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The Benefits of Having a Motion for Your Home Security

Wednesday, January 5th, 2011

When it comes to home security, guarding the points of entry to the home is crucial. Widows are a common method for burglars to gain entry. This means that windows should have some form of protection that will prevent burglars from entering. If a home is prewired, sometimes there will be wires that can be used for a glass break or a motion detector running in the corners of ceilings. These wires are sometimes naked, but they can also have contact around them, depending on what the builder wanted. If the wires are naked, the alarm installation crew will cover them with contact when installing an alarm system. These wires should run to all of the windows in the house and even to the doors. Of course, not every home is prewired. There are three different methods of protecting windows. If a home is not prewired, the best way to protect it is through a motion detector.

Motion detectors generally provide the best coverage for windows within the home. They offer the greatest amount of coverage and detect windows being broken, cut, or even opened. While a glass break is only set to react to actual breaks in windows, motion detectors do that and more. Glass breaks do not work if the window is opened or cut. Another problem with glass breaks is they are useless if the person is unable to hear the sound of breaking glass.

Contacts on windows can be valuable in protecting a house. Unlike glass breaks, window contacts aid in stopping burglars from simply opening a window and entering the home. However, contacts are useless if a burglar breaks the window. This is why a motion detector is needed. Motion detectors are able to detect movement in or around the house. This means when a window is broken it will be immediately detected. While some burglars are now taping windows so that the glass breaks won’t pick up on a broken windows, and able to get into homes, this trick will not outsmart a motion detector. Even if a burglar gets inside of the home, their movement will still be picked up by the motion detector.

The only problem motion detector users might encounter is when dealing with pets. Pets can set off motion detectors and send false alarms. This can be easily fixed. Most monitoring companies offer sensors that are compatible with pets. These packages can be programmed so as not to go off when anything under fifty pounds is within the monitored range. For especially large pets, the system can often be programmed not to detect anything under one hundred pounds.

While glass breaks and contacts are beneficial in protecting the home, motion detectors are far more thorough. The only time a motion detector might not be the best option is when a house is pre-wired and if there are pets. In this case, a glass break would do a good job. However, most of the time, motion detectors do the best job and save you money.

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Tags: Alarm Company, Home Security, Security Alarm Company, Security Monitoring
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Avoiding Risks

Tuesday, December 28th, 2010

Yesterday I almost died. I couldn’t breath after choking on some food. It was a terrifying experience; one I hope I never have to endure again. Thinking back on the experience, I can’t help but wonder what should I have done? What if I didn’t just start breathing again on my own? Life is full of risks, financial risks, health risks, security risks. Some risks can be avoided, others, can’t. All risks can be thought through, though, and a course of action planned. Here are several ways to keep yourself safe.

The first step is to make sure your home address is easy to read. If you need to call 911, or some other emergency arises, you will want people to be able to see the address of your house, and find you quickly. If someone has stopped breathing in the home, you are witnessing a burglary, or some other situation occurs that requires immediate help develops, it is vital that the help will be able to arrive as quickly as possible. Ensuring that your address is clearly visible is especially important at night, when it is already difficult to make out addresses.

Another very simple safety tip is to remove any hidden keys. Sure it’s convenient to slip that key under the doormat or near the backdoor, but resist the urge. Even when family members are continuously locking themselves out, it is best not to have an extra key hidden. Burglars surveying the neighborhood and watching for patterns might notice this habit and burglarize your house. Also, when having a parking attendant park your car make sure you only give him or her the key to your vehicle, not your house or anything else.

One final piece of advice is to install quality locks on all your doors. Doors and windows are the often the least enforced parts of the home and as a result, are the choice methods of entry for burglars. By purchasing a sturdy lock, you could save yourself and your family from the unnecessary pain and grief of having your home robbed.

It often comes down to the simple, small things in life that make a difference. Security is the same way. Doing small things like making sure your address is highly visible are important. If you really want to have a safe home, you might want to consider purchasing a home security system. Home monitoring systems are the most effective way of deterring burglars.

For more information about Home Security Alarm Companies. Stop by the Smith Security site where you can find out all about Dallas Home Security Alarm Systems and we may be able to help.

Tags: Alarm Company, Alarm Systems, Security Alarm Company
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According to the FBI

Monday, December 27th, 2010

Every sixteen seconds a burglary takes place in America, according to the FBI. Yet, seven out of ten burglaries could have been prevented. Burglars are usually looking for quick jobs and steal things that can be easily sold. Seventy percent of the time burglars use force to gain entrance into homes. This means opened or unlocked doors and windows are used the most. During the summer, burglaries are more likely occur, especially during July and August, since many people are gone for vacation during these months. Since most burglars are looking for easy targets there are several simple steps you can take to deter them.

Simply closing and locking all doors and windows is an obvious, but vital, part of ensuring protection for your home. Often times when you’re running late to that meeting or trying to catch your plane it’s easy to forget to lock the back door or shut all the windows, but this must become a habit if you plan on keeping your house safe. If you have deadbolts, always use them. The best kinds of deadbolts have pins at least one inch in length. Another way to make sure a burglar doesn’t enter through your door is to install kick plates. As far as windows go, if they are easy to open even when locked, you might need a secondary blocking device.

Keeping up the appearance of your house can often send away burglars looking for an empty home. Letting grass become wild and overgrown, or leaving newspapers out can catch a burglar’s attention. When leaving for several days or weeks, find friends or neighbors that will be willing to mow the grass and pick up any newspapers that get delivered. Leaving the T.V. on or having timed lights that come on are also good ways to make burglars think someone is at home.

These are things that anyone can do to protect their home. The most effective way of ensuring your home is safe however, remains is to have a security system. Security systems need to be monitored by UL approved monitoring stations, and should have sirens louder than 84 decibels. They should also be routinely tested to make sure they are still working. When testing the sirens, neighbors should be notified so that they do not grow accustomed to hearing your security alarm going off. This happens all the time with car alarms. Someone’s alarm goes off and no one thinks anything of it knowing it’s probably just the owner or a plane flying close overhead. With a security system, often times the mere sight of window decals and yard signs will scare away burglars.

Taking these simple steps can make the difference between whether your home will be broken into or not. Little things like destroying personal documents, files and papers, as well as not leaving boxes of recently purchased technology outside are good practices to adopt. Yet, the most effective way to protect your home is still installing a home security system.

To get more information on Home Security Alarm Systems, please visit www.smithmonitoring.com to get the best advice on Atlanta Home Security for you.

Tags: Home Security, Security Alarm Company, Security Monitoring
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What You Need to Know About Handling a Funeral

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010

The sight of a family member or best friend in a casket is one of the hardest things to face in life. Losing someone we love one is something we all must face sooner or later, but is something we still dread. Then there is the whole drawn-out and painful funeral process. Understanding the process won’t fill the emptiness or lift the pain, but it will help the funeral run smoothly.

The first thing the funeral home will do is check to see if you have there is a prearrangement for your loved one. If there is, then a lot of the paper work will already be completed. Once most of the paperwork is done, the preparations for the funeral begin. Details such as the kind of casket, number of pallbearers, type of service, and so on, will be discussed.

During this time of grief you need to remember your safety. Families preparing for a funeral are more likely to be the victims of a burglary. Burglars will often browse the obituaries in their newspapers. They search for the time and place of the funeral service and then rob the immediate family while they are away at the funeral. The only trouble is, the address of the family is not provided in the newspaper. In order to glean the address of the family members, burglars will usually try to go through the funeral home.

Most funeral homes know not to give out home addresses of relatives to the deceased. However, burglars often turn out to be friends of the family and will know the address. Even distant friends or acquaintances can find an address through Facebook, church directories, or other means.

The best way to ensure your home is protected while you’re at the funeral is to have a home security system. A security system will allow you to attend the funeral knowing your home is safe. Funerals are a sacred time to remember the lives of those gone before us. Don’t let a house distract your from remembering your loved one.

For more information about Dallas Home Security Alarm Companies or if you are looking for a Grapevine Home Security Alarm Company, stop by the Smith Security site where you can find out all about our services. We also just recently began providing Austin Home Security Alarm service.

Tags: Alarm Company, Easy to use Systems, Security Alarm Company, Security Monitoring
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Fame You Don’t Want

Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

Glitterati emerge from black limos onto red carpet, policemen struggle to hold surging crowds back, and cameras blind everyone within fifty miles. It doesn’t matter if they are a movie star, athlete, or singer; there are certain people within society that stand out. You can’t escape their influence. You see their latest pictures and stories on the cover page of magazines at the checkout counter of Target. What they wear becomes the hottest new trend. What they say is analyzed, critiqued, praised, ripped apart, and then reexamined all over again. The fame, wealth, attention, who hasn’t desired it at some point in their life?

Yet, being a celebrity is deceitfully glorious. Take it from someone who’s had a taste of it. No, I’ve never starred in Lord of the Rings, sung a song with Kanye West, or made a touchdown at the Super Bowl. I have been one of the few white people to live in a highly populated Asian city though. You may think that has nothing to do with fame, but believe me, it does.

Being one of the few foreigners, I was so different from the typical short, black-haired and black-eyed person, that I was stared at twenty-four seven. It didn’t matter if I was on a crowded bus, sitting in Starbucks, or walking down the crowded streets, everyone stared at me. Some people just watched until I disappeared out of sight. Others blurted out any English phrases they knew which usually consisted of “Hello! What’s your name?” and ended in hysterical laughter. It was not unusual to be pulled into a never-ending cycle of pictures with complete strangers. It got to the point where I had to start charging if someone wanted to take pictures. That way, they would either let me leave or compensate me for my time. If I had to go buy something in the morning I could never just roll out of bed, throw on some old clothes, and put my hair up, for fear of the hundreds of people that would scrutinize me.

So while the paparazzi, fame, and excitement all might be good and fun for a while, it grows old fast. Living that way is too much pressure for most people. The crowds, the way people snoop into your private life, or invade your personal space bubble, are the least of a celebrity’s worries. There home is also more likely to be invaded. Thieves often target homes of celebrities. They know there will be tons of expensive goods in there. However, celebrities aren’t the only ones that have to worry about keeping their homes safe.

Even if someone isn’t rich or famous that won’t deter a crook from breaking into a house. Any house that is unprotected or appears to be easy to break into, is at risk of being burglarized. The good news is, it’s much cheaper for the average citizen to protect his or her house then it will be for a celebrity.

For more information about Dallas Home Security Alarm Companies or if you are looking for a Bee Cave Home Security Alarm Company, stop by the Smith Security site where you can find out all about our services. We also just recently began providing Austin Home Security Alarm service.

Tags: Home Security, Security Alarm Company, Security Monitoring, Security Systems
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