Home Security: Outside The House

How's the security on your house itself? Securing the exterior of the house is a very important element toward preventing a burglary. The condition and quality of windows, doors, and locks have the biggest impact on how easy it is to break in. If doors are left unlocked or are easy to defeat, a burglar will find your home very attractive. You can have the best and most sophisticated locks available but if you don't use them, it amounts to having none at all.

More people are using alarms these days. If you are considering having a system installed, its best to use a dealer who will come to your home and discuss the options most appropriate for you. You should also get more than one estimate before you purchase any alarm system.

Doors

1. Are all of your exterior doors made of either 1 3/4 inch solid wood or metal?
2. If you have exterior doors with windows in them , have you installed polycarbonate over the glass panels near the lock?
3. Is the door frame secure enough to provide no movement when you push against it?
4. Do your solid exterior doors have 180 degree, wide-angle viewers to allow for visual iden- tification of people without having to open the door?
5. Are sliding glass doors protected with a secondary lock, such as a "charlie bar" or a slide bolt? Also these doors should be installed in a manner as to prevent them from being lifted out off the track.
6. Are exterior basement doors made of metal or solid wood and protected with a deadbolt?
7. Are hatchway (bilco) doors secured with a sliding bolt?
8. Are garage doors leading into the house made of solid wood and secured with a dead bolt?
9. Are doors on outbuildings, such as garages and sheds, adequately protected?
10. Are overhead garage doors secured with a padlock, deadbolt lock, or electronic door opener?

Windows and Locks

1. Do you lock your double-hung windows with sliding bolts or window locks and not rely on the crescent latch which only keeps the bottom and top sashes closed?
2. Are the safety latches in your casement windows working properly with no play in the crank handles?
3. Are all panels of glass in your louvered windows or doors glued with epoxy to prevent removal?
4. Are your sliding glass doors secured with "charlie bars" or sliding bolts?
5. Do you secure your basement windows with grillwork, bars, mesh, or polcarbonate? (A note to remember, if you are considering any of these safety methods, take into account those windows that are or could be needed for emergency exits.)
6. Are the air conditioners bolted into the window from the inside?
7. If you have a solid core exterior door, does it have a single cylinder deadbolt lock that uses a key on one side and a turn-knob on the other?
8. If you have an exterior door that has a half-glass window, does it have a double cylinder deadbolt lock that uses a key on both sides?
9. Do you use a deadbolt lock on all exterior doors?