Basic DIY Projects To Improve Your Home’s Security
Professionally installed and highly sophisticated home security systems with costly subscriptions can be daunting to most of us. Specifically when you are living on rent. But the good news is that you don’t need to spend a fortune to make your home thief-proof. Nobody acquires high-priced items to lose them at the hands of burglars. So, home security is a big concern for individuals as they avoid going out and leaving home alone. No wonder most people don’t look into security issues in their houses until something unpredictable happens. Knowing that your home and family are safe gives us the confidence to go out when and where we desire to.
Apart from adopting a scary dog, setting out an electric fence, to having access to a police station, fortunately, there are some DIY tech solutions available that help make your home burglar free. These do-it-yourself tips and tricks are not only simpler to use and cost-effective but will greatly improve the security of your home and loved ones. To decide which tips suit you, let’s jump into various DIY home security projects to help you select the best ones;
The Motion-Sensing Security System
If you are looking for a highly sophisticated surveillance system, motion-sensing security systems will play their role, but they are expensive. Why spend your hard-earned money on such an expensive system when you can build one at a quarter of the cost? All you need is a loud buzzer or beeper, a couple of jumper wires for connections, a PIR motion sensor, an Arduino Uno, and other supplies easily available in manuals on the internet. Therefore, invest in a motion sensor or build one of your own to secure your home.
Secure home EV chargers
Home EV chargers are increasingly getting popular among tech lovers. However, anybody can drive and charge their vehicle by connecting to their EV charger. Therefore, the best solution is to switch off the electric car charger that is present inside your house when not in use.
Install Efficient Door and Window Alarms
To ensure an infallible defense system for your house, keep the doors and windows locked all the time and try to install wireless alarms. A piercing noisy alarm is enough to scare and make burglars run out of the house. Contact sensors are the best choice when looking for security alarms. They comprise 2 sensors; one is installed at the door or window, and the other is installed directly beside the door or window frame. If the thief enters the house via a door, this sensor will trigger a loud voice alarming the residents.
Avoid Hiding Keys
Most of the house owners used to hide their door keys just near their main door, like under the door mat or a plant pot. Thieves are even smarter than your thoughts. Therefore, instead of hiding your keys, give them to your trusted neighbors or carry them in your bag. Don’t forget to get a duplicate of the keys and handover it over to neighbors for emergency cases.
Illuminate Home’s Exterior
As dark houses drop a clue to burglars that this house is best to carry out a burglary adventure as nobody is inside. Therefore, an easy way to thwart a thieve is to illuminate your house exterior. One way to help ward off burglars is to shine a light on them. Break out the toolbox and install a floodlight camera or motion-activated lights to illuminate dark areas around your home. Another way to keep burglars away is to keep a vehicle parked in the driveway, especially when you are out for more than 2 days. You can ask your close friend to keep a check on and drive your car once a day so that vehicle can be seen going out and coming into the house.
Trim Plantations to Minimize Hiding Spots
People mostly don’t consider the hiding spots present in their house structures. Thieves preferably use big wooden fences and overgrown bushes as cover-up spots. It’s advised to plant thorny bushes in houses, especially under the windows, and trim the overgrown plantations. These measures will make your home less appealing to thieves.
Install a Small Safe Instead of a Conventional One
You don’t always need to hide your valuables in digital and expensive safes. You can secure your cash, jewelry, and other valuables in safes that are smartly installed beneath the flooring or in wall safes covered with a picture or painting.
Reset Door Hinges
If the door hinges are present outside, thieves can break into your house by easily removing the hinges. Therefore, a security tip is to reset all the door hinges in the house to avoid being tampered with by intruders from outside.
Display Security Signs on Yard Front
Security signs on yards can dissuade intruders from entering a property, but they may not always prevent desperate thieves from invasion. Burglars always try to choose vulnerable targets. Security signs give a message to the intruders that their faces can be caught on camera and their activity can be monitored, they will restrain from entering your property. A pro tip is never to display the brand or company name of your security system installed on yard signs, as robbers can search the possible ways to hack or destroy the security system.
Install Smart Locks
Smart locks add security to our homes by controlling access when you are out in a key-free manner. Suppose you are late for the office and forget to lock the house door. You can smartly lock the door sitting in an office with your phone. You can give access to regular visitors like pet sitters. Anyone who is not registered would not be allowed to enter your house.
Install Window Stops
Window stops are as necessary as security cameras since most robbers intrude by forcing the windows open. However, you can stop them from this activity with the help of window stoppers. If you are running short on budget, you can make your DIY window stopper by placing a sturdy wooden dowel in the track, making it a tedious job to open the window.
Hide Exterior Wirings
If you want to sustain the power supply of your home even during the burglar attack, try to hide all the wiring exposed outside the house, as these robbers can cut off the power supply to disable the surveillance system.
Conclusion
If the burglary and theft concerns are making you lose your sleep, try these DIY projects and improve the security of your loved ones and valuables, reducing the chances of your house becoming an easy target.
About the author
The Handyman Tips Team is a group of authors that provides tips on the Handyman Tips website. The Handyman Tips team consists of real handymen, contractors, carpenters, woodworkers, and experts in home repairs, appliance repairs, and landscaping. The team is always there for visitors to the Handyman Tips website. If you can’t find the answer to your question on the Handyman Tips website, one of them will reply to you almost immediately if you contact them through the Ask the Handyman page!