Home security is a vital aspect of keeping yourself, your loved ones, and your belongings safe and protected. An unprotected home can be an easy target for burglars and home invaders, and in some cases, even a security light could mean the difference between your belongings being taken or staying where they are.
However, simply owning a home security system is only the first step to protecting your residence. Systems of security will need maintenance in order to work effectively. There are steps that you can take either by hiring help, or even on your own to ensure that your home security system is operating as effectively as possible.
The following are 5 tips and tricks to maintaining your home security system which may not be as obvious at first. These secret tips can help you to keep your security system running, and help you and your household stay safer at home.
Placement
Placement is important for home security systems for a variety of reasons. Proper placement can help ensure that sensors and cameras are in the right places. By placing sensors and cameras in strategic locations, you can be sure that your home security system will be able to detect an intruder and send an alert to the authorities.
When placing security cameras and sensors on the exterior of a house, there are a few things to consider:
- First, consider the most likely points of entry for intruders. Think doors, windows and gates. These are the spots which intruders will have to go through to enter your property, so they are places you’ll your sensors and cameras to be able to see.
- Second, think about where your cameras and sensors will have the best view. You’ll want to be able to see as much of the exterior of your home as possible. Try looking for house corners or flat, long walls where visibility an sensors wont be obstructed, but are still able to see your points of entry.
- Finally, make sure to place your cameras and sensors out of reach. A security system is made redundant if a burglar can reach and deactivate it. Ensure that your systems are tucked safely out of the way so that they can properly do their jobs.
Security system placement is also important as placement can help reduce false alarms by ensuring that sensors are not triggered by innocuous objects or movement. You don’t want your cameras and sensors to be staring into a row of bushes or directly into your neighbours garden by accident. This could lead to confusing information and false alarms at best, and missing or ignoring actual threats at worst.
Proper placement can also help maximize the effectiveness of security lighting, which can deter intruders and provide a visual cue for homeowners in the event of an intrusion. While not quite as aggressive and effective as the alarm system itself, security lighting can greatly help with home security. It’s important to have your lighting systems in effective places where they can not only be seen from indoors to help residents to know when someone is on their property, but also so that they can be seen from off the property, to deter would be intruders from coming closer.
Maintain your section
When you think of home security maintenance, property care might not be the first thing that comes to mind. However, the state of your section can actually have a great impact on your security and its effectiveness.
When you have a security system, it is important to keep the area around the system well-maintained. This includes trimming bushes and trees, maintaining the lawn, and making sure there is nothing blocking the view of the cameras. A security system is only as effective as its ability to actually see and detect threats.
A well-maintained area will make it easier for the cameras to see potential threats and make it easier for the security system to do its job. If you have trees on your section which act as hedges, then it is recommended that you prune it once a year after it has finished fruiting.
Beyond this, it is a good idea to wander around your property every few months and just check on the trees, bushes and hedges on your property to ensure nothing is beginning to block your security system’s line of sight.
It is a good idea to keep an eye on your lawns or dirt areas as well. An overgrown lawn could impede a camera or sensor’s ability to detect things moving through it, while dry or dirt filled areas can often produce dust, which could either impact visibility, or even damage your systems themselves.
Make sure to keep an eye on the state of your property. Trimming and managing trees and foliage, mowing lawns regularly, and either removing dry dusty areas, or making sure to clean your systems regularly if you can’t.
Pest Control
A pest problem is the last thing anyone wants to deal with. Not only do pests such as mice and rats bring illnesses, but they can damage the interior of your house when they chew through wires or your walls.
Security systems aren’t safe from this threat either. Rats, mice, or even possums left unchecked in your home can chew through wire or equipment and can damage your security systems. These damages might not be noticeable at first, but faulty wiring in your security system could lead to short circuits, false alarms, or they could even simply shut your systems down. You don’t want to be caught out and have your security system not catch an intruder because a hungry mouse had eaten through your wiring.
In order to avoid these potentially highly consequential issues, having effective pest control systems in place is a must. It would pay to keep a regular supply of rat traps and bait handy for if signs of sneaky critters begin to pop up.
If you want to avoid running into these pests to begin with, you can invest in some pest repellant methods, to stop any issues before they start.
Hardware stores will sometimes sell devices which release electromagnetic pulses to deter pests from coming close, while others will release sound frequencies which rodents can hear and will avoid.
If going out of your way to purchase a repellant device is more than you want to do, or if your local stores don’t have what you need, then there are at home scents which you can use to keep pests at bay. Natural scents such as peppermint oil, chili powder, eucalyptus and citronella can act at mouse and rat deterrents. Chemical scents such as bleach and ammonia will also have this effect.
Alternatively, if you have a pet cat or dog around the house, these scents of these animals can also act as a deterrent to rodents. Whether consciously or not, your housecat could already be helping you maintain your security system.
Home Maintenance
Beyond maintaining your section for the benefit of your security system, it is important to keep an eye on the state of your house itself. A run down or damaged home could be making work harder, or even damaging your home security system, so its important to keep an eye on things, and fix any problems which arise.
Firstly, keep an eye on your house materials. If you have a timber house, keep an eye on the state and health of the wood. If your sensors or cameras are mounted on rotting or damaged wood, then they run the risk of falling off and being damaged. Similarly, if your home is painted and not maintained well, bubbles in the paint can impact the integrity of where your systems are mounted and could impact their effectiveness at protecting your home.
For this reason it is important to keep an eye on your house. Check for damages areas and get professional help to remedy any major issues. If you’re painting or repainting your home, ensure to hire skilled professionals, and call for aid of bubbling occurs.
Beyond the materials of the house, Keep an eye on your roofing and guttering too. Loose or unkempt roof tiles could slip and damage your security system if not seen and remedied quickly. In addition to the roof itself, a blocked gutter could lead to water overflow, or bacteria and mold buildup which could not only impact visibility, but could also lead to long term damage the house and your security systems themselves.
Make sure to check these areas regularly, if your roof is tiled, get on top of the house from time to time and give them a check, or get help from roofing specialists if you think you need repairs or checks done which you aren’t confident to do yourself.
If you think your guttering and drainage might need work, then call a guttering professional to help rather than let the problem build up and create bigger issues for both you and your home.
Good old TLC
This one might seem obvious, but it is still essential to give your home security systems a bit of general love from time to time, to keep them in top shape.
Most obviously, make sure to test your system regularly to ensure that it is working properly. You can do this yourself often to ensure everything is working properly. Its also a good idea to get the system professionally serviced every two years, or if you think its acting up, to ensure its working fine on a more technical level.
Second, keep your system clean and free of dust and debris. No one wants their house to be burgled because the alarm at the front door had a spider on the lens. Give them a wipe down now and then to make sure that they can see and sense everything that they should.
Finally, make sure to keep your system’s batteries fresh and replace them as needed. This one shouldn’t need explaining. Keep an eye on the system battery or power levels and replace or service them if needed to ensure your system is working at its best.
Conclusion
In conclusion, these tricks to maintaining a home security system might not be the most obvious, but they will help keep your home safe and secure. By following these tips, you can rest assured that your security system is working optimally at all times, and that your home is well-protected against burglars and other intruders.