You may be wondering if there is an all round solution to home security, or even what is the best and most cost effective security for your home; we have previously discussed alarm and CCTV systems, as well as security doors and grills in other articles. But what is the minimum level of security required that’s the most cost effective; let’s weigh the pros and cons of each:

Burglar Alarms & Sensors

Pros

• Can be used as a deterrent against the less savvy home invader(s).

• Can offer peace of mind, knowing your home is secure and monitored.

• Sensors can trigger an alarm system or activate some type of security measure, upon detection of an intruder.

• Some alarms may use a rolling code system, so the codes are changed regularly when the user is prompted to enter a new code; the system will be less of a security risk from alarm maintenance engineers, who will at some point be issued the code to carry out maintenance on the alarm system. The rolling codes system therefore leaves the system less vulnerable.

• Some Alarm systems may include dummy panels to trick intruders, and thus delay them from disarming the real alarm system, giving the security company more time to respond and catch the bad guys.

Cons

• May cost a lot of money to buy and install, there may be a charge annually from the alarm company who monitor the alarm system; the cost and packages available depend on the type, and the company or brand of the alarm system.

• Can be disarmed by the more tech savvy home invader(s); the ability to disarm the system will depend on their knowledge, and the cost verses the design of the alarm system.

• System may have to be professionally installed. Holes may be drilled in walls; floor and skirting boards may be temporarily taken up, so the system can be wired up from the alarm to the control panel, and sensors.

• If the alarm is not monitored by a security company, the alarm may be triggered and go off for hours until the user comes home to disarm the system; this will most likely frustrate the neighbours.

 

Surveillance Systems

Pros

• Intruders get caught on CCTV when they enter onto, or break into the property; catching them on CCTV depends on where the cameras have coverage.

• Some CCTV surveillance systems have an outside light that is triggered by detecting motion within the range of the sensor, which can give a clearer picture of the intruder(s), and also act as a deterrent to the startled intruder; some may even have night vision and capture images of the intruder(s) passively.

Cons

• System CCTV surveillance systems may have to be professionally installed. Holes may be drilled in walls; floor and skirting boards may be temporarily taken up, so the system can be wired up around the house to connect each CCTV or PIR camera to the monitoring system.

• If the intruder(s) cover their faces the CCTV system becomes ineffective when trying to capturing a clear image of the intruder(s).

• CCTV systems have to be monitored and may cost a lot of money if Survailed by a security company.

• CCTV cameras maybe visible to anybody passing by your home, and may or may not act as a deterrent for criminals, as they may decide to break the cameras to evade being captured on video; if the cameras are broken they will cost money to repair, or replace.

 

Security Doors & Security Grills

Pros

• Security doors and grills make it harder for an intruder to break into your home; the locking mechanism could be a series of claw bolts/catches that lock into the 4 sides of the frame, making the door harder to break in. Or they could be a security grill outside the main entry doors to the home (or inside), that give an extra layer of security.

• Security grills can also be fixed to the inside or outside of a window, adding peace of mind when you or loved ones are asleep at night.

Cons

• Security grills will require installation, and for holes to be drilled into walls and frames so mounts can be fitted.

• Security grills will cost money and will require maintenance over time; how much depends of the type installed.

• Security doors will cost money, and if keys are lost and locks have to be replaced, there will also be cost for that.

• If the security door contains a glass panel, a criminal can press a sharp object into the glass in a circular motion to remove a section of each glass pane on the door,  and reach inside to try and open the door; them being successful depends on the design of the door in relation to how far the lock is from the edges of the glass panel where the hole has been made, and whether the householders have left the keys in the lock overnight.

 

Conclusion:  There are pros and cons with each type of security used, therefore the best all round solution is to use a smart selection of the different types of security options available; this can be done by setting up Trap Zones.

Trap zones are an area in your house that would have the highest volume of traffic, depending on the configuration of your home. Knowing an area a burglar is most likely to go through, rather than where the burglar is most likely to enter your property, will eliminate the need for additional sensors around the home that would otherwise be redundant. Therefore the most effective location to set up the equipment would be in the trap zone; this is the area the burglar or home invader will most likely trigger the security system.

Using the logic of trap zones, you can buy security equipment that will be the most effective for security, and the most cost effective; depending on the size and configuration of your home.

For example: You could have sensors on the windows of the bedrooms and PIR cameras covering the entry points to those rooms so you have peace of mind that you and your loved ones are safe at night, as well as a low cost alarm system and sensors on the external doors of the home, which will serve as a deterrent for the less tech savvy of burglars and home invaders. Then you will have your equipment set up in the trap zone(s) that will activate some type of security measure, that will either sound an alarm, or shutters will come down, doors will close and lock, and trap the intruder inside the trap zone; or a combination of both (the level of security depends on the person and their preferences, as well as the overall cost of the trap zone security).