How can I best secure my home without wasting money?
- Thread starter Zoo
- Start date
mustangcoupe
Senior Member
Some people group them in logical zones. Others (myself included) put each window or door on its own zone. If there is a problem in the future it is less trouble... Is it this window or one of the other 3 connected (and associated wiring)
Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk
Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk
drvnbysound
Senior Member
I assume most are similar... if one of my zones is not secure (e.g. window/door not closed) I am not able to arm my system (unless I manually bypass the zone). So, assuming you have all of your doors/windows equipped with sensors, your keypad is going to tell you what is not secure before you leave the home.
drvnbysound
Senior Member
I have all of my windows/doors on separate zones, with one exception... my master BR has 2 windows, one on each side of our bed. I have each homerun to the panel, but have them tied together there, making up one zone. I could have just as easily put them on separate zones, but I didnt feel that I gained anything by doing so. I would assume if I had other windows next to each other, I would likely wire them together as well.
The OP was looking to not use door/window sensors so the keypad wouldn't reporting anything in this case.
I did the same even with my double mulled windows.
drvnbysound
Senior Member
That's what I assumed, which is why I wanted to point out how useful they can be to have... particularly like you mentioned @ ~$2 ea.
mustangcoupe
Senior Member
No the usual sensors used are just magnetic sensor on the window frame with a separate magnetic on the window itself and detects if they are lined up or not. If they have some of the type you'r looking for let us know they'd be great..... on doors some people have put push button switches inside the deadbolt hole, and detected locked or not.
tmbrown97
Senior Member
I think the other posters here have covered the points pretty well... but I'll throw in my $.02
Motions require the person to really physically be in the house - where glassbreaks will catch them when they first break the glass... Usually once they break the glass they have to clear out the frame so they can safely enter without getting cut to shreds - and that takes time. If the siren goes off the second they throw the brick, they're out of there - but if it doesn't go off until they're standing in your kitchen, they'll likely at least grab the laptop sitting there on their way out. More importantly, if someone means you harm, by the time they're in they could just put a gun to your head and tell you to disarm it; whereas if the alarm goes off before they get in, hopefully they don't get that far.
Homeowner's insurance is great for protecting your valuables - but I've never heard a break-in victim complain "Oh, I can't believe they took my Sony TV!!" - no, it's the feeling of being violated - someone in your home, going through your stuff... not knowing what all they took, or what they learned about you in the process... or if they take the computer with all your family pictures on it (True story: I have a sister many years younger than me - her birth was filmed and the tape was in the camcorder - someone broke into my mom's house and took the camcorder, with the tape - nothing else... 15yrs later that still bothers everyone in the family). It's rarely about the money at that point.
If you're worried about being able to open windows at night, there's 3 options. 1. Get security screens - they work by protecting the outside of the window - if they're removed or slashed they trigger; you can still open the window independently (great option; pricey). 2. Bypass the window zone (open the windows for the night; arm before bed bypassing any open zones). 3. Use two magnets - It's not uncommon to put 2 magnets on the window - one in the closed position and one open about 6" - you set it at the 6" position and arm - and if someone tries to open it more (to climb in) it triggers.
As was said above, the hardwired sensors are only about $1.50-$3.00/each - and wire is cheap enough... That's one thing you can't go back and do later and you can't go wrong doing it now. As far as maintenance, hard-wired sensors can work for a long time. In a 30yr old house you'll often find all the sensors working great; worst case may have one go bad - and they're easy to replace. Done right, all hard-wired, the only maintenance you're looking at is the alarm battery (and doing a walk test occasionally just to verify proper operation of the system).
Motions require the person to really physically be in the house - where glassbreaks will catch them when they first break the glass... Usually once they break the glass they have to clear out the frame so they can safely enter without getting cut to shreds - and that takes time. If the siren goes off the second they throw the brick, they're out of there - but if it doesn't go off until they're standing in your kitchen, they'll likely at least grab the laptop sitting there on their way out. More importantly, if someone means you harm, by the time they're in they could just put a gun to your head and tell you to disarm it; whereas if the alarm goes off before they get in, hopefully they don't get that far.
Homeowner's insurance is great for protecting your valuables - but I've never heard a break-in victim complain "Oh, I can't believe they took my Sony TV!!" - no, it's the feeling of being violated - someone in your home, going through your stuff... not knowing what all they took, or what they learned about you in the process... or if they take the computer with all your family pictures on it (True story: I have a sister many years younger than me - her birth was filmed and the tape was in the camcorder - someone broke into my mom's house and took the camcorder, with the tape - nothing else... 15yrs later that still bothers everyone in the family). It's rarely about the money at that point.
If you're worried about being able to open windows at night, there's 3 options. 1. Get security screens - they work by protecting the outside of the window - if they're removed or slashed they trigger; you can still open the window independently (great option; pricey). 2. Bypass the window zone (open the windows for the night; arm before bed bypassing any open zones). 3. Use two magnets - It's not uncommon to put 2 magnets on the window - one in the closed position and one open about 6" - you set it at the 6" position and arm - and if someone tries to open it more (to climb in) it triggers.
As was said above, the hardwired sensors are only about $1.50-$3.00/each - and wire is cheap enough... That's one thing you can't go back and do later and you can't go wrong doing it now. As far as maintenance, hard-wired sensors can work for a long time. In a 30yr old house you'll often find all the sensors working great; worst case may have one go bad - and they're easy to replace. Done right, all hard-wired, the only maintenance you're looking at is the alarm battery (and doing a walk test occasionally just to verify proper operation of the system).
murphy
Member
That is an ideal situation. because it is easy & cheap building a house with some more wires for security and comfort.
But beneath that, think also of the "non-electronic" side of the security.
As "... a good neighbor with a good rifle ...",
what I mean is the common sense.
Some people publishing their traveling during the holidays on facebook, and don't care about the mail
Some are putting some inexpensive kid-toys in there garden and stop the mail-delivery during the time they are away..
Which of them are burglared first?
All the sophisticated electronic indicates an accident only after it happened.
Sorry if anyone feels this is OT.
That is true. To have good quality image, you will have to spend a lot of money on the cameras. I just installed some linksys cameras that can send me 5 second video when motion sensed. That seems helpful to scare some bad elements away.
My way of thinking about home security system is the same as my personal security. We all have good personal insurance and the same should be for our home. Home securiy is not a zero planning adventure. You have to sit down and scatch a blueprint. It is good to have an expert helping but the charge per hour and again it all depends what is your budget for home security system.
Personally I decided for 8 wireless HD nightvison set with 1 TB DVR and this is the first step. Wired solutions are tested and work great but I just hate all the wired technology. My next step will be implementation of biometrics locks for all entrance doors and garage.
Finally, it's all about the safety so invest in it so you can live safe in your new home. It's a long term investment.
Personally I decided for 8 wireless HD nightvison set with 1 TB DVR and this is the first step. Wired solutions are tested and work great but I just hate all the wired technology. My next step will be implementation of biometrics locks for all entrance doors and garage.
Finally, it's all about the safety so invest in it so you can live safe in your new home. It's a long term investment.
Similar threads
