Is Your valuable Home Secure?
Find out if your home is vulnerable to intrusion by going through some questions.
Security Facts
•Did you know most unlawful entries are through doorways? About 50% of those are through doors left unlocked.
•61.1% of burglaries involved forcible entry, and the total property loss due to burglaries in 2007 was $4.3 billion.
•90% break-ins involve the use of a door, 34% of which happened to be
If you Have Glass Doors?
An intruder can access your home by breaking the glass and turning the thumb turn to open the door.
What to do?
•Install double cylinder deadbolts that need to be opened with a key from the inside as well as the outside.
•Retrofit ground floor windows with locking hardware.
If your backyard easily accessible?
An unguarded backyard can be seen as an opportunity for thieves to get close to your house. Tall plants and bushes can provide burglars a cover while they attempt to break in. •Install outdoor lighting and a secure fence.
What to do?
•Keep plants and bushes near your home low and plant prickly bushes.
Do you secure your home before going out of town?
Burglars target unoccupied homes with the easiest access, the greatest amount of cover, and with the best escape routes.
What to do?
•Ask a trusted friend or neighbor to help you pick up mail and to check in on your home to give the appearance of occupancy.
•With a Weiser Smart Key, you can re-key your lock to a temporary key for your neighbor. Re-key back to your permanent key upon return.
•Or install a Weiser Smart Code and provide a temporary code for your neighbor to use.
Are You a New Homeowner?
During the sales process realtors, inspectors, potential buyers and workmen are in and out of the house. Many times these individuals are allowed use of the door keys unsupervised.
What to do?
•Replace or re-key your locks immediately after you move in to ensure that only you control the keys to your new home.
Who Has A Copy of Your Keys?
Have you ever handed your keys to a valet? Or give a repairman a spare key? There is a possibility that your keys have been copied or you have extra keys that are unaccounted for.
What to do?
•Re-key your locks any time you feel you might have misplaced a key or allowed a stranger to borrow your key. Weiser Smart Key makes rekeying fast and convenient, without having to replace the entire lock.
Do you have deadbolts on all exterior doors?
Most burglaries are the result of forcible entry. Experienced burglars know that the garage door is usually the weakest point of entry followed by the back door.
What to do?
•Install and use Grade I deadbolt locks on all exterior doors leading into the garage as well as entry doors leading into house.
How long you are living in your home?
Locks are subject to wear and tear. Worn or rusted locks are a serious weakness in home security. Old, worn out locks are easier to pick and break, and they are more difficult to open legitimately with a key as time goes on.
What to do?
•Closely inspect deadbolts every six months for signs of tampering and excess wear. If your lock has severe tarnish, rust, or other visible signs of wear, it may be time to look for a replacement lock. If your lock is becoming increasingly difficult to open with the key, especially on cold nights, you need to replace or service the lock immediately to avoid an inconvenient malfunction that may leave you locked out.
