Home Protection Tips

1. Keep shrubs and bushes trimmed and away from your doorways. This helps eliminate possible hiding places for intruders.
2. Never hide extra keys outdoors. Thieves are savvy to this - and know where to look for them.
3. Change your locks. If you ever lose your keys or purse, change your locks immediately. A stolen purse usually contains your identification and home address - this makes it extremely easy for a burglar to break in.
4. Consider placing valuables in a safety deposit box or safe. It may not convenient for you, but it will make it more difficult for thieves.
5. Burglars don't like to be seen. Install lights or motion detectors around the exterior of your house.
6. Make it look like someone is in the house. When you're away from home, use timers on your lights, stereos and televisions. Ask a neighbour or friend to collect your mail and cut your grass in summer and clear your driveway/walk in winter.
7. Use the neighbourhood watch system. Even if it's just for a weekend, inform your neighbours of your plans so they can spot any unusual activity around your home.
8. Make sure exterior doors are strong. Doors should be made of metal or solid hardwood and at least 1 3/4 inches thick. It's also important that the doorframes are well constructed, too, and that doors fit in their frames securely. A weak door or doorframe renders a good lock useless.
9. Sliding glass doors are easy targets. Make sure the locks on such doors are secure (they often don't work). For extra protection, stick a dowel (wooden rod) into the track beside the door. Add an extra lock for sliding glass doors to prevent them from being forced open or lifted off of their tracks.
10. Deadbolt locks offer the best protection. The cylinder where the key is inserted should be "pick resistant." Some deadbolts are locked with a key from the outside and have a thumb turn on the inside. Double-cylinder locks require keys on both sides.
11. Lock your windows. Use key locks or other devices. It is possible to pin the sashes of a double-hung window together by using a removable bolt.
12. Lock your garage door. Attached garages provide visual coverage for thieves. Also, ladders and tools found within a garage will help a burglar break into your home.
13. Close your garage door all the way. Do you leave the garage door slightly open at the bottom to give your cat access to and from the building? A garage door, open even just a few inches, is an invitation for cat burglars, too. They've been known to force that opening higher and slide underneath.
14. Lower the sound of your telephone ringer and answering machine so they can't be heard outside. A constantly ringing phone is a good indicator someone isn't home.
15. Chain locks give you a false sense of security. They're not recommended because most are mounted with short screws and have weak chains. One good shove and either the hardware will pull away from the wall or the chain will snap.
16. Don't tempt a thief. Put your valuables out of sight. This includes lawn mowers, snow blowers, barbeques and bicycles.