Alarm questions indoor/outdoor stuff

Hello. I just had a break in on Christmas Eve. We had a lynx setup but only used it for the chime function or armed it on vacations. My gf would always tell me to stop being paranoid and she didnt like to use it so I became lazy about it also.

I just spent about 400 bucks buying extra sensors and glass breaks (wireless). I'm also buying some of the key fob remotes because they look so easy to use. So hopefully I can get my gf in the habit of using the alarm. Also running another siren to draw attention away from the panel.

They kicked in 2 doors and entered through the side of my garage. The guy thats replacing them for me is going to setup a block with 2x4's because they are sturdy and easy to remove. He said they would hurt themselves trying to break through it. I'm also having a deadbolt properly installed on my front door. I might do a contact sensor on the main garage door if only to verify that it is closed.

How likely is it for them to break a locked window or a patio door? I'm assuming they prefer regular doors because they make less noise and dont have to deal with glass. Its actually a newer home with modern windows so I'm hoping the locks are better than old houses.

Some of my windows are about 7 feet off the ground and a person would have to be very agile or have a ladder to get through them. These are the ones I usually open in the summer time. If I didnt do sensors on them I could run the alarm and still have fresh air in the house.

After the alarm is going strong I would like some outdoor deterrents. I was thinking of motion sensors and cameras but we have a lot of deer and rabbits going through our yard. I don't want to crap myself because a rabbit runs through my yard and wakes me out of my sleep.

What good could a camera system do if your not watching it all the time? It might just generate more paranoia for me checking them all the time.

I've settled on the possibility of just doing motion lights. I realize most know what these are now but even I'm still startled when I go to visit friends that have them. What do most of you pros think of them?

I'm still real nervous about all of this happening. I no longer feel comfortable in my own home but I'm hoping the alarm will help a little bit. My girlfriend is taking it fairly well.

How likely would it be for them to come back? I wonder if they can even remember the houses the've been in. They also hit a house down the road so I'm assuming it wasn't someone I know from work or something.

thanks for reading my long rant.

Reply to
JediSpork
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Don't hopefully anything. Show her who's boss.

Also running another siren to draw attention away

Anything is possible. Cover all your bases.

If your have bug screens on these windows, its possible to have the mesh laced with wire.so you can keep the windows open and have the screens as the protection.

Forget the outdoor stuff.

Motion lights are a great deterrent. Go for it.

No one can say for sure. Just stick with your plan and don't forget to use your system all the time. Good Luck.

I wonder if they can

Reply to
Roger W

RHC: Sir, my condolences on your robbery. Now is a very emotional time for you and your wife, and I suggest before you run out and spend a lot of money, you take a deep breathe and sit back and think about additional prevention devices in a more logical, reasoned fashion. You must make sure that anything you do actually is working to prevent further breakins rather than just making you feel good.

There are a couple of telltale things you mention that suggest to me that you have never done any of the physical things that are absolutely necessary to do, and which should precede the installation of your alarm. All doors should be of adequate strength and equipped with a deadbolt lock. Most importantly, the strike should be made of solid steel, at least 10 inches in length and secured to the frame of the house with 3 inch screws. The lock itself should be installed through a metal "sandwich" which surrounds the door itself where the lock is, and largely prevents the lock from being smashed out of the door. Most thieves go through a door, and the door can be made to pretty much stop them in their tracks. Your patio door must be secured with a swingdown patio door bar, and include screws above the track so the door can't be lifted out of the track. I won't go any further than to suggest you visit my site and search for "physical security"; there's loads of information on this subject.

Other things to keep in mind....do you have adequate decals from your dealer / monitoring station visible as they come up the driveway. If you live in a rural area, consider putting up a gate at the end of the driveway (they hate visibility when stealing things, and carrying your possessions under their arm down a long driveway is not something they want to do....). In some parts of the world, alarm system signs are very common as well. Walk around your home and make sure that every entranceway they could enter easily is protected in some fashion by your alarm system, and is adequately marked with your warning decals. Alarm system design is mostly common sense.....doors, easy to enter windows, adequate motion detection for the main interior areas of the home. Outdoor lighting can help, but in our area of the country, most break ins are done during the day, so that has limited value.

Good security is first and foremost good habits. Lock the doors and use the alarm. If it's installed correctly, it will just "be there" and won't intrude into your lifestyle at all. Do consider having your alarm properly monitored; I can tell you many stories where the monitored indeed "saved the day", but do try to find a source that won't lock you into a very long term contract (there's nothing in a contract for you the consumer, and you already own the alarm itself). Remember, good strong, physical prevention measures don't cost every month; once paid for, they "keep on protecting", and are an absolutely necessary part of a comprehensive plan of protection for your home.

Good luck and let us know if you have further questions

R.H.Campbell Home Security Metal Products Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

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Reply to
tourman

I'll leave most of the alarm comments to others as Bob has pretty much covered the bases. I'll just add that while the Lynx is a convenient and portable solution it remains much more vulnerable than a standard alarm panel. Adding another siren can help.

The main thing I wanted to comment on was your question about whether or not cameras are of any use if your not watching them all the time.

Cameras serve two purposes:

One, real time observation - in the event you hear a disturbance you can check on the exterior of your home without exposing yourself to danger. Many folks use them to monitor the driveway and/or front door so they can see who is here.

Two, evidence after the fact - IMHO cameras not connected to some sort of recording device amounts to foreplay without the sex. The real value (again IMHO) of a camera be it in a commercial or residential setting is in having the recorded images to use as evidence against the nefarious asshats so it will be a while before they break into someone else's home.

If you have the money I would recommend to get the camera system and a recorder, set the recorder to 'record on motion' without triggering an alarm, you have the alarm system for that.

When you wake up in the morning you can view the nights wildlife activities while downing your first cup of coffee. I would bet you have a lot of return visitors that your gf would love to give names to and start setting out feed.

I've thought about that before and IF I lived in the country or even semi-rural I'd do it just because I love watching critters.

Oh yeah - and you just might see someone lurking around...

With digital video recorders you and check the stored images without any interruption in the recording.

I do suggest that the actual recorder be placed in a non-obvious spot and secured in some fashion.

There is a thrift store here that is run by the Women's Resource Center that had a break-in, after the thieves determined there wasn't anything worth stealing they took the DVR and left.

Reply to
JoeRaisin

Some old sliding patio doors can be removed by lifting the door with a spade.

It's not unknown for them to wait and come back after the insurance co has paid out and you have had everything replaced with new.

A radio on a timer might be worth considering;

Reply to
CWatters

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