Posted on
November 21, 2012
by
Richard Leischner
When it comes to home security, most homeowners think about door locks
and alarms. These are, of course, very important. However, there is also a
lot you can do around your property to prevent the possibility of a break-in.
One important part of home security is outdoor lighting. Your home doesn't
need to be lit up like a baseball diamond at night, but your exterior lighting
should illuminate your yard enough to be a deterrent to burglars.
Some burglars hide around the property and wait for someone to arrive and
open the door so they can use that opportunity to force their way into your
home.
Security experts suggest that you walk around your property and look for
areas where someone could hide, such as behind tall shrubbery like a cedar
hedge or behind a tool shed. Make sure these areas are well lit.
Pay particular attention to lighting around exterior doors, especially the back
door.
Home security experts also recommend that exterior lighting be installed
with a timed dimmer. The lights can then be set to cast a bright light in the
early evening, and then a dimmer light throughout the rest of the night.
Lights installed with motion detectors can also be effective in certain areas.
The sensors will cause the light to turn on or brighten when someone comes
onto that part of your property. Generally, thieves will flee as soon as they
see a light turn on.
Do you hide a spare key under the front door mat or in a flower pot? No
matter how clever you think you are, experienced thieves know all the
common hiding places. So, if you need to have a spare key available, put it
in a small combination lock box and hide the box. That way, if a burglar
finds the box, he still won't be able to open it and access the key.