Keeping Your Home Safe: 3 Tips to Protect Yourself from Burglaries

burglarOne reason to choose an expert locksmith like Advanced Lock and Security is that we provide an excellent barrier between your home or business and those who wish to steal form it. When you choose us, we’ll be able to use our expertise and our top-quality materials to make sure that your locks are secure (and we can also provide other safety services, like window bars for houses or exit alarms for businesses–just to name a few!). However, there are still more things that you can do that can help protect yourself from burglaries–here are a few!

  1. Don’t neglect proper exterior lighting. Naturally, it’s much easier to hide in the dark than it is under a light. If your house or business has an area with very little light, there’s an increased chance that a burglar might find that area appealing–after all, darkness provides not only a hiding place, but also an escape route. A well-lighted exterior means that a burglar will have fewer places to hide–and, as a result, your home or business is more likely to get passed over.
  2. Check your trash. This is one that people don’t often think about. Your trash is a potential vulnerability that can be exploited by burglars. Make sure to shred all discarded documents–whether you’re a home or a business. You never know what un-shredded sheet might provide a burglar with just the information they’re looking for. In addition, if you’ve recently made a big purchase, don’t just leave the box out by the trash can for all to see. Imagine how tempting a box for a brand new big-screen television must look to potential burglars–they won’t have to guess if you have something worth stealing! Instead of leaving boxes out, break them down and bring them out front on trash collection day in order to minimize the number of people who might see it.
  3. Look occupied, but don’t overdo it. An empty home or business is an appealing to burglars, but so is one with lots of clutter. If you leave expensive items in a place where they can easily be spotted from outside–whether it’s a television at home or computers at work–you’re showing off something that’s very attractive to burglars. And if you leave items outside–bicycles, for example, or a lawnmower–you’re practically asking for them to be stolen. The thief doesn’t even have to break in to steal something (although, if they see high-quality items outside, they may steal them and then come back later to find out what’s inside).

These are just a few ways that you can help prevent burglaries; there are many more places with numerous great tips. However, we do want to stress again: good locks (including deadbolts) are the primary barrier between potential burglars and your house or place of business. If your locks are substandard in any way, contact us here at Advanced Lock and Security to take the first step to a safe home or business!