Tips for keeping your home safe and secure

Whether you’re planning for winter fun or summer vacations, a home security system is a key element of protecting your home and family. We asked pros and industry experts to share their tips for security system installation. Here’s their advice for putting your plans in motion and successfully keeping your home safe.

1. Think about your needs.

A home security system offers a dizzying array of options, starting with a basic door-and-window monitoring package, including a control pad, but can include many customized options, such as security cameras you can view from your phone. Research what you’re looking for and be ready to think about how you’ll customize it to your home.

2. Don’t forget to be vigilant.

A home security system is vital to keeping your home safe, but don’t rely on it as a safety shield. Practice vigilance and situational awareness, keep your eyes open, and don’t rely on presumptions about nighttime prowlers. Nearly three-quarters of break-ins occur in broad daylight during late morning or early afternoon. So don’t get lackadaisical about arming and keeping an eye on the security system during daylight hours.

3. It’s about more than just security.

Home security systems can often form the hub of a home automation system, creating the infrastructure for remote systems where you can control many aspects of your home from a smartphone screen. If you have an existing home automation system, your security can integrate with it; if you have security but no home automation, you can often build automation around it.

4. Be aware of your system’s limitations.

Listen carefully to your pro about what you’re buying, and be ready to think about alternate and redundant security methods. For example, window sensors that activate when the window is opened won’t go off if the glass is broken; a separate glass-break monitor is required. Motion sensors add another level of security as well.

5. Think about where to place the keypad.

People generally assume the keypad needs to be installed by the door, but that’s an artifact of the hardwired era. Instead of installing the keypad next to the door, talk to your professional about the most effective placement, taking into account exit and delay time.

6. Don’t overlook smoke and fire.

The battery-operated smoke detector you acquired from the fire department years ago can be replaced with monitored smoke and heat detectors that will protect your family as soon as a fire begins. A house fire is much more likely than a break-in, and with a monitored smoke or fire detector, the security company will dispatch the fire department as soon as they receive an alert.

7. Inform your insurance company.

A home security system often translates to a discount on homeowner’s insurance. You’re leaving money on the table if you don’t let them know as soon as it’s installed!