 In
these days of increasing incidents of crime
it is not unnatural for any responsible
home owner to feel some concern about the
possible threat of burglary. While it is
important to recognize such concerns, it
is also important that they are kept in
perspective. Remember, when they occur,
almost 80% of burglaries are carried out
by opportunists, not professionals, and
almost all occur when the house is empty.
The vast majority of burglaries are made
when a home is vacant, easily entered, and
where the burglars can get in and out quickly.
If they have to take time getting in your
home or risk being seen then the chances
are that they will not bother. By adopting
simple and affective security precautions
for your home you can deter and discourage
such burglars and ensure added protection
and safety for your home and family. |
Home
Tip
Every
home should have a 1 inch deadbolt on every
exterior door. That means the "throw"
of the bolt (the part that sticks out from the
door into the door frame, when in the locked
position) should be 1 inch. Some older homes
have deadbolts with only a half inch throw and
these should be replaced. Worse than that; you
can go into any city in America and find tons
of homes that don't have a deadbolt on every
exterior door. Just having a locking door knob
is one step away from having nothing. You want
to get a kind that has extra long screws for
holding the "strike plate". This is
the plate that screws onto the door frame for
reinforcement of the hole accepting the deadbolt's
throw. These extra long screws make the "kick-in"
attack much more difficult as you are screwing
through the frame face and into the "stud"
behind it.
If
you already have deadbolts...... Check to see
that they are properly installed. Open the door
and throw the bolt out with the thumbturn or
key. Check the fullest extent of the travel
of the key or thumbturn. Depending on the brand
this travel will end up at anywhere from 3 O'Clock
to 6:30. Now shut the door and try the same
thing. You should end up at approximately the
same point. You should hear a click usually
when the bolt is fully extended.
A
common mistake in installation is to not drill
the hole back far enough into the jamb (or it's
off center from where it should be) for the
deadbolt throw. If you don't travel far enough
with the door closed you need to get that corrected
as a deadbolt CAN sometimes be manipulated open
if it isn't traveling far enough.
Business Tip
Lost
the keys to your file cabinet? Most of these
have a little code number stamped into the face
of the lock. You can have the locksmith code
cut a key and pick it up or he'll quote you
to deliver it.
Auto Tip
The
best thing to do when you get a new car with
factory original keys is put those keys away
in a safe place after getting spares made. Use
the spares and then every time you need a new
key you're getting it made off an original;
rather than copying a copy.
