Home Security News

Lock Between Garage and House, Do You Have One?

In some areas like the Puget Sound, you frequently find houses with no deadbolt or lock of any kind on the door that leads from the garage to the house.  Since it is generally easier to break into a garage than a house (it's usually in a part of the house where broken windows won't be heard unless there's an alarm system with glass break sensors), why make it easy on thieves to gain access into the main part of your house from the garage?  The book Better Houses, Better Living: What To Look for When Buying, Building or Remodeling recommends you install both a lock and a deadbolt on the garage-to-house door (and every other door leading into your house for that matter). 

Grills Can Be Fire Hazard

Backyard grills are popular, especially in the summer months, but make sure you take proper precautions with working with them.  Both gas and charcoal grills can start fires.  "The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) says gas-fueled grills caused an estimated 600 home structure fires and 3,200 home outdoor fires in 2001. Also, charcoal or other structure fires and 3,200 home outdoor fires in 2001. Also, charcoal or other solid-fueled grills caused an estimated 400 home structure firs and 200 home outdoor fires during 2001."  The quote is from a recent news article called Enjoy the Thrill of the Grill, Safely.  The article goes on to mention ways to grill safely and keep your family and home safe, so it's worth reading before you light up the BBQ.

Biometric Bank Cards

The new cash cards from Japan's Mitsubishi Tokyo Financial Group look pretty much like any other bank card, but there's one key difference: they have images of their owner's blood vessels stored inside them.  At the ATM, the account owners take out the cards and place their hands over a scanner (developed by Fujitsu Ltd.).  The palm-size machine compares the scan with the pattern stored inside the card's circuitry, and if the match is made, the customer is free to withdraw up to the bank's maximum daily limit.

Technology like this is designed to cut down on fraudulent transactions and give bank customer's peace of mind about their savings. 

Source: "New Biometric Identifier Is at Hand" from the July 21st, 2005 edition of the Wall Street Journal (print).

32% of Homes Secured with Alarm Systems

In the 1970s, hardly anyone had a professional alarm system (2% of homes in the U.S.).  Today, 32% of homes have them, according to Washington Post article Alarms Fortify Secure Feeling. Homeowners aren't necessarily adding alarm systems because of rising burglarly rates or a desire to increase the value of their home.  "Electronic security systems have grown in popularity in part because the cost of installation had decreased significantly in the past 15 years. In 1990, a home security system cost an average of $1,509, according to J.P. Freeman Co. research. By 1999, the average price had decreased to $1,000. Today, you can get one for about $95, said Joe P. Freeman, chief executive of J.P. Freeman Co. He noted that most companies require buyers to sign a monitoring contract that costs about $30 a month."

Oh, and it's an added boon that many insurance companies will cut a better deal for homeowners with security systems.

Smoke Detectors & Vaulted Ceilings

Here's an interesting tidbit I found out about smoke detectors:

They're usually installed in the bedroom wing of homes because homeowners worry about fires trapping people while they're sleeping.  You shouldn't hesitate to install extra smoke detectors in rooms with high vaulted ceilings.  Because heat rises, these detectors can be more effective than hallway units in catching a fire in its earliest stages.

Source: Better Houses, Better Living: What To Look for When Buying, Building or Remodeling

Free Home Inventory Software

Part of learning about home security is learning that you need to prepare for the worst case scenario.  If you're robbed or something happens to your house (hurricane anyone?), you'll need to contact your insurance company, but the only way to make sure you get everything you're owed is to make sure your belongings are inventoried.  A home inventory is a must have.  How to take a Home Invetory recommends SAFE Plus Home Inventory Software, but now the Insurance Information Institute has a downloadable home inventory program available on their front page (free), so check it out if you haven't done an inventory of your belongings recently (or ever).

Granite Countertops Before Security System?

It seems homebuyers are eager to get the kitchens and bathrooms of their dreams, but don't think twice about buying houses without home security systems (at least according to security consultant Frank Fourchalk in Wants Outweigh Security Needs For Homebuyers). He says, "Good security should be an essential factor when purchasing your new home. Buying decisions are quite often made on the size of kitchens or bathrooms with little consideration given to the importance of a good home security package."  The problem, he says, is builders aren't even installing home security systems in new homes because customers don't seem that interested in it. Unlike those trendy granite countertops, people aren't demanding good alarm systems (or any at all). 

"It always amazes me," he writes, "that new home buyers spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on the purchase of a new home, fill it full of their worldly possessions, and lock everything up with a $30.00 deadbolt and a 99 cent key. The reason most people don't think twice about it, is because it has come to be accepted. We have accepted the $30.00 deadbolt and the 99 cent key as long as the kitchen has an island and the ensuite has a soaker tub."

It does seem pretty ludicrous when you think about it that way.  The answer?  Make a home security system a priority when shopping for a home.  (Even if the home doesn't have one, put installing one among the first rennovations you do.)

Video Door Monitoring System

The Broan NuTone Video Door Monitoring System (Model VSUC4SK) lets you know who's at the door without actually going out to check.  It comes equipped with two cameras, so it can monitor the front and back doors.  The cameras get mounted by the door, and when someone rings the door bell, the video signal transmits a picture of your visitor to the screen in the house (which is designed to be mounted under a cabinet in the kitchen, but could really go in any room). 

Here's a blurb from the manufacturer's site:

"If you need hands-free security and media access in a compact unit, our drop-down monitor will fit neatly under your kitchen cabinets... Lower 7" wide color LCD panel to watch cable TV with the integrated cable tuner, enjoy your favorite music, or access the morning news on its AM/FM radio. Answer and make telephone calls from its hands-free speakerphone."

The video door monitoring system is slated for summer 2005 release, but no word on the price yet.

http://www.broan-nutone.com/