Do It Yourself Home Security Checklist

Everyone worries at some point that an intruder may get into their home.  It's a scary thought that someone can get in and go through your stuff and can leave you feeling extremely violated.  There is an easy home security checklist that you can do yourself and it will help give you some peace of mind that it won't be easy for someone to gain entry into your home.

First, make sure your exterior doors and door frames are strong enough to stand up to excessive force.  They need to be made of solid wood, not hollow, or metal.  If the panels in the door are thin or glass, they can be easily broken.  You can reinforce these panels with three-quarter plywood.  If the panels are glass, you can reinforce them with a security film.  Also, make sure your doors fit their frames snugly and securely.

You will also need to make sure that all of your hinged exterior doors are secured with a single cylinder deadbolt lock.  That deadbolt should have a minimum one inch throw.  That means that the bolt sticks out from the edge of the door one inch.  The strike plate that the bolt enters should be secured with four screws and those screws should reach past the trim and connect with the stud that is in the wall.  Chain latches aren't going to keep out an intruder so it isn't smart to rely on them.  Make sure that door hinges that are accessible from the outside are pinned so that they can't be removed. 

You will want your basement windows and doors to have extra protection, like steel mesh or metal pipes.  Also, be sure to install wide angle viewers in all solid exterior doors.  Install anti-lift and anti-slide devices in all of your sliding glass doors and windows.  Secure your garage doors so no one can get in and make sure that the panes in louvered windows are epoxied in place.  In order to discourage prying, make sure that double-hung or sash windows are secured with pinsor extra latches.

Check your basement windows and make sure that they work correctly without excessive play.  Trim your trees and shrubs that surround your house away from doors and windows.  Mark all of your property and keep a list of it all to discourage burglars from taking it.  If they do take it, it will help you recover it.

To ensure your safety at night, make sure that all entrances are well lit and your yard is evenly lit.  Motion detection lights are an excellent way to ensure this.  Make sure that all openings, such as skylights, crawl spaces, vents, and pet doors are protected.