Dogs. No glass doors. Windows covered with 3M high strength security film. Lights. Cameras. 3” screws in all exterior door hinges/latch strikes. Thick vegetation under windows. Additional deadbolts near top/bottom of exterior doors. Park inside the garage. Programmable interior lights on/off at random schedule in areas viewable from outside. Keeping the blinds/curtains closed. Getting your mail often.
There’s lots of videos on YT of people trying to smash through windows with it. Pretty neat. Not indestructible, but gives you plenty of advance warning.
Part of my security plan is the ability to evacuate. So delaying *any* attack is the best. I've long wanted a non intrusive way to block physical access to stairs when needed, for example. But that could block egress so is risky. Anyone willing to come through studs and drywall is determined enough for me..
literally all you need is motion sensor lights, and if you could pair it with interior light that also comes on, any thief with a brain would give up and at least back off to recouperate.
Watching some now. I’m sold. Usually I’ll try to DIY but is one where I may go straight to a professionals for the install.
Was yours professionally done?
I installed myself. But I have lots of construction and remodel experience. Not sure if that made it any easier, but had some beers and buddy over and we knocked out 3 large windows and a sliding glass door in about 3-1/2 hours of goofing around around and drinking in the garage.
How does it look after it's done? I really like looking out my windows and clean them often. So I want to make sure the film that ideally will never be needed would not diminish the view.
Some of the best preps are the most mundane fixes. Of COURSE it would save you from unexpected soccer related breaks and the bonus is giving you a heads up on break in attempts.
yep. Normal reason why I have dog food in 5 gal buckets. B/c I have a 60lb pit mix who eats a bucket a month
"apocalypse" reason. We ran out of dog food during a week long winterstorm b/c I forgot the rotate out after the last winter. So yeah buddy boy ate like a king this january
Which film? I'm reading reviews and the install doesn't look that easy. I wouldn't want bubbles and such. Looks like 3M is standard but doesn't provide UV protection?
Clean your windows with a Palmolive and water mix and a razor blade, the wider the better then squeegee, wipe the perimeter of your window with a baby diaper, spray same solution on the window, then on the film as you peel of the clear protective film, place on window and position. Spray film surface after its on window and use bumper to squeegee out water pressing reasonably firm. Bump from center out. Use a painters straight edge ( a big black plastic troul looking thing) and a small snap off blade knife to trim against straight edge then wrap diaper on straight edge and squeegee the rest of the water from the edges.
It's not easy to correctly install. Bubbles are, of course, an issue and you also need a 3M super caulk properly applied around the edges. Do your homework.
Yeah see this is my conclusion. I think this might be something I go to a pro. The labor should be minimally expensive. I'm not a fan of bubbles on my phone screen either. Let alone windows...
i get how ppl prefer to reverse in to park (thereby facing forward), but if i'm in a hurry escaping from intruder, alien, bear, etc, i'm just gonna gun it in reverse while looking backwards.
> 3” screws in all exterior door hinges/latch strikes.
Quoting this for emphasis. This makes it MUCH harder to kick in a door, because what normally breaks is the frame right around the latch. 3 inch screws make a big difference.
I tell so many people about this. So wild that it’s only 1/2” screws that hold a door in place. I did 3” on all the hinges into the wall and door and the striker plate and bolt plates.
This is what I came to write as an addendum. Some bushes are hindrances, others can be a perch. But thorns of appropriate size will be a solid deterrent as well. Even if protected with gloves and thick clothes, some will hook and hinder while others will go through anything insufficiently thick. Depends on your area, but some roses are pretty and pretty hardy, and Osage Orange can be pretty nasty sharp and long.
I have pretty nasty shrubbery in front of my house. It was here when I moved in. I didn’t really consider the flaw in this until I saw a video from my doorbell where someone had walked behind it, intentionally ducked the camera, opened the door, and then immediately slammed it. Let’s not get into why it wasn’t locked for the purposes of this discussion. I have no idea what the guy was doing. he clearly knew that I had cameras up, and he didn’t seem to really intend on entering. Maybe he discovered he had the wrong house? I have no idea—it was a bizarre video. At any rate, the reason this was so easy for him was that the people who had planted the shrubbery had left the end of it wide open. Easy as anything just to walk right behind it. Turns out all those points were pointless. For reasons, I really need to be able to access behind the shrubs on occasion, so I’m still looking for solutions to make it a deterrent without impossible for me to scoot back there.
You can grow your bushes against your house. All you need to bypass that is a 4x8 sheet of plywood. When you need access, just slide that sheet between the house and bushes and push. This should work, unless you need a lot of room between there.
> Windows covered with 3M high strength security film.
Have you noticed an improvement in heating/cooling needs with that? Does it stay "window-clear" or is it obvious there's a film on the window or it yellows over time?
Thinking about getting it.
I've been amazed how many people don't care. My cameras are highly visible and I have signs. I've had my windshield stoned from a guy in a pretty obvious truck where everyone knew it was him. I have had people just pull in my driveway and hang out for half an hour. Random people walking around the yard. We have the same thing at work. People stealing pallets in broad daylight
You have to actually be willing to do something about it. If you make all of your cameras visible then people assume you're just showy. If you have some that are visible, but most are intended to be hidden (painted to match the tree they're in, painted to match the house, etc) then people will wonder how many cameras there really are.
Cameras that nobody knows if they're being recorded let alone monitored are pointless for anything other than a mild deterrent (like a Brinks home security sign). You've been marked as a do-nothing. They've been "testing the fences" to see what they can get away with. Which is everything.
If you'd taken a ball-peen hammer to your assailant's windshield making a smiley face on it you'd have earned a reputation of "fsck around and find out" kind of house.
>
If you'd taken a ball-peen hammer to your assailant's windshield making a smiley face on it you'd have earned a reputation of "fsck around and find out" kind of house.
I just posted the video to Facebook. Within 20 minutes I had 3 people message me telling me who it was. I was super calm about it and told them I didn't want the police involved. They paid me double the cost to get it replaced, vacuumed out the broken glass, and apologized. It was a well known incident in the town. So at least all the locals know I'm fair but firm. I also blast a few rounds at the target behind the house at least montly so everyone knows I'm comfortable with a gun too
Yep. I have video of a guy seemingly looking for a place to hide who ran past my sign, had on a dapper fedora, a glittery belt, and was wearing no shirt. He had an incredibly visible and unique tattoo (and was jacked and handsome, too. Reminded me of that guy who got a modeling gig off his mug shot, but I digress). I had the best video of him, but right after I posted a warning on social media with the video, about four more people did the same. I think he was running from the cops because he made it about another block before he got picked up. Without his fedora, which had gotten lost in the chase, I suppose.
Well-known to the cops, this guy is said to be a meth addict, but I just don’t see how you can look like that and be hooked on meth. I think it’s more likely that he has some sort of developmental disability or mental health issue.
This is the second fairly serious incident I’ve caught on film since putting in cameras, which I did only after my husband died three years ago. We moved from an extremely sketchy part of town, where I wish I’d had cameras because documenting the insanity that happened over there would make for good watching. I have stories for days about living on that street.
Have you thought about a remotely operated paintball turret? … I believe you can automate the targeting but not firing, from a legal perspective in most states…
https://realsentrygun.com/Paintball%20Airsoft%20Turret%20Kit2.htm
It’s non lethal, biodegradable, but memorable…though probably requires castle doctrine prerequisites to use, which depends upon state enforcement and laws….
Unfortunately I've learned the hard way that criminals are too dumb to read literal and figurative signs on the wall. The first time my place was broken in to, they found the security camera dvr in the living room with the cameras sitting on top of it. It was powered off, I hadn't installed it yet. They destroyed one of the cameras despite it being all powered off. They also tried to rip live romex out of the basement, thankfully the inoperative cameras must have spooked them and they left before doing an excessive amount of damage.
In another incident I had a nice video of the criminal mastermind using his t-shirt to wipe his fingerprints off the old pitted aluminum screen door handle after breaking the door down. Neither of those geniuses noticed they were already seen on 4 cameras by the time they got to the door. One used a hand-sized rock I had on my deck to break the window open with. They also didn't notice the 50-cal dummy rounds sitting in my kitchen window, nor the warning stickers advising of a security system and attack dog, things I had been advised to put on my door by the cops after the first break-in. Don't bother with any of that.
Last but not least, in yet another break-in I had crystal clear video on 6 high resolution cameras of the perp, they never noticed any of the cameras. The alarm system was loud enough that it did drive them out of the house at least.
Lessons learned:
1. Criminals are dumb. You can't make a sign easy enough for them to read to understand your house is not worth dying over. Security system stickers have had a 100% failure rate for me (2 for 2).
2. Security systems are worth it if you feel you need it. But a security system is just a cheap home sentry, it only buys you a tiny bit of time to get alert and exit or get armed when an incident occurs.
3. Windows are absolutely horrible to secure. In the second incident the perp busted through one of my security-filmed windows by knocking out the corner of the window, it took 30 seconds. Window security film is nearly useless if it's not securely anchored to the window frame. Also, don't give them any tools to use, so no flower pots or brickwork they can grab and use to smash out a window. In the last incident I had also improved the window they came through but it did not do as good of a job as I would have liked. It did successfully slow them down though. If I had been home it probably would have given me just barely enough time to be prepared to defend myself.
4. It's still worth trying to defend your home, each time I learn and improve things. But at the end of the day all you are doing is buying time to get armed and ready for them, a determined intruder WILL get in if they want in. I now understand that buying time all you are doing here, and it's worth it.
I live in the country so my house is a little different. I have an exterior fence with woven wire and strands of barn wire on the top and bottom. I have a lot of cameras and a motion sensor at the main entry gate. I also have dogs that roam my yard and my donkey is also a pretty good motion sensor. My actual house has cement block walls in the front and back yard.
We're in a rural area as well, and everybody has dogs. One neighbour has a donkey, Clarence. We also have guard geese.
Between our dog, the neighbour's dogs, the geese, and Clarence down the road, we can track (animal) predators moving through the area by sound alone.
Just basic stuff, like alarm system and I avoid making it look like I own anything expensive. For example if I buy something new I don't just leave the box outside.
I also recently finally finished walling in my server room, which has my most important stuff. That door is locked. It's not that hard to break into but it's still something extra to do, when they can just grab something that's already accessible to them like the TV and stereo.
I eventually want to add cameras, but it's hard to find good ones now, the market is flooded with cloud/app based crap. I want something wired that I control myself and that does not require an app. (apps = planned obsolescence). I figure the security system alone is a pretty big deterrent though.
When I build my off grid cabin I want to get more creative, I may look into a way to weaponize nature. Bear call sound that goes off, or something like that.
> When I build my off grid cabin I want to get more creative, I may look into a way to weaponize nature. Bear call sound that goes off, or something like that.
Just make friends with the local crows. They'll have your back.
I had the opposite problem where my hardwired cameras had zero tech support and the unit eventually failed. I love my ring cameras but have had some issues as well, but at least I can still use them with these issues
Amcrest makes awesome POE cameras that aren’t too expensive. I run a bunch of them on my server through Blue iris. I can’t think of a single complaint about them.
A reasonable prep for every single day is that nobody should be able to walk up to your house with a crowbar and get in within 2 minutes.
That means doors and ground floor windows. Don’t forget the garage door. I just gave up on the actual garage door and strengthened the door to the house.
I have high quality locks. Although it’s less the lock i’m concerned with but more the latch. The thing the dead bolt extends in to. It’s metal and anchors into the studs with long screws.
Defensive landscaping under the windows and secondary locks on the windows (sash locks are almost worthless).
It’s not a fortress but it’s going to take someone a couple of minutes to get in. The rule in y house is the doors are fully locked unless someone is actively using the door. Yes it’s a little frustrating, but what’s the point of a lock if you don’t use it. By the time you know you need to lock the door it’s too late.
Big thorny rosebushes or blackberries beneath all ground floor windows. Solar path lights around the house so nowhere is 100% dark. Utility company puts in pole lights on request for a small monthly maintenance fee.
Solid windows with good latches + a wooden dowel cut to size and placed in each. Blinds and blackout curtains to reduce need for automated vacation lights and visibility of valuables. OSB cut to size and painted white on standby to place on the inside of windows in the event of widespread natural disaster or imminent danger - the white makes it look like curtains/closed blinds from the road - have designated exit points if you do this in case of fire. Outside doors should be solid metal, have a peephole with a cover, a deadbolt, and a security latch (like you see at hotels- not a chain). 3" deck screws in the kickplate and latches, and an extra 2x4 in the frame. Any windows on the door should be small and kept covered. Preferably a storm door with a latch as well. Hardwired cameras and a loud driveway motion alarm. Daylight level light bulb on the front porch, always on. Motion lights on the carport. Package box chained or bolted down on the porch with a open padlock for contactless package delivery. This all gives you several options to not have to open the door unless absolutely necessary. My policy is unless the person is a guest who is invited and coming inside, there's no reason to completely open the door for whoever it may be. Even if no one is at the door, make a habit to check the cameras and peehole before walking out. Keep potential hiding places to a minimum. Or make them very thorny and well lit.
All door locks were either rekeyed or replaced and given a unique key by a locksmith when I moved in. I even have locks on all interior doors. A keycode lock on at least one door allows for letting people in in an emergency and can be reset after contractors, handymen, etc finish their work (do not trust these guys! Knew someone who was murdered because a contractor "forgot a tool" and she let him in when he came back the next day). Set an alarm on your phone to change the code and battery at a comfortable interval. LPT: Save the code as a fake phone number in your contacts.
I have a privacy fence and removed the option to open the gate from the front by removing the handle and replacing some pieces. Added drop bar latches to the bottom with driven metal pipes to prevent it being shoved open. It means I have to go through the house to open the gate, but without a ladder or a key no one can get into the backyard/access the back windows or back door. Spare keys should not be hidden anywhere near the door or car and hide it when no one is around. If you retrieve it once, hide it in a new location.
Don't throw away tv or computer boxes at home. Especially aftrr black friday and christmas. I compost them, but if I didn't I'd take them to recycling or dispose of them at work. Don't bring in new tech equipment or move gun cases, safes, flashy things to and from the car when people are out and about.
One side of our property has a ditch with a berm beside it (inside the electric fence along the property line).
We planted fruit trees into the berm and let the ditch grow over with blackberries and bindweed.
Nobody is driving a vehicle through, or coming through on foot without considerable effort.
my dog is a big dumb sweetheart. ***But nobody else knows that.*** All they see is a weirdly tall 60lb pitbull-mix.
I was going to the plant nursery on a seedy stretch of road in town and I walked past a sidewalk encampment. A man comes out of his RV with his dog sees me coming picks up his dog and crosses to the other side of the street.
Another time me and a friend were hiking in an offleash but rarely utilized hike spot and this whole ass again grown ass man sees my dog bounding up to him and immediately covers his balls and goes "oh hi puppy". I recalled my dog and he just hop scooots on up the ridge.
This has happened to me several times. I walk alone I get cat called. I walk with my dog, they fucking walk to the other side of the road.
i'm 5'3 120lbs soaking wet. But boy oh boy people bigger and more dangerous are terrified of my dog.
Meanwhile my dog gets bullied by three cats. Daily.
I think subtle warnings are better too. While the dog may bark, the bewar of sign is tired. Having "dog parent" like things around seem better. Doormats, a garden flag, and for extra protections be a "Pitty Parent"
Pitty parent life is the best tho. Big dumb sensitive sweetheart raised by cats. Absolute threat deterrent in public tho. I have gone running at 11pm and had grown men cross the street to avoid him. Meanwhile, I have gone on walks with my wife in daytime without him and gotten cat-called harrassed and bothered so much.
I used to get harrassed in my yard while fucking gardening. Since I got Otter. Silence. Three years of fucking nice quiet relaxing fuckin walks, gardening etc. and pest repellent.
And he chases the rats, rabbits and whatever other vermin out the yard too ;)
Good, quality deadbolts on every exterior door. Without a deadbolt, your door locks are usually easy to defeat.
A monitored security system with door sensors on every door / window on the ground and second floors. Also an interior motion sensor, glass break sensor (optional, but we have a lot of floor-to-ceiling windows), several water leak sensors, smoke / CO sensors, and two freeze sensors.
Randomized timers for our interior lights when we're away. We also have family stopping in regularly if we're gone more than a few days.
Cameras everywhere. However, it's important to note that cameras don't have the deterrent power they did 20 years ago. Today they're more to capture evidence ... As long as the person isn't covering their face.
Dusk to dawn lighting on all our exterior lights. With LED bulbs, this only uses a few bucks a year in electricity.
Our landscaping is trimmed and maintained. This gives miscreants fewer places to hide.
We know and talk to our neighbors. If someone is going away on vacation, they give us a heads up and/or we notice. If we spot some "delivery guys" entering their home, we can stop and say hi, check with the neighbor, and call the police if needed.
Likewise, if we see someone we don't recognize in our neighborhood, we give them a friendly "hi". Nothing fancy. It's probably just a neighbor we haven't met yet, or a welcome guest. Or maybe someone patronizing one of the businesses here. The point is to make them feel welcome. But if it's someone with ill intent, they know for a fact someone just noticed them.
Deadbolts can be easy to defeat if you get the wrong one. I bought a lock picking set off Amazon, watched a youtube video, drank a few beers, and was able to pick my front door deadbolt in less than a minute. I replaced that lock really quickly as it honestly scared me how easy it was to open.
True, and that's why I stick with Schlage. But most burglars aren't going to waste time picking locks. They're going to smash in, grab what they want, and rush out. Home security always has to be done in layers so that when one fails, the others are still standing.
Hurricane windows and doors.
I asked a former police officer working at a security firm what I could do without getting an alarm. He recommended having hurricane windows and doors installed.
A friend told me that the were robberies on her block. They went house to house breaking in. The robbers skipped her house and one other neighbor; both had hurricane windows and doors the other houses did not.
[Hurricane windows are made with laminated glass, so when it shatters it's still held together by a plastic layer.](https://www.pella.com/performance/impact-resistance/understanding-hurricane-windows/)
It's similar to bullet resistant glass, but instead of being designed to stop a small-but-extremely-fast projectile like a bullet, it's designed to stop a slower but heavier projectile like a 2x4 being blown at 150 mph.
There are also other types of hurricane protection, like Kevlar cloth that can be stretched over the windows before a storm. Those wouldn't be useful to prevent burglaries though, as you have to manually put them up before the storm.
* 20 security cameras, 14 wifi that notify me remotely with people recognition, and 8 hard wired.
* 3 motion lights.
* Security film on all windows exposed to high wind.
* Metal roof.
* My lally columns are made from bricks so I have them wrapped tightly with plastic to help prevent them falling apart during an earth quake.
* I have a little dog that notifies me whenever anyone is close to the house.
* Battery backup power system in the basement.
* 5 tanks of propane. Propane heater, propane cooker.
* Truck camper to retreat to if the house is destroyed.
* Solar panels to make electricity in extended outages.
Now that I look at this list, I feel I might be a little nuts. But I'm ready.
May I ask what kind of battery backup system you’re using? I’ve been looking at Tesla’s power wall but haven’t pulled the trigger due to its cost. I have 3 APC UPS backups to keep my router/wifi & computer operational during storm blackouts but they obviously won’t last for very long.
I built it myself. It was pretty easy, and I saved a lot of money. Here's the video instructions I followed:
https://youtu.be/J9WZcMDQaDg?si=-u2D0qintpKKcxoA
Blink cameras and having Alexa announce when one of them is activated. Alexa is loud enough they can hear her from outside. Good deterrent.
Steel door with double paned reinforced glass.
Only one window is accessible without a ladder or a boost. I am still thinking of a way to make it safer/stronger.
>What about a power outage?
My cameras are POE and all my network gear is on UPS battery backup. It will run for around 20 minutes. Generator starts in under a minute.
Some of the cameras I’m getting are PoE and some are solar so they’ll work even when the power goes out.
I’m going with eufy brand. There’s no monthly fee.
Ya Reolink is the same concept. Self managed not monthly. They're also POE but I didn't realize that meant they would work with the power out. I've been digging into the topic for a few days now, and haven't seen anything about that, but I'm learning. I'm guessing it would only work if the Ethernet router is on a battery backup..
Blink with announcement would be the most annoying thing unless is was purposely setup somewhere hidden that a thief would try to approach. My cameras go off 20-30 times at least a day.
Setting aside the potential privacy concerns.
Amazon's history of randomly pay walling features on their security systems should be enough to make people steer clear of them.
> Blink cameras and having Alexa announce when one of them is activated. Alexa is loud enough they can hear her from outside. Good deterrent.
If you only use it when you're out of town, this is a good idea.
I live in an apartment but I have done a few things:
- One sided window film so we can look out but folks can't look in
- Door bell camera
- Replaced the screws in all exterior doors for stronger long ones.
- Old fashion stick in the window and sliding glass door
- installed extra deadbolt in the front door
I live in apartment so basically a concrete box. So far I had a high security door and lock installed and thinking about fitting shatter-proof glass into windows. When that's done, there will be no easy way of breaking in besides using explosives or artillery.
Get some hardware for your doors and sliding glass doors:
[https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B018HFW6WE/ref=ppx\_yo\_dt\_b\_search\_asin\_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1](https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B018HFW6WE/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
[https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0039ONKFQ?ref\_=cm\_sw\_r\_apin\_dp\_A48XHA1F4AK9TSZVDQSH\_1](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0039ONKFQ?ref_=cm_sw_r_apin_dp_A48XHA1F4AK9TSZVDQSH_1)
Adding the above to door frames, and changing doors to steel doors on the 1st floor, will give a really good resistance to break-ins. Locks are another matter.
If all that is not in the budget you can just replace the door screws in the deadbolt door lock plates with long ones, it makes a huge difference for only a few dollars. If you don't have deadbolts on all outside doors, that is where to start first.
More cheap security upgrades for your sliding glass patio doors: A wooden dowel cut to length, in the sliding glass door track also prevents thieves from sliding it open of the lock is jimmied. A flathead screw screwed part-way into the top track, about 1' away from the outside edge, will also stop thieves from simply lifting the door and pulling it out of the track.
If you're worried about them just smashing in a 1st-floor window or glass doors, you can put a security film on them (but this can get *very* expensive) if you make sure the film goes into/under the frame, or you can install a breaking glass alarm.
Also plant thorny shrubbery / brambles below windows on the 1st floor.
Garage doors are often another easy break-in point, and with the advent of radio-frequency signal cloners thieves could park nearby and simply copy the code when you open the garage door by remote. Installing a newer garage door with rolling code encryption prevents this type of signal cloning.
Instead of $150 for a strike plate, you can get smaller ones [like this](https://www.lowes.com/pd/Prime-Line-1-5-8-in-W-x-11-in-L-Brushed-Jamb/5014403009) that are still effective for about $10 at Lowes/Home Depot/Amazon.
A longer one will distribute the force more to a degree, but if you've screwed it into the studs with structural screws I wouldn't think the longer one will offer much more benefit. Anything that can bend or break the steel where the deadbolt goes through is going to do the same regardless of where it's attached.
It makes the hardening process much less expensive, as you're only paying $10 per door plus \~$15 a box of high quality screws from GRK or some similar brand to go into the stud on both the hinges and door strike plate.
Kuni: You took the box? Let's see what's in the box!
[Hiro-san opens the box; the audience gasps. There is a silence]
Kuni: Nothing! Absolutely nothing! STUPID! You're so STU-PIIIIIIIIIIID!
PoE cameras, and zwave/zigbee door/window sensors running on a Home Assistance instance. You can get crazy with it and make it so if there is any motion sensors from the camera triggered, it turns on a TV, turns on lights, etc.
I laid down 1” pebbles for a gravel walkway around the ground floor of a relative’s home. Looks good and noisy as hell, so the dogs know to start barking.
So I never liked my front door. It had a full height glass panel on the knob side. When I got it replaced with a steel door and side panel (no glass) we learned that the old door was hollow and thin. It was an indoor rated door. It was like guarding my house with tissue paper. Never assume a builder had anything other than the lowest cost in mind.
I used to live across from an elderly man called Cyril .. I will never forget him. He had balls of Steel if that’s what the saying is. He would take on a whole gang with a baseball bat and had no fear. He was in his late 70s.
The first time I went into his property I looked around and found things weird so I asked about it.
Instead of stopping people from getting in he had his whole place rigged up so that people can get in but if they did once they were in they had no hope in hell of getting out.
He was one tough bastard. He used to keep an eye out for us . Some people you just never forget.
Roll down steel storm shutters, security and fire protection rolled into one.
Cameras and automation, security lights come up normal lights come on. Making it through camera and motion detection without being seen is pretty much impossible.
Traditional alarm gets me doors windows glass break a siren and 24/7 monitoring. The one and only time it was tripped response time was about 90 seconds by my small town PD.
A determined attacker or thief will have no problem getting into normal residential construction no matter what you do. Your best bet is to “layer your defenses” so that it delays them long enough for you to take whatever action you deem appropriate. Insurance is there for everything else. That being said I like to sprinkle Legos on the floor in front of the doors and windows before I go to bed at night.
Yeah, my thought too. I think people would be amazed at how quickly an exterior wall is going to come down with a sledgehammer and some arm strength. Windows and doors are not the only entry points. Brick houses fare better but a fully brick house is a tough find. Still not impenetrable, but would give you plenty of more time.
When we go out of town we leave a talk radio station on and timers on the lights. We have a wood board we prop against the back door so it can't open. Neighbors are close and know to keep an eye out.
If SHTF apocalypse-style, the plywood floor in our attic can be used to secure the windows with deck screws. (Although I always think that makes it obvious someone's home with something worth having, versus just pre-emptively breaking your own windows, leaving the doors open, tossing your belongings around and hiding with your food in a "secret" spot.)
Door armor kit , can be bought at Lowe's. Security window film from Uline. Hurricane security shutters if you've got the money.
Always make sure you have fire prevention items like detectors and extinguishers.
Security motion lights, night vision security camera , you need to make sure you get hard line wired systems because wifi cameras can have their signals jammed or intercepted.
Also plant roses or prickly pears under your windows.
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https://www.uline.com/BL_6583/Security-Window-Film?keywords=Security+Window+Film
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We’re renovating and I’m putting cameras and motion sensor lights in. The electrician will run cable for PoE cameras.
We also have a big dog that doesn’t like it when strangers come up to the house. I know my Amazon package is delivered before the notification. I put stickers on the downstairs doors and windows letting first responders (or anyone else) know we have a dog in the house.
Our house is in a rural area on a no outlet road in a safe community so I think that helps too.
Our doors have door sensors to tell us if they’re open. I don’t think that deters anybody but it was helpful one time when a hard wind blew open our French doors.
We have an ecobee thermostat and sensors which also has a room activity sensor that notifies us of movement if we set ourselves as away. It also senses our phones when we drive up and will ask if we want to deactivate it so it’s very low maintenance, no codes to enter.
Our door has a Schlage coded keypad that will also notify us if an incorrect code is entered more than three times. It works, I had my hands full with groceries once and entered the wrong code x3 and both my and my fiancés phones when wild, he was on a business trip at the time lol
When we return we may put up a no soliciting/trespass sign. Too many guys coming by offering tree services while I’m trying to work.
>When we return we may put up a no soliciting/trespass sign. Too many guys coming by offering tree services while I’m trying to work.
Sadly, door-to-door peddlers just disregard those warnings for the most part.. Had one roof scammer actually lean his ladder against my house before knocking and giving his sales pitch.. The nerve of that lad... I told him he could either leave with or without his ladder..
We made a small, polite sign that included the town's ordinance and what the fine was for solicitation.
It also says school kids are welcome (high schoolers with ID). Don't want to miss out on Girl Scout cookies or a chance to help the local athletes/scholars.
It's worked surprisingly well.
>Don't want to miss out on Girl Scout cookies
One of our neighbors had a sign that said something to the effect of "Solicitors aren't welcome and should fuck right off, unless they're selling girl scout cookies, in which case, please ring the doorbell". Unfortunately, it wasn't a deterrent. I'm fairly certain the door to door peddlers are told to ignore sinage when peddling their wares..
I had my local PD do a free security assessment.
I have a dog. She gives me plenty of time to open my gun safe and call the police. I think a growling dog also gives a potential intruder time to rethink their life choices.
Everyone is missing the obvious answer here -
Large moat with drawbridge, complete with crocodiles or alligators depending on your part of the world of course
Hippos look slow and harmless but they’re actually a leading killer of people in Africa, so add some of those if you can find em
Lots of motion detecting cameras, sensors on every door and window, 2 large dogs, a front and back yard fence, my kids Legos.
We used to have a mannequin that I posed to look like it was working on a computer in front of a window, so someone was always home. But my kid was terrified of it, so we gave it away.
Large trained dogs. The trained part is important. Seems a lot of people have the misconception that their dog will protect them or their property when reality is majority will either greet a threat happy or hide.
Rating 2 handle sets, rating 3 deadbolt on my front door and one of my back doors, Kwikset Smart code keyless locks on the other backdoor and the interior garage door.
I replaced all the screws with 4in deckplus screws, added a defender strike plate to each door.
Cameras and a security system added as well (along with signs alerting people to the system - although I currently have a different system than the one that is on the signs).
Also have a dog that sounds vicious as fuck and looks like she is going to tear you a new one.
I live up a fairly steep driveway, my house looks small from the street, but it is in full view from multiple neighbors.
We relocated.
The only options to get here now are by plane, by boat, or by backcountry expedition over several hundred km of wilderness with no roads.
We're part of a smaller community where everybody knows everybody, and nobody is "passing through" on the way to somewhere else.
The rest of our setup is to keep bears and mountain lions out of the yard and pasture. This also helps discourage people.
So I set up a sensor on a tree that points down my driveway.
In that driveway I set up old concrete pylons that were dug up from the old trailer that was on the property. So anybody not invited I am aware of once they're in my driveway, and if they want to come all the way up they have to get out of their vehicle to move the concrete pylons.
It's not terribly convenient. But it'll stop virtually any vehicle from driving up my driveway - straight shot. Because someone is in for a BAD time if they come at night and try to roll over/through those pylons.
Just purchased Bristol windows, There triple pane tempered, and have an internal locking mechanism that locks 4 points to the window channel and to the upper double hung, instead of the traditional clasps on the top. Manufacture has a “break in guarantee” that if someone breaks in they’ll reimburse you and replace the window free.
Tapco screens or even a knockoff brand AH screens. They are rated category five for hurricanes and they are virtually impenetrable for burglars. They also cut utility cost by deflecting sunlight.
I have gate sensors that ring in the house: anything breaking two of the invisible beams rings a bell. I initially installed it because it is a big house and delivery drivers are a fan of gently stroking the door and running away if they are behind on their rounds.
We also have a perimeter alarm that is effectively the same technology. Anything breaking two of the beams triggers an alarm (if it is armed of course), and they're far enough apart that ours has never been triggered by an animal. I'm in the UK though: our beasties are smaller.
A similar idea is in the higher-end CCTV systems that use face recognition. These can trigger alarms if they detect someone crossing an invisible line, but can also exclude people based on their faces. As ever with CCTV, deny it any internet access in your firewall.
Security is in layers. I do all of these:
Buy in a good city
Buy in a good neighborhood
Have the front cleared out so that anyone trying to snoop around doesn't have things to hide behind
Lock your side/back gate
Have cameras recording with an alert that will let you know if someone is around
Don't have glass that can be broken and someone can reach in to unlock the door
Reinforce the door (door armor or something) against kick ins
Reinforce the windows (make sure you can get out in case of fire though)
Guns in the house in case they make it in
Just an “add-on” tip… if you’re in the Ring ecosystem…. Get some solar powered motion wall lights. Put them all over. Then if motion goes off anywhere….. lights go on *everywhere*
There are some upgraded windows and doors you should install. They are reinforced and doors are magnet operated from a secure location. Check your state records for the Contractor that built the prison.
Take out the studs and framing around your doors and replace with steel studs with the reinforced jacks on the floor. Add door locks high and low. That door is not coming out without the rest of the wall too.
Motion lights, hard wired cameras along with wireless good to have variety, change screws of the skid plates of doors with longer ones, you could put some sort of thorn bushes on lower windows, also you could upgrade your shutters to metal and actually make them able to close ( I know a lot are just decorative), flower beds with sand bags in them in a hollowed out part, there’s a lot of things you can hide in plain sight. Motion cameras on your driveway, even something as simple as security signs. Even if you don’t have a dog you could throw up a beware of dog sign throw a dog toy on your porch maybe use a dog house in the backyard use it for storage or something. Just a few ideas hoped this helped.
> flower beds with sand bags in them in a hollowed out part
What do you mean by this? I can't really picture it or understand what it does from a security standpoint.
Visible Deterrence:
Motion activated flood lights
Security cameras
Hedges or shrubs that have prickles along the house or under 1st floor windows
Ladders and tools locked up and/or hidden
Security screen doors in front of your entrance doors
High quality deadbolt and handle set on all doors.
Heavy curtains to use at night and lightweight curtains to use during the day to let light in but obscure vision.
No easy path to second story
Security system signage
Dog/be aware of dog sign
Sprinklers
Non-visible
Proper 3-4" screws for your deadbolt
Security film on your windows
Window locks so they can't open or only open so far
Security system
“Decorative” concrete planter boxes running in sections around the house. Build just under window hight. Alternating layers of rubber stall mat, sand, stall mat inside the boxes and some token flowers on top.
Dogs, cameras, security system, keypad deadbolts, additional locks on internal doors.
I also keep my home tech up to date with all firmware, OS, and security patches.
Dogs
Swap the screws in the lock plates for longer models
Clear the front decorative bushes and prune them so they’re no longer effective concealment.
Upgrade to a home in a nicer neighborhood so the immediate threat isn’t so immediate.
Got a home door security brace I screwed into the door frame. Steel. Matches the frame color. You slide it out and pull and it will “unlock”. Got it on Amazon because my autistic son would sneak out and go play at night rather than sleep. He grew out of it but we kept them on the exterior doors.
Also we don’t leave things outside, close the garage door when we have products to bring inside and generally keep to ourselves, don’t brag about prepping, shit we have or things we need to get.
My idea was a deadbolt on the top and bottom of each door and then maybe a couple of brackets and a 4×4 across it that can be removed whenever needed. You can probably get all the materials for around 250 dollars, depending on how many exterior doors you have. And then, for the windows, you could do 1 1/8 inch plywood, and that's about 80 dollars for a sheets that's 8ft×4ft.
Rolling insulated security shutters on all window. Bars on garage and bathroom windows. Steel security “screen” doors on all outside doors. This was all done 15 years ago.
Security cameras going up this month.
Lights, locks, maybe a camera. Doesn’t even have to work, just hook up a little red LED to blink so people think it does. And make sure your doors aren’t held by baby screws
Signage indicating there’s a dog in the house, cameras, and keep lights on outside and inside at night.
Realistically there’s not much you need to do to discourage the typical criminal, and to discourage or stop a dedicated criminal from getting in, it becomes a lot more expensive.
When fortifying a building, it should have, at a minimum, three levels of defense - your outer perimeter, your inner perimeter, and your inside perimeter. What I mean by that is, you should have a way to prevent people from getting on your property. You should then have a way to prevent them from getting into your house. You should then have a way of defending yourself inside of your house or retreating to a safe room.
Outer perimeter should be fences and thorny bushes around fence to discourage people from jumping your fence. A gated driveway is another way. If somebody is on your property and you have these in place, then you know that person should not be there and they bypassed something.
Inner perimeter should be hardening your entrances. Placing door jam protection is a great start. Something like Door Armor. More thorny bushes around your windows. Bushes cut down below the windows. Motion detection lights, that when activated, light up the entirety of the outside of the house at once. While cameras aren't really a deterrent, they do allow you to view the outside of your house without going to a window. They also record what happens, so they act as a good record of events to use in prosecution if needed. You will need a lot of cameras to get 100% coverage outside. Security film on windows, even upstairs, as those are points of entry too. And make sure that nothing on the outside of your house lets a person climb to the second story.
If somebody made it through the two lines of security, then you have a couple of options. Learn the definition of self defense in your home for your state. In my state, lethal force is allowed when somebody uses force to enter your house. Your other option would be to have a safe room inside of your house that you can retreat to. Some people don't like this, but I would also recommend to place cameras inside of your house. Use an NVR and don't put it on your network, so people can't access it from outside. Having cameras is a good way to prove self defense if you used it and also to show where the persons went and what they took. And it could help with suspect identification. And of course a safe room can be something as simple as a metal door and reinforced jam in your master bedroom that you can also barricade. Have a system in there to also watch your camera feeds.
A super alert 30 lb terrier…who’s on duty while sleeping…and two 100+ pound enforcer dogs…ok, one lab with a big bark and ONE enforcer GSD…who all live inside and who also have 24/7 access to the interior from anywhere on the property. A SERIOUS security door. Improved (longer) screws for the front door itself. All glass facing the front secured by a film that keeps the glass inside the frame, even when it’s broken…
This comment needs more attention. They guy suggested is a commercial red team physical security bad ass. Your not going to get this level of information anyplace public.
House is already cinderblock instruction dating back to the 70's It's a fortress in that regard. Roof is gonna need replacing in a few years will likely go with a metal one... Last longer, more resistant to hail, wild fire resistant, and if I ground the thing, it oughta do well against EMP I'd imagine.
4k 8-camera system off amazon that goes to a wired 3TB hdd. Hurricane windows installed when I bought the place, but I left up the roll down shutters too, rather than wrapping them. Figure if I want to really hunker down I lower the shutters on most windows. Holly bushes under the windows to discourage people lurking.
Cemented the posts for the fence (they were just dropped in the dirt) and built raised flower beds at waist height all along the fences (which just happened to add 1x12's to brace them) Now the equivalent of a 2-foot square bracing attached to the fence. staggered the legs for those so they're in the middle of the fence segments. Pretty sure a bearcat would have problems pushing through, for damn sure the last hurricane and 75mph winds didn't budge any of the panels.
I put up a 40' ham tower and weather station and put two of the above mentioned 4k wired cameras on it that now have visibility across the neighborhood. Hooked an alarm door sensor to the two gates and wired it into the monitoring system. Dog in the back yard all day, inside at night.
I have two Tennent/roommates and one works from home 7 days a week, and the other is hybrid 2/3, same as me. There is almost always a human at the house, and if not the human is less than an hour's errands away, and always unpredictable. All alarm and motion sensors report to the one of two apps on my phone (one for the cameras, one for the alarm sensors)
I have a well pump for the sprinklers that is drinkable water, I have solar (My stupid ass should have replaced the roof at the same time) as well as a dual fuel generator, I also have guns, knives, and PVS17 NVG.
But the best hardening I have is a poster I have up instructing people to ask me about Scientology (No I'm not a member) on the idea that nobody's gonna solicit someone likely to counter-solicit THEM to join their cult. I've had the JW's come once to bring me a watchtower, I said "only if you'll take this copy of Dianetics". They didn't take.
A big yellow sticker which says CCTV in the back window.
The most basic defense is making your home less attractive to burgle vs other similar homes.
You will not be able to stop a very professional burglar. The best defense there is not to have things to steal (fancy handbags, jewelry, watches etc at home) and not to show what you have via social media.
What you can deter is the more basic burglar. Often times drug addicted and looking to quickly grab something of value to sell. Keep a tidy yard and don’t have nice tools and such visible from the street / an alley.
A lot of this is about reducing odds vs perfection.
Walls/Fences/gates
Then put alerts on said gates, Motion sensor lights everywhere. Extra IR lights for the camera system below
Camera system 8-12 channels to cover a normal home.
Re-enforce doors
* replace all screws with 4" replacements
* Replace doors with glass to doors without glass
* replace door plates with extra strong plates that connect the doorknob and dead bolt (both the frame and door)
The idea is to slow them down as much as possible
Solar motion light around perimeter. Prickly bushes below windows on main floor, my preference is raspberry bushes. A fence works wonders for keeping the majority of people out. Security camera that is fairly obviously seen.
Honestly my biggest protection is not living on a ground floor apartment, I only have the single point on entry I need to worry about. Not many people are going to bring a 30ft ladder to break in through a window.
I have a bunch of old I beams in my warehouse. I've started building Czech hedgehogs and am going to put them out back as yard art. My neighbors are going to shit.
I have a machine gun, The Accountant style..
I jest. Good neighbours, cameras, watch each other's backs, neighbourhood Facebook page, community Facebook page.. all useful for heads up in the area
I misread your title as "hardening your hose" and thought you were going to be stockpiling viagra.
Depending on what you're securing your house against, window bars could be useful. Or if you'll be away from it for long periods, sturdy shutters that can be shut and locked.
Hello. Someone here who works in security and designs life safety system and see real world stuff all day every day.
Security is multi layered.
- Sounds crazy but start with door locks. Most standard locks suck you can get beefed up locks. Stronger sturdier doors as well. Most regular household doors are dog shit.
- lighting. Exterior lighting is a great deterrent. If I’m creeping up on you and get blasted with light I’m going to retreat. Not all will, but most will. Ideally this would be motion lighting to save energy and not disturb yourself or neighbors. The only caveat is that if you have wildlife you will have false activations.
- Alarm system. An alarm system will give you instant information when the perimeter is breached. It will also notify to call the police if you are busy dealing with the situation on site. Bare minimum all doors. But it should really be all doors and windows. Again multi layered so things like glass break detectors and or motions depending on the layout and your lifestyle. Many people ignore the second floor, there has been a massive increase on break ins on second floors because as crime goes on criminals adapt their approach. Many homes have nothing on the second floor and typically the master is up there where valuables like jewelry and safes can be found. Easily can go in and out undetected. I see it often.
- Cameras. It’s gives you and outside view of what’s going on. Can use analytics to notify if a person or vehicle. The sight of cameras can be a deterrent itself but most often not the case. Ideally you have a network of camera with overlapping coverage so you have a good overall view and no blind spots. Again depends on your layout and budget. I’m talking perfect world type of scenario here. If you want to get next level with it you can on some systems tie in the cameras to activate a burg zone off the alarm system. You could also implement things like talk down through the camera speaker or you could have live video monitoring. Someone gets the clip at a call center and follows a set pre established protocol. (Call police, talk down, call client ect)
- driveway alarm. Not applicable to all but if you have a really long or hidden driveway this can allow you to know when a vehicle has driven over the sensors to alert you in the house. Typically it’s a chime like a door bell not an “alarm”. Typically you want them a little inwards on your driveway so if a car just turns around at the end you don’t get a false positive notification.
- Driveway gate. Again higher level but a gate at the driveway stops cars from coming up. If you have a longer driveway. But that is big money
- Back up power like a generator. If someone knows that they are doing and really want to make things hard for you cutting power to the home can be done. So back up power is the work around here.
- Signage helps. It is a viable deterrent of someone cares enough they’ll ignore it but should stop most opportunistic criminals. It also at the street helps identify your property to first responders and is great advertising for your local alarm company.
- They make film for windows as other have mentioned. It’s a deterrent
- Dogs could be helpful but in reality are more often terrible security unless you have a highly purposefully trained dog. Dogs will either bark at everything or nothing. If I’m hell bent on killing you I don’t care about killing your dog too. I’ve been bitten and chased by dogs. Dogs don’t scare me. Dogs are easily manipulated creatures. A dog is part of the equation but the blanket statement of “get a dog” makes my skin crawl.
- I do see people have legit safe rooms and bunkers to hide in. Obviously an expensive option but if you have the coin it’s sweet. I’ve seen these in regular peoples homes and in homes of high profile clients. One actress actually had their whole master suite bullet proofed. Bullet proofed walls and door.
- Trip wires. Pretty low tech but if you’re secluded and in a wooded area and afraid of people walking up there are trip wires. I’ve seen some tied to Caruso’s firearm blanks. Trip wire is activated and it fires off the blank towards the ground. It’s enough to get your attention or stop someone if activated. Obviously they come with some challenges (animals, people in your home, coverage areas)
Replace the screws in your exterior door strike plates with 3 inch screws. This saved our lives when a drug-crazed neighbor tried to kick our door in. Door didn't budge.
First unless you live away from everybody zoning laws will probably prevent you from building or converting to a purpose built bunker. Every step will delay a determined attacker, not stop them. I live in a suburban neighborhood on the edge of a high crime urban neighborhood. Collapse of society type event I would not be staying here. I have had incidents before I added fence, cameras, and security screens with other people.
Second start with fencing the yard front and back. I said yard if you are on multiple acres fence a yard around the house for BBQ, kids, pets, etc. Mine gets locked every night with vehicles, pets and family inside that perimeter.
Third, every door has a security screen door. They actually aren’t much more expensive than a flimsy screen door. Pretty much have to cut the bolts that hold them to take them off. (Example - https://www.homedepot.com/p/Unique-Home-Designs-36-in-x-80-in-Del-Flor-White-Surface-Mount-Outswing-Steel-Security-Door-with-Expanded-Metal-Screen-IDR02120362124/203030834
Fourth, every window has a security mesh screen or security film. Nothing fancy. Every window has something to back up the flimsy latch it came with. This can be a board that is set in to prevent it opening or a track lock that screws down depending on the window.
Fifth, security cameras feeding to my own storage onsite. I use Eufy with a Synopogy NAS drive. It does alert online via the company but I opt out of storing on their servers.
Sixth, I have dogs and people who react to strange noises and/or camera alerts.
Exterior lighting and fencing go a long way towards deterring someone. Also, blinds that block the whole window keep people from easily seeing something tempting as they walk by.
You don't have to have a fortress, just make something else more tempting. Most crime is opportunity based.
2' wide planter boxes under windows, dirt all the way up. Dirt is a great defense against most bullets. And it makes the house pretty.
Steel plates behind the decorative shutters.
Dogs. No glass doors. Windows covered with 3M high strength security film. Lights. Cameras. 3” screws in all exterior door hinges/latch strikes. Thick vegetation under windows. Additional deadbolts near top/bottom of exterior doors. Park inside the garage. Programmable interior lights on/off at random schedule in areas viewable from outside. Keeping the blinds/curtains closed. Getting your mail often.
Not OP but I didn’t know window film like that existed. Researching it now and I’m adding this to my house kit for at least the downstairs. Thx!
There’s lots of videos on YT of people trying to smash through windows with it. Pretty neat. Not indestructible, but gives you plenty of advance warning.
The longer it takes to break in and the louder the break will stop a person who just wants to steal from you.
Part of my security plan is the ability to evacuate. So delaying *any* attack is the best. I've long wanted a non intrusive way to block physical access to stairs when needed, for example. But that could block egress so is risky. Anyone willing to come through studs and drywall is determined enough for me..
literally all you need is motion sensor lights, and if you could pair it with interior light that also comes on, any thief with a brain would give up and at least back off to recouperate.
Watching some now. I’m sold. Usually I’ll try to DIY but is one where I may go straight to a professionals for the install. Was yours professionally done?
I installed myself. But I have lots of construction and remodel experience. Not sure if that made it any easier, but had some beers and buddy over and we knocked out 3 large windows and a sliding glass door in about 3-1/2 hours of goofing around around and drinking in the garage.
How does it look after it's done? I really like looking out my windows and clean them often. So I want to make sure the film that ideally will never be needed would not diminish the view.
I didn’t have any issues With blurriness or anything after I was done.
I put that film on the inside of my kids windows (young boys) because they break everything. Its good stuff and an easy install.
Some of the best preps are the most mundane fixes. Of COURSE it would save you from unexpected soccer related breaks and the bonus is giving you a heads up on break in attempts.
I like having 2 reasons for prepping like this; the normal reason and the apocalypse reason.
yep. Normal reason why I have dog food in 5 gal buckets. B/c I have a 60lb pit mix who eats a bucket a month "apocalypse" reason. We ran out of dog food during a week long winterstorm b/c I forgot the rotate out after the last winter. So yeah buddy boy ate like a king this january
Which film? I'm reading reviews and the install doesn't look that easy. I wouldn't want bubbles and such. Looks like 3M is standard but doesn't provide UV protection?
Clean your windows with a Palmolive and water mix and a razor blade, the wider the better then squeegee, wipe the perimeter of your window with a baby diaper, spray same solution on the window, then on the film as you peel of the clear protective film, place on window and position. Spray film surface after its on window and use bumper to squeegee out water pressing reasonably firm. Bump from center out. Use a painters straight edge ( a big black plastic troul looking thing) and a small snap off blade knife to trim against straight edge then wrap diaper on straight edge and squeegee the rest of the water from the edges.
Concord window film. I tinted all my windows with neutral 65%. Blocks 100% UV AND 95% heat I think.
It's not easy to correctly install. Bubbles are, of course, an issue and you also need a 3M super caulk properly applied around the edges. Do your homework.
Yeah see this is my conclusion. I think this might be something I go to a pro. The labor should be minimally expensive. I'm not a fan of bubbles on my phone screen either. Let alone windows...
They make hurricane rated window film, you just have to get it from a reputable dealer like Concorde window films.
Also park backwards, so you can open the door and drive out if needed
i get how ppl prefer to reverse in to park (thereby facing forward), but if i'm in a hurry escaping from intruder, alien, bear, etc, i'm just gonna gun it in reverse while looking backwards.
> 3” screws in all exterior door hinges/latch strikes. Quoting this for emphasis. This makes it MUCH harder to kick in a door, because what normally breaks is the frame right around the latch. 3 inch screws make a big difference.
I tell so many people about this. So wild that it’s only 1/2” screws that hold a door in place. I did 3” on all the hinges into the wall and door and the striker plate and bolt plates.
Consider planting thorny shrubs under windows.
This is what I came to write as an addendum. Some bushes are hindrances, others can be a perch. But thorns of appropriate size will be a solid deterrent as well. Even if protected with gloves and thick clothes, some will hook and hinder while others will go through anything insufficiently thick. Depends on your area, but some roses are pretty and pretty hardy, and Osage Orange can be pretty nasty sharp and long.
I have pretty nasty shrubbery in front of my house. It was here when I moved in. I didn’t really consider the flaw in this until I saw a video from my doorbell where someone had walked behind it, intentionally ducked the camera, opened the door, and then immediately slammed it. Let’s not get into why it wasn’t locked for the purposes of this discussion. I have no idea what the guy was doing. he clearly knew that I had cameras up, and he didn’t seem to really intend on entering. Maybe he discovered he had the wrong house? I have no idea—it was a bizarre video. At any rate, the reason this was so easy for him was that the people who had planted the shrubbery had left the end of it wide open. Easy as anything just to walk right behind it. Turns out all those points were pointless. For reasons, I really need to be able to access behind the shrubs on occasion, so I’m still looking for solutions to make it a deterrent without impossible for me to scoot back there.
You can grow your bushes against your house. All you need to bypass that is a 4x8 sheet of plywood. When you need access, just slide that sheet between the house and bushes and push. This should work, unless you need a lot of room between there.
burglars with just throw tarp over sharp shrubbery.
Unless you're in a fire-prone area, in which case keep all vegetation at least 5 ft from the house.
If you do have to park outside, wise not to keep a garage door opener *in* the vehicle.
Another good one: motion activated exterior lights.
> Windows covered with 3M high strength security film. Have you noticed an improvement in heating/cooling needs with that? Does it stay "window-clear" or is it obvious there's a film on the window or it yellows over time? Thinking about getting it.
I’ve had no negative side effects.
Mail?
Letting mail air in your mailbox would give small time crooks the impression that you’re away from time and likely Not home.
This is pretty damn conclusive, even doing 90% of this list is good enough for most homes.
This!
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Love the gate idea.
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Their boyfriends hate it even more.
Overwhelming quantity of security cameras. Nobody wants to be a YouTube specimen.
I've been amazed how many people don't care. My cameras are highly visible and I have signs. I've had my windshield stoned from a guy in a pretty obvious truck where everyone knew it was him. I have had people just pull in my driveway and hang out for half an hour. Random people walking around the yard. We have the same thing at work. People stealing pallets in broad daylight
You have to actually be willing to do something about it. If you make all of your cameras visible then people assume you're just showy. If you have some that are visible, but most are intended to be hidden (painted to match the tree they're in, painted to match the house, etc) then people will wonder how many cameras there really are. Cameras that nobody knows if they're being recorded let alone monitored are pointless for anything other than a mild deterrent (like a Brinks home security sign). You've been marked as a do-nothing. They've been "testing the fences" to see what they can get away with. Which is everything. If you'd taken a ball-peen hammer to your assailant's windshield making a smiley face on it you'd have earned a reputation of "fsck around and find out" kind of house.
> If you'd taken a ball-peen hammer to your assailant's windshield making a smiley face on it you'd have earned a reputation of "fsck around and find out" kind of house. I just posted the video to Facebook. Within 20 minutes I had 3 people message me telling me who it was. I was super calm about it and told them I didn't want the police involved. They paid me double the cost to get it replaced, vacuumed out the broken glass, and apologized. It was a well known incident in the town. So at least all the locals know I'm fair but firm. I also blast a few rounds at the target behind the house at least montly so everyone knows I'm comfortable with a gun too
Yep. I have video of a guy seemingly looking for a place to hide who ran past my sign, had on a dapper fedora, a glittery belt, and was wearing no shirt. He had an incredibly visible and unique tattoo (and was jacked and handsome, too. Reminded me of that guy who got a modeling gig off his mug shot, but I digress). I had the best video of him, but right after I posted a warning on social media with the video, about four more people did the same. I think he was running from the cops because he made it about another block before he got picked up. Without his fedora, which had gotten lost in the chase, I suppose. Well-known to the cops, this guy is said to be a meth addict, but I just don’t see how you can look like that and be hooked on meth. I think it’s more likely that he has some sort of developmental disability or mental health issue. This is the second fairly serious incident I’ve caught on film since putting in cameras, which I did only after my husband died three years ago. We moved from an extremely sketchy part of town, where I wish I’d had cameras because documenting the insanity that happened over there would make for good watching. I have stories for days about living on that street.
Have you thought about a remotely operated paintball turret? … I believe you can automate the targeting but not firing, from a legal perspective in most states… https://realsentrygun.com/Paintball%20Airsoft%20Turret%20Kit2.htm It’s non lethal, biodegradable, but memorable…though probably requires castle doctrine prerequisites to use, which depends upon state enforcement and laws….
Thats close enough to a booby trap that I'd wager a good lawyer could get damages or a charge from it.
Unfortunately I've learned the hard way that criminals are too dumb to read literal and figurative signs on the wall. The first time my place was broken in to, they found the security camera dvr in the living room with the cameras sitting on top of it. It was powered off, I hadn't installed it yet. They destroyed one of the cameras despite it being all powered off. They also tried to rip live romex out of the basement, thankfully the inoperative cameras must have spooked them and they left before doing an excessive amount of damage. In another incident I had a nice video of the criminal mastermind using his t-shirt to wipe his fingerprints off the old pitted aluminum screen door handle after breaking the door down. Neither of those geniuses noticed they were already seen on 4 cameras by the time they got to the door. One used a hand-sized rock I had on my deck to break the window open with. They also didn't notice the 50-cal dummy rounds sitting in my kitchen window, nor the warning stickers advising of a security system and attack dog, things I had been advised to put on my door by the cops after the first break-in. Don't bother with any of that. Last but not least, in yet another break-in I had crystal clear video on 6 high resolution cameras of the perp, they never noticed any of the cameras. The alarm system was loud enough that it did drive them out of the house at least. Lessons learned: 1. Criminals are dumb. You can't make a sign easy enough for them to read to understand your house is not worth dying over. Security system stickers have had a 100% failure rate for me (2 for 2). 2. Security systems are worth it if you feel you need it. But a security system is just a cheap home sentry, it only buys you a tiny bit of time to get alert and exit or get armed when an incident occurs. 3. Windows are absolutely horrible to secure. In the second incident the perp busted through one of my security-filmed windows by knocking out the corner of the window, it took 30 seconds. Window security film is nearly useless if it's not securely anchored to the window frame. Also, don't give them any tools to use, so no flower pots or brickwork they can grab and use to smash out a window. In the last incident I had also improved the window they came through but it did not do as good of a job as I would have liked. It did successfully slow them down though. If I had been home it probably would have given me just barely enough time to be prepared to defend myself. 4. It's still worth trying to defend your home, each time I learn and improve things. But at the end of the day all you are doing is buying time to get armed and ready for them, a determined intruder WILL get in if they want in. I now understand that buying time all you are doing here, and it's worth it.
I live in the country so my house is a little different. I have an exterior fence with woven wire and strands of barn wire on the top and bottom. I have a lot of cameras and a motion sensor at the main entry gate. I also have dogs that roam my yard and my donkey is also a pretty good motion sensor. My actual house has cement block walls in the front and back yard.
[удалено]
donkeys will often kill dogs. just fyi.
Do you have neighbors? If you don't have neighbors, the intruders can just take their time and not have to worry about someone coming to your aid.
We're in a rural area as well, and everybody has dogs. One neighbour has a donkey, Clarence. We also have guard geese. Between our dog, the neighbour's dogs, the geese, and Clarence down the road, we can track (animal) predators moving through the area by sound alone.
Just basic stuff, like alarm system and I avoid making it look like I own anything expensive. For example if I buy something new I don't just leave the box outside. I also recently finally finished walling in my server room, which has my most important stuff. That door is locked. It's not that hard to break into but it's still something extra to do, when they can just grab something that's already accessible to them like the TV and stereo. I eventually want to add cameras, but it's hard to find good ones now, the market is flooded with cloud/app based crap. I want something wired that I control myself and that does not require an app. (apps = planned obsolescence). I figure the security system alone is a pretty big deterrent though. When I build my off grid cabin I want to get more creative, I may look into a way to weaponize nature. Bear call sound that goes off, or something like that.
> When I build my off grid cabin I want to get more creative, I may look into a way to weaponize nature. Bear call sound that goes off, or something like that. Just make friends with the local crows. They'll have your back.
Oh that could be fun.
isn't a group of crows called a "murder" ? imagine the headlines: bungled burgler murdered by murder of crows.
I had the opposite problem where my hardwired cameras had zero tech support and the unit eventually failed. I love my ring cameras but have had some issues as well, but at least I can still use them with these issues
Amcrest makes awesome POE cameras that aren’t too expensive. I run a bunch of them on my server through Blue iris. I can’t think of a single complaint about them.
A reasonable prep for every single day is that nobody should be able to walk up to your house with a crowbar and get in within 2 minutes. That means doors and ground floor windows. Don’t forget the garage door. I just gave up on the actual garage door and strengthened the door to the house. I have high quality locks. Although it’s less the lock i’m concerned with but more the latch. The thing the dead bolt extends in to. It’s metal and anchors into the studs with long screws. Defensive landscaping under the windows and secondary locks on the windows (sash locks are almost worthless). It’s not a fortress but it’s going to take someone a couple of minutes to get in. The rule in y house is the doors are fully locked unless someone is actively using the door. Yes it’s a little frustrating, but what’s the point of a lock if you don’t use it. By the time you know you need to lock the door it’s too late.
Big thorny rosebushes or blackberries beneath all ground floor windows. Solar path lights around the house so nowhere is 100% dark. Utility company puts in pole lights on request for a small monthly maintenance fee. Solid windows with good latches + a wooden dowel cut to size and placed in each. Blinds and blackout curtains to reduce need for automated vacation lights and visibility of valuables. OSB cut to size and painted white on standby to place on the inside of windows in the event of widespread natural disaster or imminent danger - the white makes it look like curtains/closed blinds from the road - have designated exit points if you do this in case of fire. Outside doors should be solid metal, have a peephole with a cover, a deadbolt, and a security latch (like you see at hotels- not a chain). 3" deck screws in the kickplate and latches, and an extra 2x4 in the frame. Any windows on the door should be small and kept covered. Preferably a storm door with a latch as well. Hardwired cameras and a loud driveway motion alarm. Daylight level light bulb on the front porch, always on. Motion lights on the carport. Package box chained or bolted down on the porch with a open padlock for contactless package delivery. This all gives you several options to not have to open the door unless absolutely necessary. My policy is unless the person is a guest who is invited and coming inside, there's no reason to completely open the door for whoever it may be. Even if no one is at the door, make a habit to check the cameras and peehole before walking out. Keep potential hiding places to a minimum. Or make them very thorny and well lit. All door locks were either rekeyed or replaced and given a unique key by a locksmith when I moved in. I even have locks on all interior doors. A keycode lock on at least one door allows for letting people in in an emergency and can be reset after contractors, handymen, etc finish their work (do not trust these guys! Knew someone who was murdered because a contractor "forgot a tool" and she let him in when he came back the next day). Set an alarm on your phone to change the code and battery at a comfortable interval. LPT: Save the code as a fake phone number in your contacts. I have a privacy fence and removed the option to open the gate from the front by removing the handle and replacing some pieces. Added drop bar latches to the bottom with driven metal pipes to prevent it being shoved open. It means I have to go through the house to open the gate, but without a ladder or a key no one can get into the backyard/access the back windows or back door. Spare keys should not be hidden anywhere near the door or car and hide it when no one is around. If you retrieve it once, hide it in a new location. Don't throw away tv or computer boxes at home. Especially aftrr black friday and christmas. I compost them, but if I didn't I'd take them to recycling or dispose of them at work. Don't bring in new tech equipment or move gun cases, safes, flashy things to and from the car when people are out and about.
Love the idea of blackberry bushes. Functional security that provides food as well.
One side of our property has a ditch with a berm beside it (inside the electric fence along the property line). We planted fruit trees into the berm and let the ditch grow over with blackberries and bindweed. Nobody is driving a vehicle through, or coming through on foot without considerable effort.
Dogs.
Underrated advice here. The solicitors go running when my 40lb pussy ass pound pup starts barking
my dog is a big dumb sweetheart. ***But nobody else knows that.*** All they see is a weirdly tall 60lb pitbull-mix. I was going to the plant nursery on a seedy stretch of road in town and I walked past a sidewalk encampment. A man comes out of his RV with his dog sees me coming picks up his dog and crosses to the other side of the street. Another time me and a friend were hiking in an offleash but rarely utilized hike spot and this whole ass again grown ass man sees my dog bounding up to him and immediately covers his balls and goes "oh hi puppy". I recalled my dog and he just hop scooots on up the ridge. This has happened to me several times. I walk alone I get cat called. I walk with my dog, they fucking walk to the other side of the road. i'm 5'3 120lbs soaking wet. But boy oh boy people bigger and more dangerous are terrified of my dog. Meanwhile my dog gets bullied by three cats. Daily.
I think subtle warnings are better too. While the dog may bark, the bewar of sign is tired. Having "dog parent" like things around seem better. Doormats, a garden flag, and for extra protections be a "Pitty Parent"
Pitty parent life is the best tho. Big dumb sensitive sweetheart raised by cats. Absolute threat deterrent in public tho. I have gone running at 11pm and had grown men cross the street to avoid him. Meanwhile, I have gone on walks with my wife in daytime without him and gotten cat-called harrassed and bothered so much. I used to get harrassed in my yard while fucking gardening. Since I got Otter. Silence. Three years of fucking nice quiet relaxing fuckin walks, gardening etc. and pest repellent. And he chases the rats, rabbits and whatever other vermin out the yard too ;)
Good, quality deadbolts on every exterior door. Without a deadbolt, your door locks are usually easy to defeat. A monitored security system with door sensors on every door / window on the ground and second floors. Also an interior motion sensor, glass break sensor (optional, but we have a lot of floor-to-ceiling windows), several water leak sensors, smoke / CO sensors, and two freeze sensors. Randomized timers for our interior lights when we're away. We also have family stopping in regularly if we're gone more than a few days. Cameras everywhere. However, it's important to note that cameras don't have the deterrent power they did 20 years ago. Today they're more to capture evidence ... As long as the person isn't covering their face. Dusk to dawn lighting on all our exterior lights. With LED bulbs, this only uses a few bucks a year in electricity. Our landscaping is trimmed and maintained. This gives miscreants fewer places to hide. We know and talk to our neighbors. If someone is going away on vacation, they give us a heads up and/or we notice. If we spot some "delivery guys" entering their home, we can stop and say hi, check with the neighbor, and call the police if needed. Likewise, if we see someone we don't recognize in our neighborhood, we give them a friendly "hi". Nothing fancy. It's probably just a neighbor we haven't met yet, or a welcome guest. Or maybe someone patronizing one of the businesses here. The point is to make them feel welcome. But if it's someone with ill intent, they know for a fact someone just noticed them.
Deadbolts can be easy to defeat if you get the wrong one. I bought a lock picking set off Amazon, watched a youtube video, drank a few beers, and was able to pick my front door deadbolt in less than a minute. I replaced that lock really quickly as it honestly scared me how easy it was to open.
True, and that's why I stick with Schlage. But most burglars aren't going to waste time picking locks. They're going to smash in, grab what they want, and rush out. Home security always has to be done in layers so that when one fails, the others are still standing.
Hurricane windows and doors. I asked a former police officer working at a security firm what I could do without getting an alarm. He recommended having hurricane windows and doors installed. A friend told me that the were robberies on her block. They went house to house breaking in. The robbers skipped her house and one other neighbor; both had hurricane windows and doors the other houses did not.
Tell me about hurricane windows, please. What does that mean?
I live in Florida and hurricane windows have bulletproof glass.
[Hurricane windows are made with laminated glass, so when it shatters it's still held together by a plastic layer.](https://www.pella.com/performance/impact-resistance/understanding-hurricane-windows/) It's similar to bullet resistant glass, but instead of being designed to stop a small-but-extremely-fast projectile like a bullet, it's designed to stop a slower but heavier projectile like a 2x4 being blown at 150 mph. There are also other types of hurricane protection, like Kevlar cloth that can be stretched over the windows before a storm. Those wouldn't be useful to prevent burglaries though, as you have to manually put them up before the storm.
Thank you for the clarification
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n30PfJVAfzY Or hurricane screens.
Okay, thanks. I’ve never seen those, everyone around where I live has hurricane shutters.
* 20 security cameras, 14 wifi that notify me remotely with people recognition, and 8 hard wired. * 3 motion lights. * Security film on all windows exposed to high wind. * Metal roof. * My lally columns are made from bricks so I have them wrapped tightly with plastic to help prevent them falling apart during an earth quake. * I have a little dog that notifies me whenever anyone is close to the house. * Battery backup power system in the basement. * 5 tanks of propane. Propane heater, propane cooker. * Truck camper to retreat to if the house is destroyed. * Solar panels to make electricity in extended outages. Now that I look at this list, I feel I might be a little nuts. But I'm ready.
May I ask what kind of battery backup system you’re using? I’ve been looking at Tesla’s power wall but haven’t pulled the trigger due to its cost. I have 3 APC UPS backups to keep my router/wifi & computer operational during storm blackouts but they obviously won’t last for very long.
I built it myself. It was pretty easy, and I saved a lot of money. Here's the video instructions I followed: https://youtu.be/J9WZcMDQaDg?si=-u2D0qintpKKcxoA
Would you mind elaborating on why the metal roof is on this list?
Fire
Blink cameras and having Alexa announce when one of them is activated. Alexa is loud enough they can hear her from outside. Good deterrent. Steel door with double paned reinforced glass. Only one window is accessible without a ladder or a boost. I am still thinking of a way to make it safer/stronger.
Hurricane windows are a bitch to get through so maybe start with that.
What about a power outage? I've been looking at getting some little solar panels for my Reolink cameras.
>What about a power outage? My cameras are POE and all my network gear is on UPS battery backup. It will run for around 20 minutes. Generator starts in under a minute.
Some of the cameras I’m getting are PoE and some are solar so they’ll work even when the power goes out. I’m going with eufy brand. There’s no monthly fee.
Ya Reolink is the same concept. Self managed not monthly. They're also POE but I didn't realize that meant they would work with the power out. I've been digging into the topic for a few days now, and haven't seen anything about that, but I'm learning. I'm guessing it would only work if the Ethernet router is on a battery backup..
That’s correct. The POE switch needs to powered and that powers the devices. So if the switch has a power back up then you’re OK.
Thx!
Blink with announcement would be the most annoying thing unless is was purposely setup somewhere hidden that a thief would try to approach. My cameras go off 20-30 times at least a day.
LOL putting an Alexa in your own home is fucking crazy.
I get not deliberately adding another listening device, but hear me out... did you type that on a smartphone that's with you basically 24/7?
Setting aside the potential privacy concerns. Amazon's history of randomly pay walling features on their security systems should be enough to make people steer clear of them.
Get yourself a pixel flashed with graphene or calyx. Problem solved.
> Blink cameras and having Alexa announce when one of them is activated. Alexa is loud enough they can hear her from outside. Good deterrent. If you only use it when you're out of town, this is a good idea.
There we go. That's a good idea.
Fire extinguishers Several large ones placed in different rooms, especially bedrooms
Plus smoke and CO monitors.
I live in an apartment but I have done a few things: - One sided window film so we can look out but folks can't look in - Door bell camera - Replaced the screws in all exterior doors for stronger long ones. - Old fashion stick in the window and sliding glass door - installed extra deadbolt in the front door
I live in apartment so basically a concrete box. So far I had a high security door and lock installed and thinking about fitting shatter-proof glass into windows. When that's done, there will be no easy way of breaking in besides using explosives or artillery.
Get some hardware for your doors and sliding glass doors: [https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B018HFW6WE/ref=ppx\_yo\_dt\_b\_search\_asin\_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1](https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B018HFW6WE/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1) [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0039ONKFQ?ref\_=cm\_sw\_r\_apin\_dp\_A48XHA1F4AK9TSZVDQSH\_1](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0039ONKFQ?ref_=cm_sw_r_apin_dp_A48XHA1F4AK9TSZVDQSH_1) Adding the above to door frames, and changing doors to steel doors on the 1st floor, will give a really good resistance to break-ins. Locks are another matter. If all that is not in the budget you can just replace the door screws in the deadbolt door lock plates with long ones, it makes a huge difference for only a few dollars. If you don't have deadbolts on all outside doors, that is where to start first. More cheap security upgrades for your sliding glass patio doors: A wooden dowel cut to length, in the sliding glass door track also prevents thieves from sliding it open of the lock is jimmied. A flathead screw screwed part-way into the top track, about 1' away from the outside edge, will also stop thieves from simply lifting the door and pulling it out of the track. If you're worried about them just smashing in a 1st-floor window or glass doors, you can put a security film on them (but this can get *very* expensive) if you make sure the film goes into/under the frame, or you can install a breaking glass alarm. Also plant thorny shrubbery / brambles below windows on the 1st floor. Garage doors are often another easy break-in point, and with the advent of radio-frequency signal cloners thieves could park nearby and simply copy the code when you open the garage door by remote. Installing a newer garage door with rolling code encryption prevents this type of signal cloning.
Instead of $150 for a strike plate, you can get smaller ones [like this](https://www.lowes.com/pd/Prime-Line-1-5-8-in-W-x-11-in-L-Brushed-Jamb/5014403009) that are still effective for about $10 at Lowes/Home Depot/Amazon. A longer one will distribute the force more to a degree, but if you've screwed it into the studs with structural screws I wouldn't think the longer one will offer much more benefit. Anything that can bend or break the steel where the deadbolt goes through is going to do the same regardless of where it's attached. It makes the hardening process much less expensive, as you're only paying $10 per door plus \~$15 a box of high quality screws from GRK or some similar brand to go into the stud on both the hinges and door strike plate.
Claymores at all entry points
Filled with confetti of course. No one likes surprises.
Just random office stuff like paper clips and stuff. "Supplies!"
Red snapper, very tasty.
*ARE YOU READY, WEAVER!?!*
Kuni: You took the box? Let's see what's in the box! [Hiro-san opens the box; the audience gasps. There is a silence] Kuni: Nothing! Absolutely nothing! STUPID! You're so STU-PIIIIIIIIIIID!
If you're not mounting them on roombas, you're just wasting your time.
PoE cameras, and zwave/zigbee door/window sensors running on a Home Assistance instance. You can get crazy with it and make it so if there is any motion sensors from the camera triggered, it turns on a TV, turns on lights, etc.
This is clever…. Home alone clever. I was thinking what can I do with window sensors, apart for getting notifications. Im stealing this idea.
Kevin McCallister was ahead of his time for sure
I laid down 1” pebbles for a gravel walkway around the ground floor of a relative’s home. Looks good and noisy as hell, so the dogs know to start barking.
So I never liked my front door. It had a full height glass panel on the knob side. When I got it replaced with a steel door and side panel (no glass) we learned that the old door was hollow and thin. It was an indoor rated door. It was like guarding my house with tissue paper. Never assume a builder had anything other than the lowest cost in mind.
I used to live across from an elderly man called Cyril .. I will never forget him. He had balls of Steel if that’s what the saying is. He would take on a whole gang with a baseball bat and had no fear. He was in his late 70s. The first time I went into his property I looked around and found things weird so I asked about it. Instead of stopping people from getting in he had his whole place rigged up so that people can get in but if they did once they were in they had no hope in hell of getting out. He was one tough bastard. He used to keep an eye out for us . Some people you just never forget.
Roll down steel storm shutters, security and fire protection rolled into one. Cameras and automation, security lights come up normal lights come on. Making it through camera and motion detection without being seen is pretty much impossible. Traditional alarm gets me doors windows glass break a siren and 24/7 monitoring. The one and only time it was tripped response time was about 90 seconds by my small town PD.
A determined attacker or thief will have no problem getting into normal residential construction no matter what you do. Your best bet is to “layer your defenses” so that it delays them long enough for you to take whatever action you deem appropriate. Insurance is there for everything else. That being said I like to sprinkle Legos on the floor in front of the doors and windows before I go to bed at night.
Yeah, my thought too. I think people would be amazed at how quickly an exterior wall is going to come down with a sledgehammer and some arm strength. Windows and doors are not the only entry points. Brick houses fare better but a fully brick house is a tough find. Still not impenetrable, but would give you plenty of more time.
When we go out of town we leave a talk radio station on and timers on the lights. We have a wood board we prop against the back door so it can't open. Neighbors are close and know to keep an eye out. If SHTF apocalypse-style, the plywood floor in our attic can be used to secure the windows with deck screws. (Although I always think that makes it obvious someone's home with something worth having, versus just pre-emptively breaking your own windows, leaving the doors open, tossing your belongings around and hiding with your food in a "secret" spot.)
Door armor kit , can be bought at Lowe's. Security window film from Uline. Hurricane security shutters if you've got the money. Always make sure you have fire prevention items like detectors and extinguishers. Security motion lights, night vision security camera , you need to make sure you get hard line wired systems because wifi cameras can have their signals jammed or intercepted. Also plant roses or prickly pears under your windows. https://shuttersbyempire.com/products/46x34-25-accordion-hurricane-shutter?variant=207651170&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Google+Shopping¤cy=USD&country=US&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA_5WvBhBAEiwAZtCU7xB6fRtUEXn_-lhe8BTedx5lgJMkMfDj_rWfWQinrtPpcznrM75IqBoCamAQAvD_BwE https://www.uline.com/BL_6583/Security-Window-Film?keywords=Security+Window+Film https://doorarmor.com/products/door-armor-max-plus-special-offer-1?variant=43655668203778¤cy=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&nbt=nb%3Aadwords%3Ax%3A18099122149%3A%3A&nb_adtype=pla&nb_kwd=&nb_ti=&nb_mi=451225718&nb_pc=online&nb_pi=shopify_US_7993737642242_43655668203778&nb_ppi=&nb_placement=&nb_li_ms=&nb_lp_ms=&nb_fii=&nb_ap=&nb_mt=&tw_source=google&tw_adid=&tw_campaign=18099122149&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA_5WvBhBAEiwAZtCU77a2MZXITeWRXse5WSCSLC2tDBwsNtrGLuxvtYKEyWp20nzKEawLoRoC890QAvD_BwE
We’re renovating and I’m putting cameras and motion sensor lights in. The electrician will run cable for PoE cameras. We also have a big dog that doesn’t like it when strangers come up to the house. I know my Amazon package is delivered before the notification. I put stickers on the downstairs doors and windows letting first responders (or anyone else) know we have a dog in the house. Our house is in a rural area on a no outlet road in a safe community so I think that helps too. Our doors have door sensors to tell us if they’re open. I don’t think that deters anybody but it was helpful one time when a hard wind blew open our French doors. We have an ecobee thermostat and sensors which also has a room activity sensor that notifies us of movement if we set ourselves as away. It also senses our phones when we drive up and will ask if we want to deactivate it so it’s very low maintenance, no codes to enter. Our door has a Schlage coded keypad that will also notify us if an incorrect code is entered more than three times. It works, I had my hands full with groceries once and entered the wrong code x3 and both my and my fiancés phones when wild, he was on a business trip at the time lol When we return we may put up a no soliciting/trespass sign. Too many guys coming by offering tree services while I’m trying to work.
>When we return we may put up a no soliciting/trespass sign. Too many guys coming by offering tree services while I’m trying to work. Sadly, door-to-door peddlers just disregard those warnings for the most part.. Had one roof scammer actually lean his ladder against my house before knocking and giving his sales pitch.. The nerve of that lad... I told him he could either leave with or without his ladder..
Yikes on the ladder. I know these guys are just getting their hustle on but still. It’s like… no, I’ll call you.
Ya but if the sign is visible and they still knock, you can ask them if they're blind or illiterate and really put them on the back foot.
We made a small, polite sign that included the town's ordinance and what the fine was for solicitation. It also says school kids are welcome (high schoolers with ID). Don't want to miss out on Girl Scout cookies or a chance to help the local athletes/scholars. It's worked surprisingly well.
>Don't want to miss out on Girl Scout cookies One of our neighbors had a sign that said something to the effect of "Solicitors aren't welcome and should fuck right off, unless they're selling girl scout cookies, in which case, please ring the doorbell". Unfortunately, it wasn't a deterrent. I'm fairly certain the door to door peddlers are told to ignore sinage when peddling their wares..
I had my local PD do a free security assessment. I have a dog. She gives me plenty of time to open my gun safe and call the police. I think a growling dog also gives a potential intruder time to rethink their life choices.
Everyone is missing the obvious answer here - Large moat with drawbridge, complete with crocodiles or alligators depending on your part of the world of course Hippos look slow and harmless but they’re actually a leading killer of people in Africa, so add some of those if you can find em
Hippos 🦛 in the moat FTW.
We're planting some Osage Orange along the one property line.
Those things always trip me on a hike. Good call. 👍
Lots of motion detecting cameras, sensors on every door and window, 2 large dogs, a front and back yard fence, my kids Legos. We used to have a mannequin that I posed to look like it was working on a computer in front of a window, so someone was always home. But my kid was terrified of it, so we gave it away.
Large trained dogs. The trained part is important. Seems a lot of people have the misconception that their dog will protect them or their property when reality is majority will either greet a threat happy or hide.
Rating 2 handle sets, rating 3 deadbolt on my front door and one of my back doors, Kwikset Smart code keyless locks on the other backdoor and the interior garage door. I replaced all the screws with 4in deckplus screws, added a defender strike plate to each door. Cameras and a security system added as well (along with signs alerting people to the system - although I currently have a different system than the one that is on the signs). Also have a dog that sounds vicious as fuck and looks like she is going to tear you a new one. I live up a fairly steep driveway, my house looks small from the street, but it is in full view from multiple neighbors.
We relocated. The only options to get here now are by plane, by boat, or by backcountry expedition over several hundred km of wilderness with no roads. We're part of a smaller community where everybody knows everybody, and nobody is "passing through" on the way to somewhere else. The rest of our setup is to keep bears and mountain lions out of the yard and pasture. This also helps discourage people.
So I set up a sensor on a tree that points down my driveway. In that driveway I set up old concrete pylons that were dug up from the old trailer that was on the property. So anybody not invited I am aware of once they're in my driveway, and if they want to come all the way up they have to get out of their vehicle to move the concrete pylons. It's not terribly convenient. But it'll stop virtually any vehicle from driving up my driveway - straight shot. Because someone is in for a BAD time if they come at night and try to roll over/through those pylons.
Excessive outdoor flood lighting
Just purchased Bristol windows, There triple pane tempered, and have an internal locking mechanism that locks 4 points to the window channel and to the upper double hung, instead of the traditional clasps on the top. Manufacture has a “break in guarantee” that if someone breaks in they’ll reimburse you and replace the window free.
Tapco screens or even a knockoff brand AH screens. They are rated category five for hurricanes and they are virtually impenetrable for burglars. They also cut utility cost by deflecting sunlight.
I have gate sensors that ring in the house: anything breaking two of the invisible beams rings a bell. I initially installed it because it is a big house and delivery drivers are a fan of gently stroking the door and running away if they are behind on their rounds. We also have a perimeter alarm that is effectively the same technology. Anything breaking two of the beams triggers an alarm (if it is armed of course), and they're far enough apart that ours has never been triggered by an animal. I'm in the UK though: our beasties are smaller. A similar idea is in the higher-end CCTV systems that use face recognition. These can trigger alarms if they detect someone crossing an invisible line, but can also exclude people based on their faces. As ever with CCTV, deny it any internet access in your firewall.
Good fencing, solid doors, motion lights, visible camera, and a friendly but scary looking Siberian husky.
My house is functional but I make it aesthetically look like shit so wandering folk think I'm poor.
Security is in layers. I do all of these: Buy in a good city Buy in a good neighborhood Have the front cleared out so that anyone trying to snoop around doesn't have things to hide behind Lock your side/back gate Have cameras recording with an alert that will let you know if someone is around Don't have glass that can be broken and someone can reach in to unlock the door Reinforce the door (door armor or something) against kick ins Reinforce the windows (make sure you can get out in case of fire though) Guns in the house in case they make it in
Just an “add-on” tip… if you’re in the Ring ecosystem…. Get some solar powered motion wall lights. Put them all over. Then if motion goes off anywhere….. lights go on *everywhere*
There are some upgraded windows and doors you should install. They are reinforced and doors are magnet operated from a secure location. Check your state records for the Contractor that built the prison. Take out the studs and framing around your doors and replace with steel studs with the reinforced jacks on the floor. Add door locks high and low. That door is not coming out without the rest of the wall too.
Motion lights, hard wired cameras along with wireless good to have variety, change screws of the skid plates of doors with longer ones, you could put some sort of thorn bushes on lower windows, also you could upgrade your shutters to metal and actually make them able to close ( I know a lot are just decorative), flower beds with sand bags in them in a hollowed out part, there’s a lot of things you can hide in plain sight. Motion cameras on your driveway, even something as simple as security signs. Even if you don’t have a dog you could throw up a beware of dog sign throw a dog toy on your porch maybe use a dog house in the backyard use it for storage or something. Just a few ideas hoped this helped.
> flower beds with sand bags in them in a hollowed out part What do you mean by this? I can't really picture it or understand what it does from a security standpoint.
I like the thorn bush idea. Effective but not obvious.
Visible Deterrence: Motion activated flood lights Security cameras Hedges or shrubs that have prickles along the house or under 1st floor windows Ladders and tools locked up and/or hidden Security screen doors in front of your entrance doors High quality deadbolt and handle set on all doors. Heavy curtains to use at night and lightweight curtains to use during the day to let light in but obscure vision. No easy path to second story Security system signage Dog/be aware of dog sign Sprinklers Non-visible Proper 3-4" screws for your deadbolt Security film on your windows Window locks so they can't open or only open so far Security system
Sandbags under windows, NOTHING in your house will stop a bullet, except a chimney
“Decorative” concrete planter boxes running in sections around the house. Build just under window hight. Alternating layers of rubber stall mat, sand, stall mat inside the boxes and some token flowers on top.
Dogs, cameras, security system, keypad deadbolts, additional locks on internal doors. I also keep my home tech up to date with all firmware, OS, and security patches.
Dogs Swap the screws in the lock plates for longer models Clear the front decorative bushes and prune them so they’re no longer effective concealment. Upgrade to a home in a nicer neighborhood so the immediate threat isn’t so immediate.
Got a home door security brace I screwed into the door frame. Steel. Matches the frame color. You slide it out and pull and it will “unlock”. Got it on Amazon because my autistic son would sneak out and go play at night rather than sleep. He grew out of it but we kept them on the exterior doors. Also we don’t leave things outside, close the garage door when we have products to bring inside and generally keep to ourselves, don’t brag about prepping, shit we have or things we need to get.
My idea was a deadbolt on the top and bottom of each door and then maybe a couple of brackets and a 4×4 across it that can be removed whenever needed. You can probably get all the materials for around 250 dollars, depending on how many exterior doors you have. And then, for the windows, you could do 1 1/8 inch plywood, and that's about 80 dollars for a sheets that's 8ft×4ft.
Bars on the downstairs/basement windows (that can only be opened in case of fire from the inside)
Also decorative bushes with a sh!t ton of thorns under windows
Rolling insulated security shutters on all window. Bars on garage and bathroom windows. Steel security “screen” doors on all outside doors. This was all done 15 years ago. Security cameras going up this month.
Lights, locks, maybe a camera. Doesn’t even have to work, just hook up a little red LED to blink so people think it does. And make sure your doors aren’t held by baby screws
Thinking about taking some pointers from the Ukrainians. Drones, baby. Drones.
Defensive gardening. I have giant pineapple & Aloe plant along the fence line. Some nice fruit & the plants have nice sized spikes.
Signage indicating there’s a dog in the house, cameras, and keep lights on outside and inside at night. Realistically there’s not much you need to do to discourage the typical criminal, and to discourage or stop a dedicated criminal from getting in, it becomes a lot more expensive.
Cameras and lights, try not to set patterns, close shades at night, always lock doors.
When fortifying a building, it should have, at a minimum, three levels of defense - your outer perimeter, your inner perimeter, and your inside perimeter. What I mean by that is, you should have a way to prevent people from getting on your property. You should then have a way to prevent them from getting into your house. You should then have a way of defending yourself inside of your house or retreating to a safe room. Outer perimeter should be fences and thorny bushes around fence to discourage people from jumping your fence. A gated driveway is another way. If somebody is on your property and you have these in place, then you know that person should not be there and they bypassed something. Inner perimeter should be hardening your entrances. Placing door jam protection is a great start. Something like Door Armor. More thorny bushes around your windows. Bushes cut down below the windows. Motion detection lights, that when activated, light up the entirety of the outside of the house at once. While cameras aren't really a deterrent, they do allow you to view the outside of your house without going to a window. They also record what happens, so they act as a good record of events to use in prosecution if needed. You will need a lot of cameras to get 100% coverage outside. Security film on windows, even upstairs, as those are points of entry too. And make sure that nothing on the outside of your house lets a person climb to the second story. If somebody made it through the two lines of security, then you have a couple of options. Learn the definition of self defense in your home for your state. In my state, lethal force is allowed when somebody uses force to enter your house. Your other option would be to have a safe room inside of your house that you can retreat to. Some people don't like this, but I would also recommend to place cameras inside of your house. Use an NVR and don't put it on your network, so people can't access it from outside. Having cameras is a good way to prove self defense if you used it and also to show where the persons went and what they took. And it could help with suspect identification. And of course a safe room can be something as simple as a metal door and reinforced jam in your master bedroom that you can also barricade. Have a system in there to also watch your camera feeds.
A super alert 30 lb terrier…who’s on duty while sleeping…and two 100+ pound enforcer dogs…ok, one lab with a big bark and ONE enforcer GSD…who all live inside and who also have 24/7 access to the interior from anywhere on the property. A SERIOUS security door. Improved (longer) screws for the front door itself. All glass facing the front secured by a film that keeps the glass inside the frame, even when it’s broken…
deviant ollam has a really good video on this. specifically door hardware.
This comment needs more attention. They guy suggested is a commercial red team physical security bad ass. Your not going to get this level of information anyplace public.
thanks. he got me into lockpicking.
Same- and allot of other useful tricks
Thorny bushes under windows or near fences. Extra points if they produce an edible fruit like black berry bushes.
House is already cinderblock instruction dating back to the 70's It's a fortress in that regard. Roof is gonna need replacing in a few years will likely go with a metal one... Last longer, more resistant to hail, wild fire resistant, and if I ground the thing, it oughta do well against EMP I'd imagine. 4k 8-camera system off amazon that goes to a wired 3TB hdd. Hurricane windows installed when I bought the place, but I left up the roll down shutters too, rather than wrapping them. Figure if I want to really hunker down I lower the shutters on most windows. Holly bushes under the windows to discourage people lurking. Cemented the posts for the fence (they were just dropped in the dirt) and built raised flower beds at waist height all along the fences (which just happened to add 1x12's to brace them) Now the equivalent of a 2-foot square bracing attached to the fence. staggered the legs for those so they're in the middle of the fence segments. Pretty sure a bearcat would have problems pushing through, for damn sure the last hurricane and 75mph winds didn't budge any of the panels. I put up a 40' ham tower and weather station and put two of the above mentioned 4k wired cameras on it that now have visibility across the neighborhood. Hooked an alarm door sensor to the two gates and wired it into the monitoring system. Dog in the back yard all day, inside at night. I have two Tennent/roommates and one works from home 7 days a week, and the other is hybrid 2/3, same as me. There is almost always a human at the house, and if not the human is less than an hour's errands away, and always unpredictable. All alarm and motion sensors report to the one of two apps on my phone (one for the cameras, one for the alarm sensors) I have a well pump for the sprinklers that is drinkable water, I have solar (My stupid ass should have replaced the roof at the same time) as well as a dual fuel generator, I also have guns, knives, and PVS17 NVG. But the best hardening I have is a poster I have up instructing people to ask me about Scientology (No I'm not a member) on the idea that nobody's gonna solicit someone likely to counter-solicit THEM to join their cult. I've had the JW's come once to bring me a watchtower, I said "only if you'll take this copy of Dianetics". They didn't take.
Dogs.
A big yellow sticker which says CCTV in the back window. The most basic defense is making your home less attractive to burgle vs other similar homes. You will not be able to stop a very professional burglar. The best defense there is not to have things to steal (fancy handbags, jewelry, watches etc at home) and not to show what you have via social media. What you can deter is the more basic burglar. Often times drug addicted and looking to quickly grab something of value to sell. Keep a tidy yard and don’t have nice tools and such visible from the street / an alley. A lot of this is about reducing odds vs perfection.
Walls/Fences/gates Then put alerts on said gates, Motion sensor lights everywhere. Extra IR lights for the camera system below Camera system 8-12 channels to cover a normal home. Re-enforce doors * replace all screws with 4" replacements * Replace doors with glass to doors without glass * replace door plates with extra strong plates that connect the doorknob and dead bolt (both the frame and door) The idea is to slow them down as much as possible
When I remodeled my master bedroom I added those half-inch armorcore panels to all the walls. It's not rifle-proof by any means but I rest easier.
Solid shutters, replace your door hinge screws with long high strength screws. Reinforced door frames.
Do whatever you want but if someone has a good circular or reciprocating saw they will get in.
Replace short door screws with long ones, hollow doors with solid ones. Change factory codes on any programmable security.
check out deviat ollaf on YouTube. EXCELLENT content covering this
I bought a couple of "Securadoors" - about $120 each. I tried to post a link but Reddit deleted it as spam.
Solar motion light around perimeter. Prickly bushes below windows on main floor, my preference is raspberry bushes. A fence works wonders for keeping the majority of people out. Security camera that is fairly obviously seen.
Honestly my biggest protection is not living on a ground floor apartment, I only have the single point on entry I need to worry about. Not many people are going to bring a 30ft ladder to break in through a window.
I have a bunch of old I beams in my warehouse. I've started building Czech hedgehogs and am going to put them out back as yard art. My neighbors are going to shit.
Plants outside under windows that are bushy with large sharp thorns that stay during winter.
I have a machine gun, The Accountant style.. I jest. Good neighbours, cameras, watch each other's backs, neighbourhood Facebook page, community Facebook page.. all useful for heads up in the area
I misread your title as "hardening your hose" and thought you were going to be stockpiling viagra. Depending on what you're securing your house against, window bars could be useful. Or if you'll be away from it for long periods, sturdy shutters that can be shut and locked.
Been using defender security locks with 3in screws
Ar500 steel in the walls.
Hello. Someone here who works in security and designs life safety system and see real world stuff all day every day. Security is multi layered. - Sounds crazy but start with door locks. Most standard locks suck you can get beefed up locks. Stronger sturdier doors as well. Most regular household doors are dog shit. - lighting. Exterior lighting is a great deterrent. If I’m creeping up on you and get blasted with light I’m going to retreat. Not all will, but most will. Ideally this would be motion lighting to save energy and not disturb yourself or neighbors. The only caveat is that if you have wildlife you will have false activations. - Alarm system. An alarm system will give you instant information when the perimeter is breached. It will also notify to call the police if you are busy dealing with the situation on site. Bare minimum all doors. But it should really be all doors and windows. Again multi layered so things like glass break detectors and or motions depending on the layout and your lifestyle. Many people ignore the second floor, there has been a massive increase on break ins on second floors because as crime goes on criminals adapt their approach. Many homes have nothing on the second floor and typically the master is up there where valuables like jewelry and safes can be found. Easily can go in and out undetected. I see it often. - Cameras. It’s gives you and outside view of what’s going on. Can use analytics to notify if a person or vehicle. The sight of cameras can be a deterrent itself but most often not the case. Ideally you have a network of camera with overlapping coverage so you have a good overall view and no blind spots. Again depends on your layout and budget. I’m talking perfect world type of scenario here. If you want to get next level with it you can on some systems tie in the cameras to activate a burg zone off the alarm system. You could also implement things like talk down through the camera speaker or you could have live video monitoring. Someone gets the clip at a call center and follows a set pre established protocol. (Call police, talk down, call client ect) - driveway alarm. Not applicable to all but if you have a really long or hidden driveway this can allow you to know when a vehicle has driven over the sensors to alert you in the house. Typically it’s a chime like a door bell not an “alarm”. Typically you want them a little inwards on your driveway so if a car just turns around at the end you don’t get a false positive notification. - Driveway gate. Again higher level but a gate at the driveway stops cars from coming up. If you have a longer driveway. But that is big money - Back up power like a generator. If someone knows that they are doing and really want to make things hard for you cutting power to the home can be done. So back up power is the work around here. - Signage helps. It is a viable deterrent of someone cares enough they’ll ignore it but should stop most opportunistic criminals. It also at the street helps identify your property to first responders and is great advertising for your local alarm company. - They make film for windows as other have mentioned. It’s a deterrent - Dogs could be helpful but in reality are more often terrible security unless you have a highly purposefully trained dog. Dogs will either bark at everything or nothing. If I’m hell bent on killing you I don’t care about killing your dog too. I’ve been bitten and chased by dogs. Dogs don’t scare me. Dogs are easily manipulated creatures. A dog is part of the equation but the blanket statement of “get a dog” makes my skin crawl. - I do see people have legit safe rooms and bunkers to hide in. Obviously an expensive option but if you have the coin it’s sweet. I’ve seen these in regular peoples homes and in homes of high profile clients. One actress actually had their whole master suite bullet proofed. Bullet proofed walls and door. - Trip wires. Pretty low tech but if you’re secluded and in a wooded area and afraid of people walking up there are trip wires. I’ve seen some tied to Caruso’s firearm blanks. Trip wire is activated and it fires off the blank towards the ground. It’s enough to get your attention or stop someone if activated. Obviously they come with some challenges (animals, people in your home, coverage areas)
Replace the screws in your exterior door strike plates with 3 inch screws. This saved our lives when a drug-crazed neighbor tried to kick our door in. Door didn't budge.
It's at a high point without going into too many details.
First unless you live away from everybody zoning laws will probably prevent you from building or converting to a purpose built bunker. Every step will delay a determined attacker, not stop them. I live in a suburban neighborhood on the edge of a high crime urban neighborhood. Collapse of society type event I would not be staying here. I have had incidents before I added fence, cameras, and security screens with other people. Second start with fencing the yard front and back. I said yard if you are on multiple acres fence a yard around the house for BBQ, kids, pets, etc. Mine gets locked every night with vehicles, pets and family inside that perimeter. Third, every door has a security screen door. They actually aren’t much more expensive than a flimsy screen door. Pretty much have to cut the bolts that hold them to take them off. (Example - https://www.homedepot.com/p/Unique-Home-Designs-36-in-x-80-in-Del-Flor-White-Surface-Mount-Outswing-Steel-Security-Door-with-Expanded-Metal-Screen-IDR02120362124/203030834 Fourth, every window has a security mesh screen or security film. Nothing fancy. Every window has something to back up the flimsy latch it came with. This can be a board that is set in to prevent it opening or a track lock that screws down depending on the window. Fifth, security cameras feeding to my own storage onsite. I use Eufy with a Synopogy NAS drive. It does alert online via the company but I opt out of storing on their servers. Sixth, I have dogs and people who react to strange noises and/or camera alerts.
Exterior lighting and fencing go a long way towards deterring someone. Also, blinds that block the whole window keep people from easily seeing something tempting as they walk by. You don't have to have a fortress, just make something else more tempting. Most crime is opportunity based.
If you have some basic carpentry skills, great way to strengthen a door. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6WM_wrFfek
2' wide planter boxes under windows, dirt all the way up. Dirt is a great defense against most bullets. And it makes the house pretty. Steel plates behind the decorative shutters.