You Can Do It!

I Can Break in To Your Home in 8 Seconds or Less

This is what I was told by a career criminal burglar when he found out we were telling people we were home security experts.When I met him, I was surprised at how fast he could break into a window, without even breaking the glass! These were brand new windows supposedly tested for strict anti-intrusion standards. One window even had a double lock, and he opened the window in about 10 seconds.

 Most people overlook this obvious fact. 100% of all home invasions occur through a window or a door. Well, who better to call to see if your home is secure than a window and door specialist? Most people think of alarm companies or locksmiths, but the fact is, no one is more qualified to determine how secure your home actually is than a window and door specialist.

If you think your home is secure I want you to look at this website

http://www.lvmpd.com/crimeviewcommunity

They have a tool on this website where you can enter your address and see all the home invasions that have occurred in your area. I think you will be horrified when you see just how many homes were broken into over the last year, even on your very street! I recently searched my address with a 1 mile radius and there were over 47 burglaries in the last 60 days!

If you see that you have 10 or more burglaries in your area, your neighborhood may be the target of a criminal burglary ring. They target one specific neighborhood because they all have the same windows and if they know how to get in one window, they can get in any window in the entire housing tract.

So why not call us?That’ right call us right now at 702-642-6669 and we will send out a qualified window and door specialist to inspect your home, yard, lighting, entrances and curb perspective and tell you where your home is most vulnerable to intrusion and what you can do about it.

The inspection takes about 20 minutes and afterwards you will know exactly where you stand when it comes to home security. Don’t worry, we don’t sell alarms or monitoring service, we aren’t going to force a sales presentation on you either. Our window specialist may have a few window locks and such if you like but you are certainly under no obligation.

You need to pick up the phone and call us so we can tell you how to make your home more secure. The fact is, that most burglars will give up after 30 seconds of trying to get in. If you can just keep them out for a few extra seconds it could be the difference between getting broken into or not.

Call us at 702-642-6669 and we will give you a free 104 Point Home Security Inspection, free of charge and with no obligation. We look forward to your call.

Home Security #9

We have already discussed your front door, but since it is the most broken into entry of the home I want to discuss another security feature that may save you a lot of headache and loss.

That is namely a security door. This is another door that goes over the top of your existing door. The only kind I recommend is Titan Security Doors. These doors are made with a revolutionary new alloy. It's called T6 Commercial grade Aluminum Magnesium Alloy. It's stronger than steel but has a much more polished and elegant look than that of drab steel. Its also 30% lighter than steel which means less stress on hinges and screws which means the door will last much longer for you.

The best part is Titan's guarantee. Not only do they guarantee against the integrity, the finish and the parts and pieces but they guarantee its security. They guarantee your house won't get broken into via their security door. You can find more information here www.titansecurity.com

I like these doors because you can actually leave your door open to allow the breeze to refresh your home, but don't have to worry about some stranger walking in. Well there you have it, one more to go.

 

Home Security Tip #8

If you aren't feeling safer yet, tune in for these last three Home Security tips.

#8 - While You're Away - I can't tell you how many times I hear the phrase, "While we were on vacation our house got robbed" Believe me there is nothing worse than coming home from being out of town to find your home broken into and all of your valuables gone and your personal belongings ransacked.

A friend of mine who's home just got broken into while they were out of town came home to find everything gone, including jewelry, valuables and worst of all, their social security cards. You need to take a few extra steps before you leave out of town to make sure your home is safe while you're gone.

Have a trusted neighbor or family member remove newspapers, flyers, extra mail and debris that has blown into your yard. Have them also park their car in front of your home while you're gone. You should also have timers on your interior lights that turns a few lights on and off in a logical sequence, to make it appear that someone is home. A TV or radio that turns off and on is a good idea as well.

Most importantly, do not advertise that you are leaving! Yes, burglars stake out a house/neighborhood before they attempt to break in. If you are in the front yard tying a suitcase to the top of your station wagon when a burglar drives by, guess where he's going to be tomorrow? That's right inside your house loading up on your things.

Pull your car into the garage and load it up there when going on a trip. Remember, even if you have an alarm system, if they can get in and out quickly, its worth it to them to take 5 or 6 minutes and grab everything they can carry then get out of there, because they know it takes 20 to 30 minutes for anyone to respond to an alarm.

Also you should invest in a home safe. Small things that are worth a lot of money are what burglars are looking for. They aren’t there for the big screen TV that will take 20 minutes to unplug and three movers to get out of the house. If you put all of your small valuables in a home safe, you've avoided 90% of the risk right there.

You can also find more info at www.replaceyourownwindows.com

Home Security Tip #7

Outdoor Security - You need to make sure your outdoor security is as tight as your indoor security. Meaning your side gates need to have heavy-duty weatherproof locks on them. You need to make sure and sheds are locked and secure. All outdoor equipment such as barbecue's lawn mowers and tools are stowed properly and secure.

Is someone going to steal your 200 pound barbecue? Probably not, but your outside security will give clues to burglars about the rest of your home. If you are lackadaisical about your belongings that are stored outside your home, you probably don't put too much effort into securing the belongings on the inside of your home as well. If they see you put effort into securing something big, cheap and hard to move, they can only imagine how much effort you put into securing valuables.

Also, make sure your car is locked, even if its parked in the garage. If you don't park in the garage, you should start. You'd be surprised how many thefts occur while the car is parked in the previous owner's driveway.

Home Security Tip #6

Since we talked about secondary window locks last time, we should probably talk about secondary locks for sliding glass doors. Sliding glass doors are probably the easiest way to get into your home. I have a salesperson who has years of experience with many different types of sliding glass doors.

When he goes to a homeowners house to look at a sliding glass door he walks outside and asks the client to lock him out. He then jiggles and jimmies the door until it pops open and he walks in. Sliding glass doors are a favorite of burglars for this very reason. They are the most "unsecured" section of your home. You really need a secondary lock for this reason.

I recommend the charlie bar. Click on that link and you can see a picture of what a charlie bar is. Sure the little foot bolts work well in some instances and can be less visually intrusive. However, a charlie bar serves the same purpose as a footbolt and serves as a "broomstick" in the track. The type of charlie bar we use also has a pin lock which keeps the panel from being lifted as well.

This should really be the first step you take when beginning to secure your home, especially if you have a sliding glass door on the first floor.

Home Security Tip #5

This tip is of extreme importance and is so easily fixed it's a shame to see anyone lose family heirlooms, keepsakes or anything of value because of neglect of this simple step. That is namely, secondary window locks.

You can find secondary window locks at any home store for anywhere from 99 cents to 5 dollars. Even if you have a big house you can usually put window locks on all of your windows for less than 25 dollars. Here's a cold hard fact. Burglars know what type of window is installed in your home. They know that when your housing tract was built the builder put the same type of windows in all of the houses.

If they can find a flaw with one window they can now seek out which housing tracts have that style of window and then they know where lots of homes are that they can get into very easily. Once the flaw is found with a window, they can usually get into that window in about 5 seconds.

One of the most secure tract grade aluminum windows out there is a particular window that I have had a lot of experience with. The manufacturer's pride themselves on passing the strict California forced entry codes, where the window is scrutinized by several "previous" burglars or security experts. If these people cannot get into the window within 5 minutes without breaking the glass, the window passes the test.

This particular window actually has a secondary lock built in and in my experience was the most secure window I had seen at that level. It wasn't until a certain installer of mine showed me how he could break into the window in less than 10 seconds. Now of course he is an expert with years of experience working with this window, but you can rest assured that if he knows how to do, there are several others who know, including burglars.

Putting secondary window locks on your windows is not only smart but it's easy as well. Why not remove this risk by placing window locks on your windows? I recommend the type of lock that requires you to drill a small hole in the window and has a rod that pushes through that hole. This keeps the sliding window from sliding side to side and from sliding up and down which is important because that's how most windows are broken into, by lifting them up in the track and then sliding them open.

Bonus tip - Walk over to your horizontal sliding window, open it just enough to get your hand around the side. Then see if you can lift the sliding part of the window up. If you can, you need to make adjustments so that this can't happen.

 

Home Security Tip #4

Lighting! Burglars like the dark. Plain and Simple. You need to make sure there are no dark areas around your home. When a burglar is driving around a neighborhood trying to decide which home to break in to, his attention is caught when he sees a house with a door, window or sliding glass door with no bright lights shining on it.

He wants to have the extra 30 seconds or so that darkness will give him to work his way into your home. So, any door or sliding glass door, should have a minimum 60 watt bulb illuminating the door and surrounding areas. You should definitely use the new fluorescent style bulbs as they will save you alot of money, especially with such a high wattage bulb.

You should pay special attention to areas that aren't visible from the street or a neighbor's home. Any such areas, should be lit extremely well and any points of entry in these areas should be triple re-enforced. It's actually quite simple, one night go outside, walk across the street and pretend you are a burglar. Where would you try to break in if you were a burglar?Make sure those areas are lit up.

Experts also recommend motion lighting. Lighting up your entire home like the state prison can get to be expensive over the long haul. You can opt for motion detectors in areas that don't need constant lighting. (driveways, backyards, the side of your home with no doors) Also set the timer to the longest delay, that way, it appears to an outsider that when there was motion you saw it and turned the light on yourself, as opposed to a motion detector that is flashing on and off all night.

Home Security Tip #3

Today's tip is extremely important, and it is hardware.

You should really go to YouTube and look up the term "bump key." After you watch the 50 or so videos that are on YouTube showing how easy it is to break into your home via the use of a bump key, run out and get new hardware. You are at risk if you. . .

• Rent your home or have recently purchased your home and have the same locks as when you moved in.
• Have purchased new locks for your doors, but chose the cheapest locks off the rack at the local home store.
• Have lived in your home a long time and have never replaced the door hardware.

The fact of the matter is, a high percentage of home invasions are committed by a former resident using the same key and an even higher percentage are by the use of a bump key. You can immediately remove this risk by purchasing and installing "high grade" door locks on your home. Make sure they are not susceptible to being opened by a bump key.

Picture

This picture goes with Security Tip #2

Home Security Tip #2

Due to the massive amount of break in's we are seeing in the Las Vegas valley,  I am in the process of publishing 10 security tips over the next few days, to help you make your home more secure. Here is Security Tip #2.

#2 – Strike Plates - If you knew how easy it was to kick in your front door you would probably be very afraid. You see the actual door slab is usually hung to the inside of the jamb so it can swing fully open on the inside. The problem with this is the strike plate has to line up with the door slab.

In case you were wondering the strike plate is the piece of metal that screws to your door jamb that your dead bolt slides into. If this sits to the extreme interior of your door jamb, there isn’t much for those screws to grab to, usually less than 1/4 of an inch. The wood is made weaker already by driving a screw through already, so it really isn’t all that hard to kick it in. The wood splinters and then all that’s left is some drywall and casing.

The picture here shows the back side of the strike plate, on a door that has no drywall or casing installed yet. Can you see how much wood the screws will catch when installed? In this application it will catch about 3/16” of an inch and that’s not very much at all. So what’s the solution?

The first solution is to use minimum 3” screws and drive them deep into the adjacent studs. This way there is more wood to have to kick in when the time comes. The next step is to purchase an upgraded strike plate. There are strike plates available that are sturdier and secure to the door in a more secure manner. There are too many variations to discuss them all here but, you can see them in the millwork section of your local home store.

Then finally you can install a secure metal plate to the jamb before you install the door. This way there is literally no way your door can be kicked in. Unfortunately, the door has to be completely removed for this application, but it is well worth it. If you are in the market for a new front or entry door, please make sure your contractor installs this type of security plate for you.