Burglar alarms are not the be-all and end-all of home security. There are plenty of other things you can install in your home that will help to stop a burglar from gaining entry ?and many of them are very simple and inexpensive.

The key is to secure the possible points of entry. This means that doors should be made of strong, solid material (definitely not plastic or glass), be properly secured to their hinges and have tamper-resistant locks. Ideally, you should have an extra deadbolt that you put on at night, made from very strong metal.

Windows should be made from toughened glass, preferably double-glazed, so that they are almost impossible to break. Although window locks are relatively uncommon, they help greatly with security, and you should consider installing them. If your house has windows in a position where they can be easily and discreetly accessed from the street, such as basement windows, you should consider putting metal bars on them.

It is also important for your garden to be secure, as far more burglars enter through the back of your house than the front. This means that your fences should be high and have some kind of anti-climbing measures (spikes or anti-climb paint can work well). If you don't like fences, get big hedges instead.

Another thing to consider is getting a dog ?surprisingly effective against burglars, who don't generally want to mess with dogs if they can avoid it. For this strategy to be more effective, put up a aware of the dog?sign. Smaller dogs are not so great for this because they are not generally scary ?something like a big German Shepherd works best, not only because of their size, but because of their strong guard instincts that cause them to be hostile to strangers.

The article is collected by a house painter who’s also good at landscape design and repair solar penel.

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All too often I am asked whether or not I trust and/or like Brinks Home Security and why.  Well, I usually give an answer that is something along the lines of “yeah, I’d use them”, but I never really had solid reasons for my trust.  So, after some sitting, some thinking, and some internet searching, I came up with 5 good reasons why I would go with Brinks Home Security.

1) Experience

They have been providing home security for more than 30 years!  Since home security is completely dependant on the safety aspect, experience is absolutely key.  They have had time to make any mistakes that could be made by such a company and fix all of them.  Thanks to their experience, they just don’t make mistakes.  A new, inexperienced company, on the other hand, is much more likely to make a mistake that could cost you your safety.  Your safety is simply too important to justify any unnecessary risk.

2) Service

They have true 24 hour service all around!  Of course, they have 24 hour monitoring, that’s to be expected from any home security company, but Brinks Home Security accepts calls for support 24 hours a day!  That means that if something goes wrong with my system, they will help me fix it even if it happens to be 3 am.  They make their customers THE top priority, even over sleep!

3) Awards

So, about that service thing you just read about; you remember, right?  Well, said service is VERY good, good enough to win awards!  J.D. Powers and Associates have given Brinks Home Security an award for “An Outstanding Customer Service Experience” six years in a row.  Not to mention that Brinks Home Security also got a “Best Buy” award from Consumer Digest for its standard security system!  Awards are certainly some strong evidence.

4) Ease of Use

All other keypads that I have used are more difficult than Brinks’ keypad.  It’s easy to turn off when you need to, and it’s even easier to turn on.  Additionally, there are immediate alarm buttons on the keypad that allow me to directly sound the alarm and contact monitoring personnel in the event of an emergency.  It’s all about safety, and Brinks Home Security has it in spades!

5) Professional

Their entire staff is very professional.  All of them are true Brinks employees who live and work in the United States. Not outsourced foreign workers with heavy Indian accents.  Which is, of course, when you would need to understand the person on the other side of the line the most.  Brinks employees have licenses for the work that they do, they go through background checks, and they go through drug testing; all to insure that they will help you correctly when you need it the most.

Those are more than enough reasons for me to choose Brinks Home Security.  The choice is still yours, though.  Go with Brinks, or just “some other guy”?

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Have you ever thought what our lives would be like without locks?  Locks protect our houses and our belongings, locks keep us safe, and locks provide and restrict access to almost anything we need and use in life.  We operate locks with keys, whether or not they are standard keys or, increasingly, electronic keys and access devices.  We pretty much take locks for granted until, that is, a lock fails or we somehow lock ourselves out.  This is where locksmiths come in.  They are whom you call when you suddenly find yourself locked out.  It’s a nasty, frustrating feeling, and it usually happens when we expect it least.  You need to get in, but there’s no key, the key is broken, or the lock is broken.  It doesn’t really count what’s at fault.  You need help and you need it fast.  

Firstly, be prepared and take charge or your keys.  I find it fascinating that most people have some type of roadside assistance service, a listing of their credit cards and other crucial information, and all kinds of other emergency contingency plans, but few keep an eye on their keys.  What number of us have keys on our key rings and in other places that we have no clue what they are for?  And what percentage of us do not have backups for important keys?  And who has not been guilty of doing something possibly harmful like hiding a key under a doormat or potted plant?  Fact is, most folk have a surprisingly casual angle towards keys and as a result, keys get lost and we get locked out.  Meaning that many of us finally need a professional locksmith.  

Even if you have all your keys smartly organized and backups in effect possibilities are you can still encounter an emergency at some point and then you want a locksmith.  So let’s think about who to call and what to keep an eye out for when it comes to selecting locksmiths.  

Since nobody ever plans on losing a key or locking him or herself out, you want a locksmith who will help you when you need them.  That suggests they must offer twenty-four / seven service 365 days a year, without exceptions.  

And since lockouts are stressful and potentially dangerous scenarios, emergency locksmiths must be able to come to your rescue fast and reliably.  Lock for a twenty four hour locksmith service that guarantees they can dispatch somebody right away and have them by your side inside a prescribed time period, regardless of where you are.  The best services have local locksmiths that will reach you inside minutes.  

Since locks are a matter of private security and security of your property, you need a locksmith you can trust.  This implies you want a service that’s licensed, bonded and insured.  Under no circumstances should you deal with any locksmith who cannot prove their certifications and professional standings.  

Locks became very complex and sophisticated, and there are now electronic locks and access mechanisms that require special expertise.  Automobile locksmiths, especially, now have to handle transponders and security systems that demand special tools, training and experience with a good range of different systems.  

Bottom line?  Be prepared as it’s not a matter of whether you will eventually need a locksmith, but when.  So be sure you know what keys you have, what issues you can encounter, and then search for a good locksmith who’ll be there when you want them!

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