Cheap Home Security Tricks

Here are some valuable tips to prevent burglars from making themselves at home in your house.

In the security of your own home, it’s easy to avoid thinking about how comfortable a burglar could get while you’re away or even fast asleep. According to the FBI, the number of home burglaries ticked down a bit last year, but they’re still frequent enough that the Bureau’s one-burglary-every-15-seconds estimate holds. That means every home is at risk for a burglary or break-in, especially those offering easy entry to thieves through the neglected details that lead to big losses.

If installing a top-of-the-line home security system is beyond your budget, fear not--there are many cheap home security tips and tricks you can use to keep your family and property secure.

Light It Up

• A well-lit home is much less likely to be broken into, so make sure your home's exterior is fully illuminated with motion-detector spotlights and other strategic outdoor lighting fixtures.
• When you’re away, use timers on interior lights to give the impression of home life as usual. Manual and digital timers can be found at your local hardware store or home center for a few dollars a pop. 

Keep the Landscape in Shape

• Tall trees can be accessories to crime when dense branches come close to your home and create pockets of darkness where burglars can hide. Keep trees well-trimmed to avoid giving thugs a place to hang out.
• Dense shrubs can also create a hideout, so keep hedges low and plantings near doors and windows neat and transparent. 

Door Stops

• A door with only a handle lock is an easy mark for a crook armed with finesse, a plastic credit card and the desire to break your home security. Instead, add a good-quality deadbolt at each entry. The best deadbolts require a key on the outside and incorporate a thumb latch on the inside. Further strengthen every installation by substituting long, heavy-duty screws for those provided by the manufacturer so that entry doors can be secured to the wood-framed door opening in the wall.
• No matter which lock you choose, it’s only as strong as the door itself, which is generally weakest around the lock. Add a decorative door reinforcement plate (about $10) to make this zone more secure. For more entry door security tips, check out our Front Door Entryways tips.
• Improve home security at the patio door by adding a patio bar, which can stop the inside door from sliding open or being pried off if the lock is broken. A sturdy piece of wood strategically placed in the open track can also improve door security.
• When leaving home for day trips or longer, keep your garage closed to intruders by inserting a large stove bolt through one of the side track holes to prevent the door from being slid open.
• Install a wide-angle (200-degree) peephole in your front door so that you can easily see who’s come knocking. 

Secure Your Keys

• Never hide spare keys in “secret” places outside your home, because smart burglars know which flowerpots to look under.
• Be smart about issuing spare keys. Even though you may be careful about who they’re issued to, you can’t control the paths they may cross or situations in which your key may be exposed to duplication.

Weak Windows

• Windows can be the weakest link in home security, especially if left open and unattended. Make sure all units are closed and locked before you leave home for even the shortest errand, and add window dressings and shades to discourage prying eyes.
• Modern windows include sash locks, but you can improve security by drilling a hole from front to back where the top and bottom windows overlap and installing a long nail in the hole. If the integrated window lock breaks, the nail will stop the window from sliding open. Security bars on ground-level windows are also an option, but make sure they’re fitted with quick-release mechanisms that allow them to be opened from the inside in an emergency. 

Self-Service Security Systems

• Low-cost, high-technology home security systems incorporating infrared motion detection, remote controls and easy-to-install door and window break-in sensors are available for application in apartments and small homes. If you have pets, you can prevent false alarms by looking for systems incorporating “pet alley” settings that keep detection just above their usual paths.
• For more security with doors and windows, purchase individual alarms to supplement existing security measures. 

Make a Thorough Inventory

• Perhaps the most important home security measure of all is to document your home’s contents, particularly the valuables. Get out the video camera and take a thorough tour of your home, then deliver a copy of the resulting tape and any other helpful documentation to your safe deposit box. If your home security is ever really threatened by a burglary, you’ll have the proof you need to supply to the police and to your homeowners insurance company.

Resource: moneypit.com


Another option of protecting your home and family is with a Tomboy Tools Home Security System.  Our easy-to-install, state-of-the-art GE Wireless Home Security System has five flexible packages to meet your needs, budget, and lifestyle.  Contact your local Tomboy Tools Consultant for more information.

6 Most Popular Projects Home Owners Target With Remodeling

Kitchens and bathrooms remain the top jobs home owners are taking on in remodeling projects, according to a new survey by the National Association of Home Builders.

The top remodeling projects of home owners, according to the latest survey of remodelers, are:

1. Bathrooms
2. Kitchens
3. Window/door replacements
4. Whole house remodels
5. Room additions
6. Handyman services

The report’s finding of the main motivation behind home owners’ decision to remodel is not too surprising: To repair and replace old components and to upgrade amenities.

But more than 20 percent of remodelers surveyed said they’ve been noticing a drop in the number of customers who are remodeling to try to increase their home’s value.

The survey is yet another indication that more home owners are happy staying put–at least for now–and instead are looking at how to enhance what they already have.

Nearly half of the remodelers surveyed said they’ve been seeing an increase over the last year in the number of home owners who are undertaking remodeling projects so they can avoid moving.

“Home owners are repurposing spaces and making more efficient use of their home’s square footage,” says NAHB Remodelers Chairman George “Geep” Moore Jr. “Whether it be young families or couples aging in their homes, people want to let their house adapt with their needs as they change over time.”

According to Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, home remodeling is expected to post its best year this year since 2006.

But while home owners want to enhance, they also want to save.

“Before it was curb appeal, showiness and keeping up with the Joneses,” Duo Dickinson, author of Staying Put: Remodel Your House to Get the Home You Want (Taunton Press), told USA Today in a recent article on remodeling trends. But now more home owners want their homes to reflect who they are. “The house is the most direct mirror of your personal values. When people renovate to change their lives, they waste money.”

These more “me-centered” remodeling projects may include livening up outdoor spaces, creating “livable kitchens” that are multi-purpose and make the kitchen serve as a room for more than just cooking, and smaller master baths (like removing that luxurious spa tub for a larger shower).

Also in saving a buck, more home owners are looking at doing more of the work themselves. According to a new report from Bank of America, 70 percent of home owners are taking on home improvement projects that they once hired out in order to cut costs, tackling everything from plumbing to painting.

Resource:  Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine

Seal the Deal! How Simple Caulking Can Save Money and Energy

Caulking in your kitchen and bathroom is not a task to be overlooked. Caulking can keep water from seeping behind walls and into floors in the bathroom and kitchen. Any point of entry for moisture should be sealed, such as around sinks, between the tub and wall, and the area where the toilet meets the floor.

Any areas requiring outside sealing should be caulked inside as well for energy efficiency.

This includes woodwork around exterior doors, windows and receptacles such as dryer vents. A little effort goes a long way and can save you money!

Project Steps:

1.  Identify the area that you are caulking.

2.  Scrape away damaged and old caulk with a utility knife, mini scraper or 5-in-1 tool.

3.  Select a waterproof, flexible caulk because the joint will probably expand and contract with changing weather conditions. You will also need to take into account whether the caulk will adhere to aluminum or wood.

4.  Once you select the caulk, it is extremely important that you prepare the surface properly.

5,  Read the directions on the tube before beginning work because some caulks require that the surface be primed first. In addition, these directions will tell if you are dealing with toxic substances and should take safety precautions.

6.  Place your caulking tube into your caulking gun and identify the seam size before cutting the tip off your tube of caulk; cut tip at a 45 degree angle. A standard cartridge of caulk will give you approximately 25 feet of 1/4” bead.

7.  Caulk your seam with a steady and consistent movement. It gets easier with practice!

8.  Dip your finger in water then drag it along the bead of caulk on your surface for a sealed and finished look.

9.  When finished, plug the hole in the caulking tube with a large nail.

For more information, refer to page 99-100 in The Tomboy Tools Guide to Home Improvement.