Home Security for Broken Windows

[NWFlyer 2]

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Actually, in CA, that's illegal and wouldn't pass a home inspection. There have been many deaths because someone did that and couldn't get in/out in time, so...well, it was codified for keyless need from the inside.

According to SeaKev (who, being a firefighter, oughta know those codes), it's legal around here.

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Why not just put another deadbolt lock lower down, so that even if the window gets broken, it can't be reached?

It would have to be basically on the ground. Just to help people visualize, here is the door and ground floor window I was talking about. This was taken 4 1/2 years ago during my home inspection - there's quite a bit more landscaping since then, including quite a bit in front of the window.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[normiss 891]

at least listen to the double key deadbolt ideas...THAT is scary and just a bad idea IMO.

The thorny bush idea is also awesome...missed that one!

Spence has an awesome idea also....

oh...NEW DOOR!

[NWFlyer 2]

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at least listen to the double key deadbolt ideas...THAT is scary and just a bad idea IMO.

Having two deadbolts is scary or replacing my existing deadbolt with a lock that is keyed on both sides is scary?

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Spence has an awesome idea also....

Spence's first suggestion, yes. Spence's second suggestion is not for me. And that's all I'll say b/c this doesn't need to get moved.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[popsjumper 2]

Sorry, Krisanne...my suggests have already been taken:

-Smith & Wesson

-Rottweiller

I read a story once about a guy in Miami that got tired of his store being robbed by buggers coming through a rear window so he booby trapped it with a shotgun and actually got one!

Trouble is, they cops arrested him and the burglar sued him successsfully IIRC.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[Lindercles 0]

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Trouble is, they cops arrested him and the burglar sued him successsfully IIRC.

I take it this wasn't in Texas?

[NWFlyer 2]

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oh...NEW DOOR!

Yeah. Sigh. I'm thinking it might come down to that. Still the matter of the window, though.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[skymama 37]

I have alarms on my doors and windows through a security company. I don't know if that is the same kind you are talking about or a do-it-yourself kind of thing. They do work, but I've had a few minor annoyances. Mine run on batteries, so when they batteries die out, the sensor can be a little noisy until you figure out which one is going off. Also, the sensors were attached by adhesive at first and over time it loosened up, causing the alarm to go off. It did catch that my son didn't close a window all the way when it appeared to be locked, so that was nice.

I only pay $21.00/month for my service, so my peace of mind is definitely worth the cost.

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[NWFlyer 2]

I was thinking about something like this. I suppose another option is to invest in a whole home security system.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[Shell666 0]

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oh...NEW DOOR!

Yeah. Sigh. I'm thinking it might come down to that. Still the matter of the window, though.

If the window isn't reinforced glass, maybe replace it with one that is.

If you get alarms that aren't monitored by a security company, if they go off when you're not home, you'll likely scare off whoever is breaking in but you'll end up annoying the neighbours as well.

'Shell

[chaoskitty 0]

Well if you continue to leave a ladder propped up outside and your purse on the front porch, you're just asking for it.

[NWFlyer 2]

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Well if you continue to leave a ladder propped up outside and your purse on the front porch, you're just asking for it.

That ugly thang belonged to my annoying real estate agent. (Choice quote from her: "I think it's so great that you're buying a house on your own and not waiting for a man before you buy.")

But yeah, maybe I *should* keep the ladder locked up in my garage.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[normiss 891]

keyed on both sides...major safety issue there!

sounds like a new door, thorny bushes, alarm, and bars for the window might be your best bet...
but if simple graffitti is what you're fighting...a gallon a paint as a spare would be cheapest!

[NWFlyer 2]

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If you get alarms that aren't monitored by a security company, if they go off when you're not home, you'll likely scare off whoever is breaking in but you'll end up annoying the neighbours as well.

Yeah, good point. I would probably go with a monitored one. I also have a solid, trusting relationship with my neighbors and would be comfortable giving them a key and code should there be any problems or have them be a point of contact for the security company.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[davedlg 0]

Maybe you should consider adding a security/storm door infront of the main door. That window is pretty big, and anyone who wants to get in would be able to get in.

[Shell666 0]

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If you get alarms that aren't monitored by a security company, if they go off when you're not home, you'll likely scare off whoever is breaking in but you'll end up annoying the neighbours as well.

Yeah, good point. I would probably go with a monitored one. I also have a solid, trusting relationship with my neighbors and would be comfortable giving them a key and code should there be any problems or have them be a point of contact for the security company.

That's cool that your neighbours are like that. I'm lucky that way too. We all watch out for each other!

Sounds like you're on your way to getting your home more secure.

'Shell

[JohnMitchell 16]

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In Seattle that would make me *more* of a target. We're a little on the Blue side of things here.

But not down here in Orting.

We have a hard wired alarm system, all doors and all ground windows. It's stopped one burglary already. The glass breakage alarms sounds like a good product. If you're worried about break-the-glass-to-reach-the-deadbolt-knob consider a plexiglass or some other hard to penetrate glazing on the door. Also, you can install a deadbolt that requires a key in either side to open. You can keep an inside key close by, but out of the bad guy's reach. If you do get bars on a window, I think for fire safety you'd want the type that can be unlocked from inside, again with a key kept not too far away. Good luck. Let me know if ya wanna borrow some heat.

[ScottishJohn 25]

Instead of faffing around installing new dead locks and new reinforced safety glass why not just buy a new door with with dead locks and reinforced safety glass and get one with a smaller window so someone can't enter your home even if the safety glass is breached.

John

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If you think my attitude stinks you should smell my fingers

[freeflir29 0]

OK........from a guy that has been doing security for a living for the last 16 years and is well on his way to having a BA in security management. Here's my thoughts. I think the "Key in both sides" type of locks are very good. I have them in my houses. Hint.......leave a key in the door when you are home and have the door locked. Have a seperate key for this purpose. That being said.........I hate doors with glass in them. If you have that you almost shouldn't bother locking the door at all. Alarms..........it's a deterrent. However, if it's not minitored it doesn't do much good. I'm all about alarms. It gives me time to wake up and click the safety off my .12 Ga. In all seriousness..............guns aren't for everyone. If you don't have what it takes to use one effectively you are probably better off without it. There are a RANGE of non-lethal alternatives to guns. There are even non-lethal rounds for shotguns. Maybe look at a stun gun pepper spray etc.
The biggest thing is to just look around your neighborhood. Does your place present a "soft target?" Does it look easier to break into than your neighbors? Are you gone more than your neighbors? Do you work off hours? A majority of break ins occur in the morning between 7 and 10 AM..........when most people are at work. Or in the early morning hours when bad guys are drunk and high and more stupid than usual. I would suggest replacing the door with something more burglar proof. When you are thinking of security think of it in eschelons or "Defense in Depth." IE How many obstacles does the bad guy have to get through before he gets to what he wants. If it looks tough to get into 99% of the time they move on to a softer target.
If you want something more thorough I'll need some more pics and an interview.

[Katzeye 0]

Your front door is probably not the most of your worries. If you have a chance, check out " It Takes a Thief"... quite eye-opening.

Is a chicken omelette redundant?

[JohnMitchell 16]

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I read a story once about a guy in Miami that got tired of his store being robbed by buggers coming through a rear window so he booby trapped it with a shotgun and actually got one!

Trouble is, they cops arrested him and the burglar sued him successsfully IIRC.

Yep, most state laws agree that deadly force in to be used to protect human life, not property. This is not the first time I've heard of this situation. As someone who has been burglarized in the past, I can understand why these property owners would want to do that, but it's still wrong.

[normiss 891]

except in Texas!

[squirrel 0]

Well, my dad did electrify the RV that was parked at our house...but it was to keep the dogs from peeing on the tires. Got one hell of a shock one day when I was a kid! Um, no, I was not peeing on it. So you could do this, it might take some insulation mounts on the hinges and contact points.

Me, I have two boxers and a border collie...and lots of guns!

________________________________
Where is Darwin when you need him?

[Andy9o8 2]

Is that your purse on the front porch?
I think I'd recommend locking it up inside.

[mnealtx 0]

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So my neighbors' garage (which is immediately next to mine) got tagged with graffiti this weekend. Annoying for them, of course, and made me feel somewhat violated since it could have just as easily been my door, and sort of woke me up to the fact that my sleepy little neighborhood isn't necessarily the bastion of safety I like to think it is.

It's prompting me to do some home security things I've been meaning to do for a while.

1) Replace my front door lock. I have a deadbolt that operates using a key on the outside, but just a latch on the inside. Problem with that is I also have a window in my front door. I think it's reinforced glass. So I'm planning to replace the lock so it requires a key on both sides and keep a key out of reach of all windows on ground level.

2) Do something to create an alert if the window glass is broken (to be installed on the window in my front door). I've poked around and I see there are small wireless alarms that you can attach to the window that will go off if the glass is broken.

3) Install a locking device on the only window that is on ground level. It's not a window I ever open, so locking it seems like the best solution. Again, I may also add an alarm if that one is broken.

Do these alarms work? Anyone used a particular brand that you'd recommend? Is it the kind of thing that has a high risk of misfiring?

Edited to add photo

On the deadbolt - spend the extra money and get the high security deadbolt - Medeco is VERY good (also expensive for a lockset) and is resistant to the 'lock-bumping' that everyone has been hearing about.

I can't speak for the glass-break alarms, sorry.

ETA: OH! Replace that door with a good, solid core door (or metal-sheathed) with a smaller window!

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[wmw999 2,583]

Kind of like not having to run faster than the bear, just faster than the slowest member of your party, remember that looking forbidding is a good way to send the crooks down the street.

Since you're gone a lot, automatic lights, radios and TV coming on at expected times, etc, will go a decent ways towards making it look like someone is home more of the time.

Make sure your door frame is good (I've had 2 doors kicked in). Put an extra bright light into the entry way, so that whoever is coming is feels like they're basking in the daylight. They make compact fluorescents bright too . Dunno about window alarms, but a monitored security system might not be a bad idea since you travel so much.

I have a double-key deadbolt with the key in it most of the time, and a hook close by for when it's out of the lock. That seems to be the best of both worlds. And yes, when we're home or in and out, we leave the key in the lock.

Or you could just get a handsome cabana boy to come live with you
Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)