UK Home Improvement Blog

Undeniably, windows are a basic element of your home. They let in sunlight and air…unfortunately they also let in opportunistic burglars. Of course, anyone who thinks of a house with the best protection, pictures a fortress-like house without any windows or doors in plain sight, at least. However, this is not a feasible plan to ensure that no outsider gains illegal access to your house. Yet, we have a viable solution for you to live in your typical ‘landscape-inclusive-windows-embedded-house’ while ensuring safety.

Below are listed some of the best window security tips that will make your home impenetrable for a thief.

• First and foremost, check all vulnerable areas where windows are located, especially on the ground floor level as these are the burglar’s first target and perfect entry point. They know that you, like most people, are likely to forget or simply overlook securing your windows, which becomes your weak point.
• Take care of your windows by ensuring there is no broken wooden frame, glass cracks or corroded metal frame as these are exactly what burglars are looking for.
• Then, keep your windows properly locked, even when you are out temporarily. Therefore, choose your locks well. Sash, Pin, Butterfly, Claw Latch, Casement fastener, or hook locks or window restrictors may be useful to you depending on the type of windows of your house, whether they are sliding, double-hung, patio, or casement windows. In any case, having the appropriate locks for your windows is a priority. It is also necessary to upkeep those locks, otherwise, they would be useless in preventing the well-equipped burglars who are forcing an entry. It is very important to store keys into a safe place and avoid the mistake of not locking a particular window due to the fact that you have lost the key.
• Intruders are on the hunt for homes that offer a quick ‘get in get out’ opportunity. Enhancing window security by installing window security grilles will definitely put off any potential burglar. Short but long window openings such as toilet windows can be secured with window security bars instead. Furthermore, window security shields and screens can be very useful against vandalism as well as burglary attack. A physical security product installed internally alongside a loud alarm system can be a very effective deterrent and make it next to impossible for someone to gain entry. If you are looking to secure your homes in the UK, please get in touch via RSG Security’s web contact forms and our friendly staff will provide helpful advice and information to ensure your homes are secured in the most effective way.
• Many at times, it is proven that a barking dog can be as effective as having a 24 hour security guard in your home.
• In addition, curtains can be highly beneficial against harmful UV rays, but at night they are certainly just as useful since they do not allow harmful people to have a glimpse of your house and of its contents. Robbers, paradoxically much like investors, will only break into a house if he believes he will have a worthy risk reward. So, if you give him a plain view of your plasma TV, the easily portable laptop, or some cash and jewellery lying around, it will unquestionably be a great investment of only a few minutes for him to visit your house.
• Never leave your windows open more than six inches, while unattended and use a blocking device that will not be easily removed by an intruder to ensure the window cannot be opened further. Wooden bowels and sticks can block horizontal sliding windows which are constantly open for ventilation. “Window stops” are a must for all windows in your house, unless you have collapsible or retractable grilles fitted internally, which can be closed and locked in place while having your windows opened.
• Remember to put all garden tools away after use and avoid leaving around materials such as bricks, or a ladder in the yard which a law-breaker can use  to attack your windows.
• Lastly, use nature as a second line of defence. Protect the area around your windows by planting thorny bushes in front of them, and avoid offering the robbers hiding places, like tall shrubs.

In order not to stress  British citizens with the burglary figures of last year, vandalism alone accounts for 21% of all crimes in the United Kingdom. You would not want to be among those distressing figures. By taking the necessary precautionary measures, you ensure your house and your family a dependable window security.

Tags: Security by UK Home Improvement Team
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If you are considering adding a home security system, but are concerned about the price, you may be surprised to learn that in the long run this type of investment may pay for itself. Your homeowners insurance policy provides a sense of protection for you and your family should there ever be a problem, however, in some cases the premiums can be expensive. A security system will not only help to save you from the cost of replacing your prized possessions, but may also help to reduce the cost of your home owners insurance premium.

Reduce Monthly Premiums

Insurance companies are aware of the fact that a home with a security system installed is less likely to be broken into or vandalized. Homes with a security system are also less likely to have damage from a fire or a flood, because the majority of home security systems are programmed to alert local authorities, which results in a quicker response, whether you are home or not. These are important factors that the insurance company takes into consideration and can help to reduce your monthly premiums.

Choosing the Best Security System

There are hundreds of security options available to choose from, so it is important that you choose a security system that is not only in your budget, but that provides the best security for your home. Research various companies such as securitychoice.com to learn about the different types of security systems available, what the company provides with the security system you are considering and how much it will cost per month. Most companies offer specials such as free installation or free systems when you agree to a specific length of time for using their services. Basic alarm systems are reasonably priced protection for your home and will save you money in the long run. However, a monitored security system provides protection throughout your home and property and can be monitored by you or a professional company.

Insurance Premium Discounts

After choosing a company, you will be given the option of several additional types of security services, such as fire or flood. Keep in mind that most insurance companies offer additional discounts for adding extra security to your home. For example, you will save on the monthly premium if you install a basic burglar alarm system for windows and doors, however, the premium may be discounted an additional 15% to 20% if you have a monitored home alarm system. For each additional type of security you include, it helps to reduce the cost of your premiums. Additional security features could include installing security gates or bars on the doors and windows, motion sensor cameras and a smoke detection system.

There are several factors that go into determining how much your home insurance premium will be, including the area in which you live. However, installing a security system will not only reduce your rates, but may also save you a great deal of time and the expense of replacing items that have been damaged or stolen due to a break-in.

Nina Kratz is a home consultant who writes regularly in her spare time. She blogs on a variety of subjects important to families and homeowners and articles mainly appear on personal finance and homeowner blogs.

Tags: Security by UK Home Improvement Team
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Whether you’re considering an electronic home security system or not, it’s important to evaluate your home’s overall security. There are many things you can do to enhance protections that cost much less than burglar alarms but do just as much good.

Regard The Possibility Of A Break-In

Males are normally known to be intruders rather than women.

Thieves are believed to intrude a home more likely through the summer months, the amount of break ins in fact declines every single month. Many intrusions are believed to happen during the night-time, but many will happen in the daytime. Intruders usually don’t have to force open doors or break windows; most burglars enter through unlocked doors and windows, or with the unauthorized use of a key. And not all thieves are strangers-ex-spouses, relatives, and acquaintances commit a significant portion of break-ins.

The usual access point for any criminal is most commonly ground level windows or perhaps the back doors of the home. Burglars most commonly enter by opening unlocked doors or windows, lifting sliding glass doors off their tracks, and prying open locked doors and windows. Few intruders break windows to enter homes if they can’t get in through unlocked doors or other methods.

Purchase Insurance Coverage

Regardless of all the precautions you take your home may still be at risk of being broken into. Insurance coverage is applicable for any losses, which may be caused due to a burglary. The insurance limit for your belongings is commonly up to 75% of the amount of cash you paid for your house, small limits are often covered such as computers and cash.

If you haven’t got a cost provision set in place then insurance will only really cover the amount the house is worth on the market. The market value relies mainly on the replacement cost. Many insurance firms hold an option, which allows a 10% reduction of the typical plan. If burglars clean out your home, coverage for full replacement cost could save you thousands. There is a lot of insurance firms which will have an advantage of coverage on items which are covered under low limits.

Get Yourself A Security Audit

If you want to protect your home properly then you will need to obtain a security audit. Police firms can give you this help. Call your local police department and ask for the crime prevention or community services unit. Simply ask them to send out an officer to take a look at your home and assess which security measures you could use. You don’t need to worry about charges, as this service will be free of charge.

Ensure Your Items Have ID Put On Them

With an ID number every one of your belongings will be properly secure. The decal will deter some potential intruders because clearly marked items are harder to sell. Although only about 10% of burglarised homes recover any stolen items, positive identification improves your chances.

Put All Of Your Most Treasured Items In A Safe Area

A lot of people tend to allow any kind of stranger in their house, without really knowing any background information about them. This is why it is important to place your most treasured items out of view of any people, which may knock your front door. It is often very easy for people to be able to see the valuables that are in the home. Make sure you put your valuables in a place which strangers aren’t able to see in to. Tradespeople working in your home also represent some risk. You may not notice them trying to steal anything, but they could steal away a small piece of jewellery, which isn’t noticeable right away. Be sure to keep your small belongings safe by placing them in a hidden away area.

Organise Your Neighbours

One cost efficient and most effective ways to keep homes safe in your area is to group together all of your neighbours. You will find that there are plenty of tasks to do when you are positioned in a group for a crime prevention act.

Author Bio: Emily Davies loves to write and make Guest Posts on many different subjects; some of the latest work produced by Emily can be seen on the Direct Response Security blog.

Tags: Security by UK Home Improvement Team
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Many of us unlock our car doors with a remote control and many of us enjoy similar benefits from our garage doors. With so much new technology it seems bizarre that very few of us utilise this within our home security systems. Yale Digital has figured out how to incorporate new technology into their locking mechanisms without compromising security with digital keyless locks.

No Keys

It means that you don’t need to carry your key with you and it prevents you from having to fumble around in your bag or pocket to find them. Lost keys will be a problem of the past and, with a digital keypad entry system you will be able to provide family members and others with the code to let them in.

Simple To Update

Yale’s digital door locks  are especially convenient for the elderly or those with cleaners and or child minders. For those that have regular home help and require entry to your property, a keypad entry system means that you don’t need to duplicate your set of keys. If your situation changes i.e. you decide to change cleaners or are worried that somebody else may have your security number, you can change it. It’s as simple as that.

Standards Tested

A keyless door lock also includes a mechanically operated key and lock so if you forget your number or there is a problem with the system, you can use your key to get in. Yale’s keyless door lock that has been tested to Police Standards which mean it will be approved by your insurance company. The lock includes a tamper proof alarm which will sound if anybody attempts to force entry using the locking system.

The keyless door lock is a modern and beneficial means of securing your property. The touch screen keypad has no mechanical buttons which means no trace of your secret pin code.

Tags: Security by UK Home Improvement Team
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Making a home alarm is one of the best things you can do to secure your home and family, albeit temporarily. An alarm or security system made at home is easy to assemble and cheap to put together, but it may not be as secure as the high end security systems and alarms you find in stores. It will without a shadow of a doubt, though, give you the temporary safety measures that you need to put in place to ensure your home is safe and secure from unauthorized access.

The best tips for creating a home alarm system is to keep the design as simple as possible, and ensuring you use everyday materials that are readily and easily accessible. You also need to have some basic knowledge of electricity and electronics, lest you end up electrocuting yourself in the name of creating a home alarm. The simplest alarm that you can make at home will cost you nothing and you can easily make it from readily available items in the house.

On the flip side of the coin, all the materials you will need to come up with an electronic alarm can be purchased from local hardware stores for just a few pounds. If you do not have the technical ability or time to build an alarm, then you can find most of the components of an alarm system already assembled for you in online or local hardware stores as well. Here is how to create your own home alarm.

The first step involves buying a power supply and a buzzer. The power supply is simply an adapter that takes in electric currents (AC) from a wall socket and converts them into DC current for the alarm system. You want to purchase a power supply with more or less voltage than required by the buzzer, and more or less amperage. What this means is that if for example your buzzer has 9.2 volts and 30 milliamps, going for a 9 volt power supply that has 60 milliamps would be ideal. However, buying a 9.7 volt supply system could damage the buzzer.

The second step is to connect one end of the terminal of your newly acquired power supply to one end of the buzzer terminal. You can use a length of wire to join them or solder them together. While at it, you might want to protect your power supply and buzzer by mounting them in a box that has a hole that will let out the cord. Using electrical tape can help wrap them up so they do not come in contact with each other.

The next step is to solder the electrical wires after connecting them to your trigger mechanism. You might need to have a tiny rectangular-shaped iron plate on either side of the set up, and a neodymium magnet which will both work as the alarm switch. Once motion is triggered, the magnet is supposed to latch on the iron plate and turn the alarm on the moment it completes the circuit. Ensure one end of the wire is soldered to the iron plate and the other to the magnet.

The free ends of your wires should be connected to the circuit with one end soldered onto the free terminal of your power supply and the other onto the free terminal of your buzzer. Once this is done, let the magnet touch the iron plate and plug in the circuit and if everything in the set up is correct, your buzzer ought to go off. The last step is to attach the plate where you want the alarm installed. You can attach it using a tape and put the magnet right just in front of the iron plate. The most ideal place to put these two is in the door, and should be positioned in such a way that when the door is opened, it latches on the iron plate turning on the alarm.

Dan is a DIY enthusiast and loves to make things on his own. He works one of the leading wireless burglar alarm systems in UK.

Tags: Other, Security by UK Home Improvement Team
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When the cold weather starts to close in homeowners find themselves with some less than appealing DIY tasks on the to-do list. Many of the methods of winter-proofing your home are far from attractive activities, particularly when the weather outside is not so welcoming. To provide you with some motivation, taking the time to do them now will hopefully protect you against further hardship later.

Your first task on the maintenance to-do list is cleaning out your gutters. Flooding, freezing, cracking and collapsing are common occurrences for guttering during autumn and winter months. Make sure you give yours a good clearout before these problems surface and while you’re up there, have a good look for any loose roof tiles that could blow off in winter storms. It’s better to be safe than sorry!

Central heating and pipes should be next on your checklist. Boilers account for up to 60 per cent of domestic energy use, so ensuring yours is in good working order should save you money as well as prevent you from experiencing any unexpected internal cold spells. If you go away on holiday or to visit relatives and leave your home unattended, don’t forget to programme your central heating to come on for short spells or your pipes may freeze and burst. This is a problem experienced by thousands of people every winter, so don’t be caught out!

If you are going away for a prolonged period of time you should also inform your insurer. Many home insurance policies contain a clause that invalidates your policy should you leave the property empty for a sustained period of time, so if you are planning an extended winter  break, let your policy provider know. View this as administrative maintenance for your home and if your policy will be affected consider solutions like having a family member housesit. Security awareness is also a maintenance issue in the winter months – when burglars can target homes for seasonal pickings. Whether you are going away or not, investigate ways to make your home more secure by fitting double glazing or installing new technology such as a wireless alarm system.

Finally, remember your home boundaries extend beyond your front door and exterior walls and think about the impact of the seasons on your garden and driveway. Maintain fences and gates to ensure they will weather any coming storms and ready yourself with the tools needed to clear your driveway should snow or ice hit. In the past few years the UK has suffered slight salt shortages when the snow has landed, so it may be worthwhile holding your own private stash.

Tags: Security by UK Home Improvement Team
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When thinking on adding value to your property or if you are looking on ways to improve the functionality of you house people often don’t pay attention to one of the best futures , and one of the more useful as well, an automation gate or garage.

Most people could think that this kind of improvement would be very expensive and time consuming and you would need a specialist to come and install the kit to your existing doors. Well, you would be wrong. Freedhom has develop the best DIY gate automation kits in the market, they are easy to install, they are delivered to your house and you won’t need to change your gates or doors because the kits adapt to most setups.

The systems are based on the length of your gate, kits for gates for example come in sizes that range from 1.8 to 5 meters and also cover a single or double left gate setup. Your gate slides? Not a problem, there are lift and slide kits with specific electric gate motors for each particular case.

There is also a range of solar power gate openers which reduces the electricity cost; they also come with an electric supply to cover sunless months of the year. All kits are remote controlled and each remote uses a 13 digit secured radio frequency and auto-lock systems so you can rest assured your house and your family will be safe.

When thinking next time about effectively, efficiently and cheaply improving the appearance of your home..Don’t thing to hard..start by the doors.

Tags: Security by UK Home Improvement Team
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Have you ever think about the idea of owning a home security system? What did you think about idea? Many of us have contemplated better protecting our homes, but comparatively few ever get started taking the steps they need to take. Some are held back by insufficient money or time, and a few are uncertain about where to begin, so they just fiddle around and never find the information they need. Often people don’t understand the advantages of enhancing their home’s security.

Reliable information really helps to clarify things. Here we looks at the three biggest reasons that influenced others to get an alarm system installed in their property.

Reason Number 1, Protect your family members.

We understand you when you say that you can protect you and your family without home security systems . Which may very well be true, however, statistics reveal that homes that have an alarm system are 2 to 3 times less likely to become broken into. A security alarm system goes a long way toward reducing the chance that you or a family member will be harmed due to a home invasion.

Second, Protect your property.

Home security products will also help you to protect your property. According to the Police a burglary is happening every 14 seconds. And having home security products in your home can help to save you from this fate. Having an alarm in your property not only helps you keep your family safe from harm, but it also helps to protect your most prized possessions.

Third and last, Peace of mind.

This means that with an burglar alarm system you will feel more at peace because your family and your property are better protected. And again, you don’t have to worry about becoming a burglary statistic! Using home security products helps you to deter criminals from illegally entering your household so you will have one less thing to be concerned about.

Think seriously about those reasons for a minute. Evaluate them, consider them, try them on for size. Once you do, I suspect that you will see clearly they make a compelling case in favor of having an home security system installed in your property.

Author bio

This is a series of posts written by Security & Fire Alarms company Albion Detection. Albion Detection are Yorkshire’s most popular security alarm supplier who gurantee to beat any like for like quotation.

Tags: Fire Safety, Security by UK Home Improvement Team
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If you are a landlord with a number of flats, or converted houses in your portfolio, have you considered the importance of door access control?

Gone are the days of a key being the single means for entry security. Nowadays, tenants expect door buzzers, PIN codes or intercom systems for visitor screening. Equally, for you as a landlord, you want to make sure that your property is secured against uninvited visitors.

Access Control Options

Keyfob Entry

Simply wave a special credit card or small bead in front of a sensor and the door will unlock.

Keyfob door entry systems are great for quick, easy entry.  No fiddling in the lock – some even work from within a purse of handbag. Plus, they can be used to access more than one door, depending on the level of access granted, meaning no need for getting multiple keys cut.

PIN Code Entry

No need to carry anything, apart from the code in your head!

Beware though that PINs can be forgotten, or easily given to others. Fortunately, you would be able to change it at will though.

Intercom Systems

Technology now means that audio and visual feeds can display who is on the other side of the door / gate. The tenant then has the choice whether to remotely unlock the door.

Plus, a one-way video intercom allows you to be discreet. You can decide whether to unlock or not, without the visitor knowing they are under surveillance. Obviously this requires two parties to operate the door system – one calling, one answering – but it is increasingly being used in apartment blocks and commercial properties.

Automatic Doors

Although not immediately recognised as being useful for access control, those sliding doors that we encounter regularly at supermarkets and shops can be put to use as a door entry system.

Perhaps you don’t want people entering through a certain door. Have a sensor inside that automatically opens the doors when you approach to depart, but do not include one outside and visitors will not easily gain access that way.

Develop it a bit further in larger properties by staffing the door to administrate who enters and you have an access control system.

Tags: Security by UK Home Improvement Team
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