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Just a head's up for you all do it yourself types looking for some free home security toys (hey, who wouldn't?). The X10.com website says they're having a drawing right now where you can enter to win "a complete home surveillance, security & automation super package" worth about $450. You'll want to take a peek at their official rules before entering (I noticed you automatically get added to their mailing list, but it says you can cancel whenver you want).
You've secured your windows with locks and maybe even tempered glass, but did you remember the air conditioner? According to The Personal Security Handbook, many people overlook window-mounted air conditioners when coming up with a home security plan. To make sure the unit cannot be removed from the outside, you should bolt it securely to the house. Also make sure the window can't be raised above the air conditioner.
If you're lucky enough to own a houseboat, you need to think about home security just as us landlubbers do. Fortunately, the basics are the same. An article in Houseboat Magazine called appropriately, Stop that Burglar! suggests you start with these security checkpoints:
If you can get into your houseboat without a key, so can a burglar. Lock all windows and doors. Use timers on lights and the radio to create the illusion that you’re on board. Get involved with others at your marina to form a neighborhood watch group.
The article goes into more depth, so I suggest giving it a read.
Still opening your front door with keys? There are lots of manufacturers putting out fingerprint activated locks for residential doors now. From a home security standpoint, a keyless lock makes sense. No need to worry about unsavory types getting a hold of your keys and, likewise, no need to worry about losing them yourself. Fingerprint locks are usually batter-powered and family simple to install. They start at about $300 for systems that hold 30-50 fingerprint profiles.
It's not enough to just have fire detectors. While they can dectect smoke, they cannot detect carbon monoxide, a colorless, tasteless, and odorless gas that can kill. Carbon monoxide can enter your home through malfunctioning fuel-burning appliances such as furnaces, dryers, and gas water heaters. Also, propane grills, wood-burning stoves, and fireplaces need to be watched.
Carbon monoxide detectors have been on the market since the early 90s, but accord to Better Homes & Garden article Carbon Monoxide Dangers in Your Home only 27% of American homes employ carbon monoxide detectors. These days, they are cheaper than ever.
You can find a combination carbon monoxide detector and smoke detector like this one for less than $75. If you just need a carbon monoxide detector, try the KIDDE 9C0-5 Battery Operated Carbon Monoxide Detector for under $50.
If you're setting up a home video surveillance system as part of your home security plan, you may want to consider getting cameras with night vision capabilities. There are a couple of different kinds of technologies available for night vision cameras, so you may want to do a little research before going out and buying something. Here are a couple articles I found to get you started:
Night Vision Security Cameras
How Night Vision Works
Teachers Guide to the Infrared
What are the basics to smart home security? Advances in home technology mean there are a lot of bells and whistles available, but there are some basics that you want to make sure you pay attention to. Some of them (like trimming trees and bushes around windows to eliminate hiding spots) don't cost much, while others (like a full home automation system and a monitored wireless alarm system) can get pricey. Here is a look at the simple stuff:
Home Security Basics
Source: The basics of home security
Home automation doesn't have to be all about the house. The backyard is an area open for automation, especially if you have a swimming pool or hot tub. From pool cleaners to automated pool covers to pool alarms to lights on the underwater timers, there are a number of options available if you're interested in upgrading your swimming pool. Why bother? Besides the coolness factor of being able to control water features, pumps, jets, heat, etc by remote control, it makes sense from a maintenance point of view. Much of today's pool automation technology is aimed at making maintenance less time-consuming.
For more details on what sort of pool automation is available, read Swimming Pool Maintenance and Automation.
Looking for the lowdown on home security alarm companies? An article called, appropriately, Alarm Companies offers a bit of history and information on some of the industry slang. It also gives some advice for choosing an alarm company and some of the problems people have encountered and how to look out for them when you're shopping around.
A good home security system and security plan should keep you and your family safe, but some homeowners decide to add panic rooms, or safe rooms, to their homes, especially if they are having a house built from scratch. This can offer an added sense of security. Panic rooms are almost like a safe for a person where you can hide if a burglar enters your house. You can call 911 from inside its secure bounds. Here is a short article with some basic information on panic rooms/safe rooms or if you're ready to have one installed, check out this information on design and construction.
Thinking about adding a home automation system to your house, but not sure how much it costs or exactly what can be done with today's technology? It looks like you can spend anywhere from $100 up to $50,000 (which includes things like remote timers for your hot tub and a central music system that hooks up speakers in every room of the house to your stereo.
An article called Home Automation Costs can help give you a guideline. For more information, you can also check out this Introduction to Home Automation.
While a dog can't take the place of a good home security system, they can certainly help thwart would-be burglars. According to The Personal Security Handbook, some dogs have a built in instinct for guarding the home. The top choices are: Bull mastif, Rottweiler, German shepherd, Doberman pinscher, Chow, and Rhodesian ridgeback.
Shopping for a home security system? Before you talk to a salesman or alarm company, you should know the basic components and be familiar with the available options you can add on. Here are the basics:
Here are some of the other options available:
Source: November/December 2004 issue of Smart HomeOwner (a more complete list of options is listed there)
Home automation (remote control lights/stereos, security systems monitored by computer) used to fall into the realm of luxury. According to Wired article Own Your Own Remote Control Castle Today! such features are becoming standard in new housing developments. Townhouses in a new community in Texas will feature "We're talking a 50-inch hi-def television, standard. A fully integrated, surround sound-equipped home theater, standard. Three zones of AC, standard. Most remarkable is the automation system that ties it all together: a user-friendly, ready-to-program, low-voltage, Internet-accessible, secure wireless mesh network capable of controlling everything from the sprinklers to the chandeliers."
Now at $450,000 this isn't exactly low income housing, but many of these features were once the realm of million dollar plus homes. If you were to add a system like this to an existing house, the cost for installation and parts would be in the tens of thousands.
If you're in the market for a house today, you might be wiser to buy a "smart home" like these, one where everything is automated. I'd shy away from televisions and things that could quickly become dated however. Though technology will advance tremendously in the next 10 years, it's a good bet people will still find automated sprinklers and lights a boon in a house.
See also:
Home Automation--A Beginner's Take
Wondering just what the heck IP-based video surveillance means or what to look for in a home video surveillance system? This article, How IP-based Video Surveillance Works explains both the pitfalls of older CCTV-based surveillance and how newer technologies work. The article finishes with the advantages of IP-based video surveillance and a comparison to CCTV and old analog style.
If it's been a while since you updated your home insurance policy, it may be time to shop around and see what's out there. The Internet gives you access to more insurers than simply haunting the local yellow pages, and that makes them highly competitive with each other (thus lowering the price on your end). If you think you're paying too much for homeowners' insurance, or you just want to see what's out there, now is the time to look around. Don't forget, renters need insurance, too. Your landlord may not cover you, or at least not to the extent you want.
Netquote.com offers quotes from various brick and online insurers for auto, home, life, business, and health insurance.
According to the Citizen-Times, women are eschewing diamonds for high tech toys. "About 58 percent of women surveyed in the CEA study responded that they would choose a high-definition television over a one- carat diamond ring, and 64 percent said they would choose a digital camera over half-carat diamond stud earrings." And home automation makes the top 5 list of technology trends for female buyers, actually the top 2. At number 1 is lighting control, and at number 2 is automation systems.
Smart Home Lifestyle: Move over, guys! Women are increasing their tech-buying power
You probably know that the fancier (read: more expensive) home security systems include monitoring by security companies. If you're wondering what the companies see when they're monitoring your house and what technology they use, this article on Seacoast Security which operates in Maine may be of interest. It talks about the basics (i.e. what happens when motion is detected when the homeowner has set the alarm and presumably isn't home) and how they deal with false alarms. It's an interesting look at things from the other side.
