences will stop burglars from carrying away your larger processions, if the gates are locked. Gates should be locked at all times!
Make sure that any ladders and tools are stored in a garage or a storage shed, and these should be locked when not in use. To increase security chain your ladder to the wall of the garage when it is not being used.
The idea is to use the landscaping to control access to your property. Proper fencing hedges etc. create barriers that will make a potential burglar feel uncomfortable as they approach your home, but will not prevent a neighbour or passer by from seeing any unusual activity.
I will be covering additional steps you can take to improve your home security in the next article in this series.
Roger Overanout
About the Author
For more vital home security tips and information about how to protect your home and family please visit www.homesecuritynews.info
You may reproduce this article provided you maintain an active link back to
www.homesecuritynews.info
|
|
|
|
|
|