Complete Guide on How to Secure Your Home

Despite being ranked the 8 ^th safest country out of a list of 162, Canada isn’t completely crime-free. In fact, the most recent statistics claim that in every 100,000 Canadian homes, 578 are victimized by burglaries each year. Sure, it’s still not a lot if you crunch the numbers. But what these figures demonstrate is that the dangers aren’t simply imagined.

Burglaries happen, and it pays to prepare your home so you can make sure you, your family, and your belongings are safe at all times - whether or not you’re home. One of the first steps you need to take to secure your home would be to reinforce any entry point. And that includes your doors and windows.

Fortunately, it doesn’t take a lot to heighten your home’s defenses against intruders. So, exactly how do you burglar proof windows and doors? Here’s what you can do.

Reinforce Your Window Locks

What is the most effective way on how to secure home windows? Reinforce your locks, of course. Most burglars will know how to manipulate standard window locks so they can get an entry point into your home. By adding aftermarket locks to your windows, you can add an extra layer of security to your home and make it harder for burglars from breaking in with ease.

Here are some examples of aftermarket window locks you can install:

• Pin locks - These hold your windows shut by way of a removable pin. They’re easy to install and usually hidden from view making them an inexpensive and intuitive choice for most windows.
• Hinged wedge locks - Acting like a wedge, these locks stop the movement of sliding windows keeping them shut unless the wedge is removed.
• Keyed window locks - Kind of like a door, the keyed window lock requires a key for both opening and locking the window in place. These are best for times when you expect to be away from home for extended periods of time.

Change the Glass

Standard windows and door windows use annealed glass which can shatter upon impact. This makes them easier for burglars to compromise, especially if they know no one’s home to hear the noise.

Changing the glass to tempered glass or plexiglass improves your windows and doors’ resistance to force, cracking but otherwise retaining its shape and structure.

Install Window Sensors

Most modern home security systems support door and window sensors that detect when an entry point has been breached. If triggered, the system can unleash a blare of noise and lights to alert you and scare away the intruder.

Place Security Cameras Around Your Property

Security cameras have possibly saved millions of homes from potential intruders, thanks to their simple purpose of monitoring everything within their view. Burglars will be easily deterred by security cameras because they threaten identification.

Install cameras so that every possible entry point is monitored. In some cases, keeping the cameras within view can also help ward off intruders. Simply knowing that they might get caught could be enough to make them want to ditch the job.

But keep in mind, there are other more sophisticated burglars that will disarm a camera especially if its within reach. So maybe keeping them visible yet too far away to tamper with might be a better way to maintain the security of your entry points.

Install Metal Grills

What makes typical windows easy to breach is the fact that all you really need to do is break them, and you’re in. But metal frames that attach to your window openings can stop a burglar in his tracks, limiting him to just whatever his arms can reach.

The only potential downside is that grills might water down your home’s curb appeal. But don’t fret - there are bespoke metalworkers that can fabricate decorative grill designs for your home so you can get the best of both worlds.

Keep Everything Well Lit

The night proves to be an opportune time for burglars because it shrouds them in darkness. Limiting your visibility, the evening gives burglars more freedom and confidence to move because even if you happen to detect them, you’re not likely to identify them.

With that logic in mind, it might help to keep all of your entry points well lit. Floodlights or even just standard indoor lighting filtering brightly through a window or a door can make your home look like a poor target for an opportunistic intruder.

Similarly, there are other devices on the market that might help deter burglars with light. Motion sensing lights turn on when triggered by movement, and the element of surprise definitely makes them more effective against burglars.

As a burglar triggers a motion sensing light, they’re likely given a bit of a shock thinking that they’ve been caught and that the homeowner has located them. In effect, the immediate impulse would be to flee the scene.

Reconsider Your Landscaping

Back in the day, when security systems and tempered glass were yet to become a thing, people would reinforce their homes by way of their landscaping. Areas beneath windows would be complicated with thorny bushes that would force burglars to push their way through just to reach an entry point.

While they might not be the most sophisticated solution, there’s no doubt that the simple aspect of your landscape might be a smart way to further strengthen your home’s resistance to break-ins.

Plants like shrub rose, creeping juniper, and blackthorn can be perfect choices for your window security. These beautiful flowering plants can also improve your home’s aesthetic while adding an extra layer to your overall security.

Over to You

With the technologies in home security becoming more and more sophisticated, there really is no reason for you to leave your home at risk. These inexpensive solutions definitely won’t cost you a lot, but they can save you a fortune.

So if you were asking how you can secure your home and sleep in peace knowing that you’re safe from intruders, try out these suggestions to up your property’s resistance against opportunistic burglars.

Safety First: The Dangers of Windows for Kids

According to data released by the American Academy of Pediatrics, more than 5,000 kids are injured each year as a result of falling out of a window. What is even more shocking is that over 80% of these incidents involved screened windows . Below are some great tips to help secure your home’s windows and keep your children safe.

1. Install Window Locks

The simplest way to prevent kids from opening windows and injuring themselves is to keep opening windows locked when they are not being used. This can be done by installing dedicated window locks, which are available for most types of opening windows. If you have locks but have lost the keys for them, it is possible to replace the lock barrels so that new keys can fit them. This will prevent windows from being opened more than a few inches at most.

2. Fit Childproof Window Guards

These are grille-like protectors that can be fitted to almost any sized window and have been proven to be one of the most effective devices for keeping windows safe for kids. When purchasing these guards, it’s important to request child-safe options, as these will have smaller spaces between the bars than those that have been designed for general security purposes. Most government and safety agencies recommend window guards over other types of safety features because they are difficult for kids to open, but can easily be opened by adults in case of emergency.

3. Don’t Place Furniture Near Windows

As soon as they learn to crawl and walk, most young kids go on to become notorious climbers. While this may be a good trait for them to have in order to build their strength and confidence, it can get them into quite a bit of trouble and it would be disastrous if it causes them to fall out of a window. Keeping furniture such as beds, chairs, dressers, bookshelves and tables away from windows will help prevent them from being used as stepping stones to accessing a window.

4. Avoid Using Blinds with Cords or Keep them Out of Reach

Too many kids are accidentally strangled by blind cords each year. If you have to use blinds that work with cords, ensure that these are kept well out of the reach of a curious child, or better still, opt for blinds or other window covering that don’t make use of any cords whatsoever.

Whether you have children of your own or ones that may visit your home, it is of the upmost importance that their safety is assured by securing your windows. If you’re in doubt over how to do so for your style of windows, be sure to consult with an expert before starting your project. Using preventative measures against accidents is the best way to ensure your kids are kept safe.

How much does it cost to replace windows in Ontario

Here’s How Burglars Use Windows to Get Into Your Home

Statistics have revealed that more than 80% of burglars gain access into homes through windows. While climbing through open windows is probably the easiest option in most instances, this is not the only way in which these openings are used by criminals. Read on further to find out just how easy it is for burglars to use these convenient openings to their advantage.

Breaking Panes or Forcing Windows Open

Burglars who don’t want to be caught in possession of lock picking tools or other devices such as crowbars or screwdrivers will normally use a brick or rock they find lying about and use it to break a window. The only disadvantage of this method for the burglar is that he or she risks being heard by neighbors when breaking the glass.

In cases where burglars want to go about their activities as quietly as possible, using a screwdriver or crowbar to force a closed or latched window open is the next most commonly used means of gaining entry into a property. In rare instances, a glass cutting tool may be used to break into a home as quietly as possible.

Gaining Access through Flimsy Doors

Many doors used on homes these days are of a low quality, making it easy for burglars to break into a home through them. More than 50% of burglars state that front doors make for the easiest point of access into a home, especially when they have not been properly locked or secured by an exterior gate. In cases where front doors pose too much of a challenge, burglars will simply walk around the house to see if any others are unlocked or easy to force open.

Sliding doors and hollow core exterior doors also provide easy access points for burglars. Most types of sliding doors can be lifted off the track even when locked, while hollow core doors can be kicked off their hinges or jimmied open with a simple lock pick set in most cases.

Choosing the Safest Doors and Windows

Exterior doors should be solid core to ensure that they are as durable as possible. When installing them, use screws and other hardware that is able to go at least 1 to 1.5 inches into a doorframe, and always use high quality locks. Deadbolts should be used to provide additional resistance to kicking and forcing on solid core doors as well.

Whenever vacating your home, ensure that all ground floor windows are not only closed, but securely latched as well. If a window has to be left open for any reason, it should have burglar bars attached to prevent it from being used as an easy access point. Have locks fitted to opening windows and be sure to engage them when windows are not being used.

Using the highest quality doors and windows will help ensure that a home is as secure as possible, regardless of whether it is vacant or not. Canadian Choice Windows only makes use of the most highly qualified and experienced employees to install their door and window products. Contact them today to find out more about their products and their lifetime transferable warranty option.