10 tips on how to ensure the safety of the apartment and house: ways to protect against thieves

Contents

1. №1.Protection of the entrance to the apartment
2. №2.Choose a reliable door
3. №3.Choose a reliable lock
4. №4.Alarm system for apartment and house
5. №5.Video surveillance
6. №6.Security windows
7. №7.We put the safe
8. №8.Imitation of home lighting
9. №9.Securing a private house
10. №10.How else can you protect the apartment?

Every year tens of thousands of thefts occur in the country. Statistics show that attackers get into the apartment in most cases by breaking the lock or by selecting the key, another popular way is through windows, air vents and balconies, less often using coarse methods of breaking the door. The professionalism and resourcefulness of criminals is growing every day, and the number of thefts increases during the holidays and school holidays. This is not a crime news bulletin or an attempt to intimidate anyone. We all know that forewarned is forearmed, therefore the most popular ways of apartment theft allow us to build the most effective strategy to protect our own dwelling and increase the security of an 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.

№1.Protection of the entrance to the apartment

The most common way for intruders to enter 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 get a flimsy door with a standard lock. We note right away that there are no doors and locks that are 100% protected - our main task is to install such a system, which would take the maximum time for an intruder to open. The thief can quickly surrender, risking being caught, or will be caught red-handed.

Protection of the front door is in two main ways:

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

№2.Choosing a reliable door

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

• The more is the thickness of 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;
• steel can be either only the outer part( the inner one is made of MDF or other materials), or the outer and inner part simultaneously. The second option is more expensive, but better in terms of security. External steel plate must be monolithic. It is possible to meet doors with with an additional sheet of steel between internal and external - this is ideal in terms of burglary resistance;
• The doorframe is made from shaped tube using welding. The fewer pipe lengths are present and the fewer welds are made, the stronger the frame will be. Optimally, it is performed from one long pipe section with one joint;
• The zone of locks is the most vulnerable, therefore it is better if it is covered with an armored plate or an additional steel sheet;
• stiffeners that are inside the door should be evenly spaced;
• is the simplest external hinges are easily cut by intruders, so it’s better to take the door with anti-detachable bolts , which, when the door is closed, enter holes in the wall and resist cracking. The alternative is internal loops , which can not be cut;
• all steel entrance doors are divided into safety classes from 1 to 7 , in residential apartments and houses use doors of the first four classes. The higher the class, the harder it is to break the door, and the more time it takes to try to do it.

It is better to install the door so that it opens outside - it will be harder to knock out. The door frame is preferably reinforced with steel squares or metal pins concreted in the ceiling, walls and floor. Another trick is to make an imitation alarm that will scare away some thieves. It is enough to attach a sensor in the upper part of the door and draw a wire from it to the junction box; nothing needs to be connected. The same effect can be achieved by imitating the presence of a surveillance camera.

№3.Choosing 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, the tricky lock is even more important than the durable door leaf, as few people will work as a grinder or sledge hammer. There are no castles that cannot be opened, therefore it is worth choosing those that the thief will take as long as possible to open. Based on this rule, it is better to install two locks with different mechanisms on the entrance doors. The longer the thief will open the locks, the more likely that someone will notice him, or that he will surrender on his own.

To date, these types of locks are installed on the entrance doors:

• lever locks are considered the most reliable and burglar-proof. It is better to take the lock on 6 or more levers and give preference to the design protected by a manganese overlay. It will be difficult to drill out such a lock, and it is almost impossible to open it with a master key. The best version of the leveling lock is a crab design, when the bolts move in different directions( into the wall, floor or ceiling);
• cylinder locks cheaper lever, and with the loss of the key cylinder is easy to replace without having to replace the entire lock. The reverse side of the medal is simplicity for hacking, so it is better to take a lock with 4-5 bolts, protect it with an armored plate and use it in a set with a lever;
• electronic lock can also make a pair of suvaldny. The fact is that some attackers pour acid into the key hole, which eats away the metal of the lock. Electronic locks do not have openings on the outside, they are opened by code, fingerprint, or with an electronic key, and for their hacking you must have remarkable intellectual abilities and a set of specific tools;
• monoblocks or combination locks combine two different types of mechanisms at once. For the price, such systems are cheaper than two separate locks, and when using a dependent lock system, the door resistance is improved. Minus - a small distance between the crossbars of the two locks.

Apartment security specialists also advise using the chain from the inside of the door. Additional protection will give bolt .The pupil on the door is also important, because it allows you to see what is happening on the landing.

To be as confident as possible in your safety, pick up the lock with the protection of the keyhole from foreign objects. Even the most complex lock can be disabled by clogging it with debris, and it will be easy to open the door in the simplest ways.

№4.Alarm systems for the apartment and the house

The alarm system 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 enough and reliable so that the attacker does not know how to get it out of action.

Experts advise you to take the whole alarm system and not be limited only to the sensor on the front door. To protect your home in full, it is better to install the detectors for breaking locks and doors , glass break detectors and motion detectors. Place them on windows, doors, grills, walls and furniture.

Sensors detect movement or penetration into a house in different ways and are divided into infrared, microwave, seismic, acoustic, television and integrated. The latter, of course, the best.

Having triggered, the alarm can make a loud sound , scaring thieves and drawing attention to the apartment - this is the simplest option. There are alarm systems with autodialer , when the apartment owner receives a notification on the phone, but the best and most expensive signaling option at the same time is the console , when the signal goes to a private or public security company. In this case, its employees arrive at the site within a few minutes. Pay for such an alarm will have to not only install, but every month to pay the services of a security company.

№5.Video Surveillance

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

Surveillance cameras can have different characteristics of the , transmit an analog or digital image, have a different viewing angle, 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 the intruder .Having seen the camera in front of the entrance door, the thief may be afraid to commit a crime;
• crime detection and assistance in finding a thief is a direct camera function. To cope with this task, the camera, on the contrary, should not be evident.

№6.Security windows

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

• apartment is located on the first, second or last floor;
• apartment adjoins a common balcony;
• near the apartment windows there is a tree, a fire escape, a chimney, the roof of an adjacent building;
• windows open onto a unglazed balcony or loggia.

There are several options to protect the window:

• install the grid;
• to put rolling shutters;
• to book windows and frames;
• use protective hardware.

Lattices - the easiest, affordable and reliable way for to protect a window opening. The stationary lattices of the with a large depth of reinforcement in the walls and a rod thickness of 12-15 mm show themselves best of all. The downside of reliability and burglary - the inability to get out of the apartment in case of fire. As a compromise, uses removable lattices, which are inferior in terms of reliability, but in which case they can be dismantled to get out of the apartment. Swing and curtain grilles provide an appearance of security rather than real security. However, they can also be used if installed inside the apartment and put an alarm on the window. When an attacker breaks a window, an alarm will go off and he will have a minimum of time. In such conditions, even the simplest grille will become a serious hindrance.

Durable steel roller shutters are able to reliably protect the windows of a country house and are in fact an analogue of gratings, however, you should choose special burglar-resistant models when buying. Their main advantage is the possibility of evacuation through a window in case of a fire, but in ordinary urban apartments in our country few people install shutters.

A great option for an apartment in a high-rise building is booking glasses by covering them from the inside with a special film. Transparency practically does not change, but the glass becomes resistant to impacts, will not break into small fragments, withstand the shock wave from the explosion and will withstand incendiary bottles. Just because a brick or a hammer such glass will be very difficult to break. Depending on the protection class of the film, the window withstands a different number of strokes. The B1 class film ensures the integrity of the glass at 50 blows of a hammer or ax, the B2 film will withstand up to 70 blows, B3 - and even more. Even if the glass is broken, the film retains its integrity and will to some extent prevent penetration. In addition, manufacturers today offer armored glass for double-glazed windows - they do not have to improve.

In addition to armored glass, you can install the armored frame with steel plates. The plates are installed at the junction of the glass to the frame, the most vulnerable area of ​​the window construction.

To guarantee the window, you can protect the with anti-burglary hardware , which includes special hinges, locks and other elements. Fittings of the WK1 protection class provide resistance to manual hacking attempts without special tools, WK2 accessories will withstand impact with pliers or a screwdriver, and WK3 will protect against breaking with a crowbar or mount.

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

№7.We put the safe

The best things to keep are not stored in mattresses or among books - these are places that thieves know well. In case an intruder overcomes all obstacles, money, decorations, securities and other important expensive things, he will not be able to take, since there will be another obstacle ahead of him - a safe.

Choosing a safe is a complete science that provides for the observance of a number of rules:

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

№8.Home lighting imitation

Experienced thieves watch the apartment for a long time to make sure the owners are away. If there is no light in the apartment in the evenings, and the press has gathered in the box, then this is a sure sign to proceed to action. Correspondence can be assigned to take to trusted neighbors. They can sometimes go into the apartment to water the flowers, and, opening the door, they will get rid of the so-called tags that thieves leave.

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

# 9.Securing a private house

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

• good coverage of the entire area in front of the house. Some light sources it is advisable to provide motion sensors .When the attacker sets foot on the site, the light will suddenly light up, which will give it away. However, care must be taken that the maximum distance between the nearest possible shelter of the attacker and the house;
• country house alarm systems should have an alternative power source in case attackers de-energize the home;
• high fence and reliable gates will be another obstacle to the house;
• is the easiest and proven way to warn owners about the appearance of guests - dogs .This method is applicable to city apartments. Dogs, firstly, will love the owners, secondly, to protect them, and, thirdly, due to their subtle sense of smell and hearing, they will warn you when they are approaching the house.

# 10.How else can you protect the apartment?

To secure an apartment and valuables stored in it from intruders, do not interfere with following such simple rules:

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

A large percentage of burglaries are carried out on a tip-off, so it’s unnecessary to talk to all sides about large expensive purchases or the upcoming long-term departure. It’s worth storing valuable things, if not in a safe, then in a safe deposit box, at least at the time of departure, as all seemingly tricky and unpredictable places in an apartment where thieves usually hide are well known to thieves.