Assessing the Security of Your Home

Assessing the Security of Your Home

There’s no place like home, and all of us want to ensure that our houses and all the wonderful memories they contain are kept safe. At Fortress Security we’re dedicated to making people feel safe, and reassured that their home is secure, which is why we wrote this guide to assessing the safety of your property.

The first step to assessing your home security is to make a detailed evaluation of the possible entry points to your home, from doors and windows to less obvious problems, like if a spare key is left somewhere easily accessible. Do all of your doors and windows have appropriate locks? A [5 lever British Standard Dead lock] is most commonly used on main entrances and secure areas of your home, for example garages or external storage rooms, and the new models of these with a 20mm bolt throw are most commonly recommended by home insurers, who may reduce costs for those who have them. In addition to this, windows need appropriate locking mechanisms; modern frames are often fitted with uPVC locks due to their strong galvanised steel cores and improved insulating properties – along with the fact that these secure locks require less maintenance than other models. It is however important to research the types of locks that would be most suitable for your property, and obtaining the help of a professional in this assessment and in the installation of locks is highly recommended to ensure they are properly fitted.

For those lucky enough to have the space, a garden gate is another way to increase the security of your home, particularly an automatic one with access control. These gates must adhere to the Gate Automation Regulations however, so ensure they are properly installed and maintained by a professional.

Aside from the physical locks and barriers to your home however, there are also a number of ways to deter any intruders from your property. Many thefts are opportunist, and the appearance of basic safety precautions will often be enough to put someone off. Installing an alarm is a great way to give yourself peace of mind, particularly if your home is left empty for long periods of time, and the brightly coloured box on your house will usually be enough to deter any opportunists, as will a motion sensitive security light (just be sure to check that it’s fitted where it does not cause any nuisance to your neighbours).

Inside of your property there are also a number of precautions you can take. Valuable or confidential property should be kept somewhere secure, ideally in a safe. We offer a variety of safes to cater to your needs, but whether wall-fitted or free-standing it’s vital to make sure it is properly secured – there’s very little point in locking things away if someone could just take the safe itself! In addition to this, ensure important documents are not left on display – including post containing sensitive information which we’re all guilty of leaving on the side from time to time.

At Fortress Security we’re experts in making your spaces more secure, and we’re always happy to come out and assess your property to help you decide on the security fittings that are right for you. For any help or advice don’t hesitate to get in touch!