Do-It-Yourself Home Security: Windows May Leave You Vulnerable
A Guest Post by:
By: Joseph D'Agnese
Protecting your home from break-ins starts with a
do-it-yourself home security check to indicate whether your windows are
an open invitation to criminals.
Check ground-floor and basement windows
Ground-floor and basement windows are more likely to be targeted than
those on the second floor, and deserve the most attention. The
exception is those second-floor windows that can be easily accessed by a
deck or other elevated structure outside the home.
Start your home security check
by looking at your ground-floor windows from afar. Are they blocked by
high shrubbery? Bushes give ideal cover for someone planning to break or
force open a window; cut greenery back so that front windows are fully
visible from the street.
Keep locks locked
Make sure all windows can be opened, closed, and locked with relative
ease—and then remember to keep them locked whenever you’re not around.
The biggest problem that occurs with windows is when home owners exit
their home and leave windows wide open—and vulnerable.
In spring
and fall, when daytime temperatures swing and windows are frequently
opened and closed, get in the habit of locking windows as you shut them.
Install simple security devices
Add blocking devices to the most easily accessed windows so they can’t be opened from outside.
- Wooden dowels placed in the track block windows that slide horizontally, and require no installation.
- Steel locking pins (about $7 each), inserted in small holes that
must be drilled through the frames, prevent vertically-sliding windows
from being opened.
If you install a home security system later, the pros will install glass-break sensors on your most vulnerable windows.
Check garage windows
Garage windows are often forgotten—give them a home security check to
make sure they’re securely locked. Install curtains or apply
translucent security film on garage windows so that valuables aren’t
readily visible. Thieves are more likely to attempt a break-in if they
see items worth stealing.
Joseph D’Agnese is a journalist and
book author who has written numerous articles on home improvement. He
lives in North Carolina.
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