Spring Cleaning Tips to Improve Your Home Security

1. Spring Cleaning Tips to Improve Your Home Security With warmer weather comes an increased risk of burglaries. As the temperature begins to rise, so does the number and frequencies of burglaries. While burglars aren’t quite as active in spring as they are during the summer months (when burglary rates tend to be the highest), this time of year is perfect to do some spring cleaning by checking on your home security—and improving it as needed. Maintain Your Yard As homeowners, we all want our lawn to look nice as it starts to grow with warmer weather. Mowing and maintain your yard not only improves your home’s curb appeal, but it can also help deter criminals. Tall grass and weeds can make it easier for burglars to approach your home undetected. An unkempt yard can also make your home look like no one’s around to maintain it, which can attract unwanted attention from would-be thieves. Keep Your Yard Tools Locked Up After a long day of yardwork, you’ll probably be ready to get inside and relax as quickly as possible. However, take a few minutes to secure all your valuable yard tools before you call it a day. Burglars are often looking for easy opportunities, and if they see valuable tools laying around unattended, they just might strike—even in broad daylight. When your yard is littered with tools, they’re much easier to steal. Make sure to lock them away in your garage, tool shed, or wherever you normally store them to help prevent loss. Install Outdoor Lights Burglars don’t like to be seen so they tend to go for the easiest targets. Adding bright lights around your home and yard’s perimeter can help create a deterrent and make your home much less appealing to robbers. If want to save on your electric bill (and not annoy your neighbors with bright lights) you can consider adding motion detectors to your external light system so it only turns on when there’s movement. Basic motion detectors will likely be triggered by wild animals roaming through your yard, but it’s a minor inconvenience if it means keeping your home safer. Test Your Detectors Smoke detectors should be checked monthly, and the batteries should be changed yearly. While you’re doing your spring cleaning, take a few minutes to replace the batteries in your smoke detectors and test them to ensure they’re functioning properly.

2. Additionally, test your carbon monoxide detectors and replace their batteries as well (if they’re separate from your smoke detectors). Carbon monoxide is called the “silent killer” for good reason—it’s colorless, odorless, and can knock a person out before poisoning them before they know it. According to the CDC, over 430 people die and around 50,000 people are hospitalized in the U.S due to carbon monoxide poisoning each year. If your fire alarms don’t have CO detectors built in, upgrade them, or add carbon monoxide detectors throughout your home to protect yourself and your family. Inspect Your Door & Window Locks Like anything else in life, locks can experience wear and tear over time. Take a few minutes during your spring-cleaning process to inspect the locks on each door and window to ensure they function properly. If you notice any of your locks are loose or aren’t as secure as they should be, be sure to tighten them up or replace them (most locksmiths recommend replacing your locks every seven years). Also be sure to check the locks on your upstairs windows. While burglars would prefer easier access through first- floor windows, many break-ins have occurred through upstairs entry points. Make it Look Like Your Home When You’re Away Spring is a popular time for individuals and families to go on vacation. If you’re planning to get away for a while, take a bit of time to prepare to ensure it looks like you’re home, even when you’re not. Some people prefer to close their curtains and blinds while away, which can help keep valuables out of sight for those that pass by your home—which is good. However, if you can arrange your valuables so that they can’t be seen from outside through your windows, you may want to consider keeping your blinds open to make it look like you’re home or will be home at any time. Generally, you should do whatever you do on a normal day. Either way, you should invest in some timers to turn on lights as it gets dark and keep them on until late evening to further bolster the illusion that your home is currently occupied. Having your TV on a timer can help as well—have it turn on during the day or evening and stay on (and keep the volume up). Put Deliveries on Hold When You’re Away If you’re going to be away for more than a few days, it’s important to pause deliveries of all kinds until you get back. A pile of newspapers on your lawn is an instant clue that no one’s home, so contact your provider to ask them to hold deliveries while you’re gone. Similarly, an over-stuffed mailbox is another red flag you can avoid by letting the post office know you’d like to temporarily halt service. Unattended packages are easy targets for thieves, so try to avoid ordering packages that might be delivered to your doorstep while you’re gone if possible. If you’re going to be away and you’re expecting a package, ask a trusted neighbor or nearby family member to keep an eye out for it and collect it for you if you have that option.

3. Inspect & Test Your Outdoor Security Cameras Security camera inspection should be another part of your spring cleaning routine. Over time birds, insects and rodents can damage your security cameras. From building nests and webs to chewing through critical cords, there are many ways animals and insects can damage your security cameras. Ensure they’re all working properly and contact your local security system experts if you find any of your equipment needs repair. If you don’t currently have home security cameras to protect and monitor your home, now is the perfect time to have some professionally installed. Not only can they be helpful in the event of a burglary or vandalism, but they can also deter would-be thieves from trying to rob your home. Install or Improve Your Home Security System While all the above tips can help keep you, your family, and your property safe, there’s no substitute for a reliable home security system. A determined burglar will bypass many security measures, but a security alarm can scare off burglars with sirens and lights, while also alerting you and local law enforcement to help prevent loss, reduce damage, and help catch criminals. If you have a security system protecting your home, ensure all components are functioning properly by testing the sensors to ensure they trigger as expected. If you don’t currently have a security system protecting your home, or if your current system is faulty or outdated, contact your local security system experts to have a system installed or upgraded. If you’re in the East Texas area, contact 3D Security, Inc. for all your home security system needs. We’ve helped homeowners protect their families, protect their property, and have peace of mind for over 30 years, and we’d love to help you next. Source: Spring Cleaning to Improve Home Security