Home security recommendations

[SSideways]

I've been reading this forum for some time and was wondering if you experts could help me out. I just moved into my place in July of last year and want to install a ELK security system. Can you guys recommend what I should do to secure my home. Here are the plans to my home.

 

[SnyperBob]

Stick with the basics.

1. Contact switches on outside doors and windows
2. Glass break sensors anywhere is there a window that can be broken and crawled into
3. Motion sensors on the ground floor.
4. Security panel tied into smoke detectors so you can sound an alarm if there's a fire

Those are just the basics. You can obviously expand from there and wire/secure the second level

 

[Sandpiper]

I've been reading this forum for some time and was wondering if you experts could help me out. I just moved into my place in July of last year and want to install a ELK security system. Can you guys recommend what I should do to secure my home.

Here is what I would recommend in priority order:

1. contacts on the front and back doors
2. contact on the exit door from the hallway to the garage
3. contact on the garage exterior door.
4. motion detector in the hall on the first floor. Mount above the clost door facing down the hall.
5. glass break detectors for the first floor windows.
6. smoke detector on the ceiling at the top of the stairs. (assuming the rest of the required smokes are already provided)
7. contacts for the first floor windows.
8. motion detector in the second floor hallway. Mount above the closet door facing towards the stairs.
9. 5 additional smoke detectors....one for each bedroom and one downstairs (probably in the hallway).
10. 135 degree heat detector on the garage ceiling.
11. 195 degree heat detector in the attic

Keypads: one in the downstairs hallway and strongly consider one for the master bedroom.
Sirens: one the the downstairs hallway and possibly one in the upstairs hallway.

Pick the level of protection you care to have and how much you care to invest in.

 

[SSideways]

Great recommendations guys,
In order to wire my home I would have to route all wires to each location. How would you go about that with steel studs?
My home also has 7 BRK smoke detectors (1 in hall way on first floor, 2 in hall way 2nd floor and 1 in each room) how would these be monitored if it has a battery?
Any suggestion where I should put the can and ELK controller?

 

[CORT]

Great recommendations guys,
In order to wire my home I would have to route all wires to each location. How would you go about that with steel studs?
My home also has 7 BRK smoke detectors (1 in hall way on first floor, 2 in hall way 2nd floor and 1 in each room) how would these be monitored if it has a battery?
Any suggestion where I should put the can and ELK controller?

Wow, a complete retrofit. Was there no prewiring? Unless you have access to the main floor walls through a crawlspace or basement AND access to the second floor walls through an attic, you should consider a wireless solution. I couldn't imagine fishing all the wires for a complete system. This is possible, but extremely time consuming. I can spend an entire day fishing a single wire. Good luck.

 

[SnyperBob]

Great recommendations guys,
In order to wire my home I would have to route all wires to each location. How would you go about that with steel studs?
My home also has 7 BRK smoke detectors (1 in hall way on first floor, 2 in hall way 2nd floor and 1 in each room) how would these be monitored if it has a battery?
Any suggestion where I should put the can and ELK controller?

Typically you would want to locate your Can/controller in a central location to cut down on the wire lengths you need to run to each sensor. If you already have drywall up, it may not be easiest to centrally locate the can.

I don't have any specific ideas about can placement for your setup. The easiest solution for your setup would be wireless. However, wireless is more expensive. If you already have drywall up, and you do not have a basement, I think that wireless is your only option at this point.

 

[SnyperBob]

BTW, I came across this wireless security system install thread yesterday.

About post 15 he lists everything he bought, and all of the wireless sensors and stuff he got. Check it out:
http://www.cocoontech.com/index.php?showtopic=6576

Like I said, a little more money overall, but less work for you.

 

[SSideways]

I already living in the home so drywall is already up. I haven't looked in the attic to see if there's better access to windows or doors. I'm rather against using wireless because of reliability but if that's my only option some security is better than none.

I was thinking of putting the can in the closet below the stairwell. Will the ELK work with wireless sensors under the stairwell?

 

[Sandpiper]

I already living in the home so drywall is already up. I haven't looked in the attic to see if there's better access to windows or doors. I'm rather against using wireless because of reliability but if that's my only option some security is better than none.

I was thinking of putting the can in the closet below the stairwell. Will the ELK work with wireless sensors under the stairwell?

Yes. The wireless receiver will work under the stairwell.

Here are a few things I would look at:

1. You didn't say whether you have a crawlspace. If you do, getting the doors done would be easy for a professional. There are techniques for drilling into the crawlspace to feed the wires. If your on a slab, then you pretty much stuck with wireless since you also have a second floor.
2. But you cannot run the keypad, telephone and siren wireless, so strategic placement of the can is necessary.
3. I think the closet under the stairs will be OK, but I'd put it on the wall facing the kitchen. The other walls are either exterior walls (with insulation) or have pipes in them.
4. You may be able to get some of the wires to where they need to be by surface running them in the garage and closets. For example, to put a keypad in the downstairs hallway, you can run the wire above the closet door, into the garage, across the garage wall, to the hallway and then back into the hall. I dont like surface wires, but sometimes that is the only way unless you want to do a bunch of drywall work. they can be hidden by caulk and paint if you really want to.
5. A professional will have a ton of tricks and some very special tools to get wires hidden. You may want to hire one to do this.

 

[SSideways]

the only crawl space I would have would be in the attic. I really want the security system out of the way, I chose the stairwell closet because I could try running the wires through the wall of the garage. I've already tore up my garage getting speaker wires from my AV reciever to some wall mounted speakers to watch the college bowls in the garage.

 

[Steve]

An experienced pro can usually get wires anywhere with minimal damages. Experience and the right tools really do go a long way in this regard.