Is your house an intruder's dream? Learn how to raise your home's security level from feeble to fortress. Former Senior Designer for the U.S. Department of Justice and home safety expert Al Corbi shows how to give your home a security makeover that's cheaper than you might think!



Secure on the Inside
  • A front door with no peephole—or one that's too high—won't provide any security. Make sure your front door has a peephole at a level that everyone in the family can see through.
  • A chain lock on the door is not strong. If the door is opened, just a simple push on the door will pull the screws right out of the doorframe. A better way to keep intruders out is a doorstop that screws into the floor, making it nearly impossible to open the door further.
  • Another good way to reinforce your doors is to install deadbolt locks directly across from each hinge. This way, the door is equally stable on both sides.
  • Window locks may help you feel secure, but Al says they're very easy to tamper with. Simple metal pins placed in the window frames won't allow the window to move any further, keeping criminals out.
  • Thieves don't like light. You can surprise them with motion detectors hooked up to lights and appliances throughout the house.
  • Burglars also hate noise, so equip windows with alarms that emit a piercing sound when they're set off.
  • Treat windows with a protective covering like ShatterGARD, available at www.homesecuritysolutions.com. Someone can hit the window, but even if it breaks, the covering will hold the shards in, and keep the criminal out.
  • Create a "safe core" by installing a steel door in a particular area of your house. Even if an intruder gets in, they won't be able to get to you through that door.

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