We all want to be safe in our homes no matter what time of day. This article comes from a home tucked away in the country on a fair sized acreage of land. The home owners determined it was time to improve upon their existing security features. Below is their testimonial of the security home plan they chose.
Defense in Depth Concept
At our home we utilize a defense in depth concept for our security. The defense in depth method simply means we utilize multiple layers of security to maximize the security of our home.
Home Security Layer One
Our first layer of security is a gate across the driveway to restrict access at night or when we are away from home. We installed a heavy duty, 14 foot tubular ranch gate, mounted on a 10 foot long, 6” x 6” pressure treated posts which are set in the ground with 4 feet of concrete. The gate serves multiple purposes as it will keep our livestock on the property while the fencing in the front of the house is being worked on. The gate also has a solar powered automatic opener with security coded controls, restricting ease of access.
Home Security Layer Two
The second layer consists of exterior lighting, utilizing multiple outdoor flood lights mounted at each corner of the house, providing illumination of the entire perimeter of the building 30 plus feet out. Additionally, landscaping is maintained to ensure intruders don’t have cover near windows and other areas of entry. While it does require regular maintenance it is worth the effort, plus it keeps our home beautiful.
Home Security Layer Three
The next security layer consists of reinforcing all door locks with heavy duty deadbolts and strike plates secured with 3 to 4 inch-long screws. All these items are readily available at any local or big box quality building supply store. A good security rule to implement is changing out or rekeying door locks. Over the years we have lost keys or given spares to friends, and are no longer sure who has access.
Home Security Layer Four
The innermost security layer is our security system. After intensive research on security systems currently available we opted for a wireless security system. We chose the one that had the best support program that fit our needs and also ranked highest in the US News and World Report. Key reasons for choosing this system included ease of ordering, ability to tailor the system to our home and specific requirements, easy self-installation, excellent support, and monthly billing with multiple levels of monitoring service available.
To select the specific components needed we used the website’s “Build Your Own System” feature. We determined the total number of first floor entry points. These included windows, the garage door, the mudroom door from the garage, as well as the number of rooms requiring motion sensors. We decided to order motion sensors for all first-floor rooms with exterior doors or windows including the master bedroom and bathroom. Additional items ordered included a spare panic button for our master bedroom and another for the second floor, interior monitoring cameras for first and second floor spaces, exterior cameras with night vision capability, and a pair of key fobs. I was able to order directly from the website and received all of the components in 4 days.
Installation was very simple and included everything from setting up the base station, the wireless pads, installing window and door sensors, motion detectors along with installing and programming the keypads. The final step was testing the system.
It was comforting to learn that the wireless security company offered multiple methods of installation support, including an online help center, troubleshooting guides, owner’s manuals, and live customer service support. My own experience with live customer support was outstanding. They were knowledgeable, extremely professional and were able to help me through all issues quickly and efficiently.
Once the system is installed, you can select the payment plan which best fits your budget and requirements with varying levels of coverage.
Layer Up Your Home Security
There are many layers to home security that are not mentioned here, including developing and training your plan with all that live in your home, as well as guests who come to stay. We all have learned fire and storm safety, but personal protection of unwelcome threats to your home is often overlooked. Hopefully this article made you think about your current home security plan and was a helpful step in your family’s long term safety and security.
