How to Create a Secure Perimeter Around Your Home
Burglars are opportunists who look for easy targets. They will strike where they can get in and out without being seen. Homeowners can reduce their risk of being burglarized by making their home a less appealing target. Create a secure perimeter around your home to help protect against burglars, vandals and anyone else who doesn’t belong.
“Defensive Shrubbery”
Plants are an important part of any landscape. In addition to curb appeal, they can also deter burglars. Make it harder for burglars to access a ground-story window by growing some thorny bushes in front of it. Thorny bushes can also make climbing over a fence less appealing.
The bougainvillea bush is an excellent variety for this purpose. With a height of 8 to 20 feet on average, this flowering bush possesses sharp, thorny stems that most burglars would prefer to avoid. And unlike some unattractive thorny bushes, bougainvillea grows pretty red, blue, pink, white, or orange flowers.
Defensive shrubbery can be a worthy investment because it does two things: it makes your yard more appealing, and it deters burglars.
Eliminate Hiding Areas
While we just suggested you plant thorny bushes around your home and yard, you need to make sure they aren’t too tall or big. Why? Because bushes give burglars excellent places to hide from you, neighbors or the road.
Walk out to the street and along the perimeter of your property and view your home. If you see places that would make it too easy for someone to hide, those bushes need to be trimmed or replaced with a more suitable variety.
Don’t forget to check trees. If you have trees in your yard with easy-to-climb branches that would give access to an upper floor window, have the branches near the house removed.
Install Motion Sensor Lighting
Having motion-activated lights around the perimeter of your home and yard can be a big deterrent. The sudden change from darkness to light sends an immediate message to alert you that someone or something has triggered it. The light is also likely to startle any would-be thieves and move them along.
Install lights in hard to reach places too, so they can’t be tampered with. Someone may even unscrew a bulb during the day so they can return at night and avoid triggering lights.
Use Video Surveillance
First of all, video surveillance is one of the biggest burglary deterrents. Burglars don’t want to be seen so cameras will send them down the road. And if your home is targeted, video surveillance can make it easier to catch the thief.
Video surveillance can also be used to see who’s at your front door, what type of pests are destroying your garden, when the postal worker dropped off a package, and more. It is helpful to have for viewing your own home as well as for your neighborhood to have at entrances and other key intersections.
Cameras can send you alerts on your phone or tablet when there is motion outside the house so you will be aware in real-time of any unwanted guests.
Install a Gated Fence
While burglars can climb walls and fences, they will seek easier targets with fewer barriers. You can go for a basic fence with gates that lock from the inside. More sophisticated ones with access control systems, may be more secure. With an access control system, someone who wants to enter your property will have to provide the proper authorization at the gate or you will have to allow them access. Authorization for access controls may include the use of an RFID card, a keypad, or remote control.
Cultris Security Systems has been protecting greater Houston area homes and businesses for more than 15 years!
Contact us and we can do a security audit on your home and identify where you are vulnerable to burglary. Contact today at 281-506-8466 or visit us online to learn more.
