The second and certainly the most important level of security is what can
be called simply "physical security" The key here is to ensure that your
home is physically harder to enter! This is what is referred to in the security trade as
"target hardening" the home. The idea is to secure the outside perimeter of
your home against forced entry. Most new homes are similar in their construction, and
requirements can generally be summarized as follows:
Think of a door as a "locking system", with the overall
security being only as good as the weakest link. All exterior doors must be of solid
construction, equipped with deadbolts of adequate quality, properly installed with solid
steel strikes of 10 inches in length. (As a rule, cedar doors tend to be of weaker
construction than solid core or steel doors). The strike should be mounted with six - 3
inch screws that pass through the door facing into the wall stud/frame of the house. Each
of the hinges should also be attached with at least one 3 inch screw - again, through the
facing into the wall stud. This will make the door substantially harder to kick-in (Note:
Many new homes with door frames having glass panels on the lock side of the door will
require additional steel re-inforcing on the inside face, since what appears to be a stud
is actually just the door and window frame stapled together, and covered with moulding). A
simple 12" strip of steel on the inside directly behind the deadbolt, secured with
half a dozen 3" screws into the wood perpendicular to the door, will help greatly to
strengthen that weak frame.
Wooden doors can have vertical deadbolts installed which are inherently
more secure against kick-in attack than are the traditional horizontal deadbolts (Locking
bolt extends horizontally outward from the door). These are deadbolts which lock
vertically into two rings mounted on the frame of the house and are commonly referred to
as "jimmyproof locks" because the physical locking of the deadbolt to its strike
provides protection against spreading the door away from its frame. Never buy very
cheap versions of this style of lock, since they are made of brittle material to save
money during manufacture (translation - spend at least $30 at retail for the lock. Stay
with established brand names such as Dominion, Lori, Weiser, or Schlage, and away from
the "branded versions" put out by retailers who have their own name put on
off-shore products). On the newer homes, here in the Ottawa area, staying with locks on a
Weiser keyway will also ensure that all locks can usually be keyed alike when changing
locks. (Hint: When purchasing your locks from a large retail outlet, and if you intend to
install them yourself, ask to have the locks rekeyed to a relatively new, unused copy of
your existing house key. This will cost $5 per cylinder, but save you the price of a
locksmith coming to your home to do the same thing)
Horizontal deadbolts mounted in wooden doors should be reinforced with a
"wraparound" plate which serves to reinforce the bolt area where it sits in the
door. This helps prevent "kick in" of the door, where the bolt itself breaks
through the door ( A deadbolt mounted in a door has only a half inch of wood on each side
of the bolt - not a very strong arrangement!)
New homes built today usually have a long glass panel beside the lock side
of the door. As I said before, it is mandatory that this strike area is further reinforced
on the inside with at least a foot long piece of one inch wide by three sixteenth thick
steel secured with at least six three inch long screws going into the frame perpendicular
to the door itself. Failure to do this will almost guarantee that one or two good kicks
will break these doors inward allowing quick entry into the home.
Don't feel you have to spend additional money on high security locks such
as Medeco, Abloy, Abus etc. These are an absolute must on most any commercial
establishment, but are generally "overkill" on a house. These locks, practically
speaking, cannot be "picked" (not a problem in a residential situation anyway),
and are VERY expensive and bothersome to rekey. The primary thing they do for you is to
prevent unauthorized duplication of the keys, which should not be a problem if you guard
your keys properly! .The bottom line is that you can have your home rekeyed several times
for the price difference between any quality lock and a high security lock. Remember, any
reasonable quality lock properly installed will afford you more protection than the
highest security lock improperly installed !!! (Note: Ottawa police several years ago
cracked a ring of thieves who indeed were picking locks to gain entry. However, given the
rarity of the situation, I still do not feel high security hardware is warranted in most
residential applications - the obvious exceptions being the properties of collectors of
stamps, coins, firearms etc, who should definitely take additional security precautions,
as well as increasing their insurance coverage)
Horizontal or vertical deadbolts mounted on doors equipped with windows
should be double keyed (key-locked on the inside as opposed to locked with a thumbturn).
For those worried about fire exit, there are two options. First is to install a second
double cylinder lock above the first, on the same key combination. Then simply use the
original thumbturn equipped lock on the bottom during the day or evening, and lock both
the locks when the house is empty. This then not only prevents the thief from breaking the
glass, reaching in, and opening the thumbturn from the outside, but it also measurably
increases the strength of the door against kick-in ! (A good solution provided you don't
mind that "New York" look !) Second, the glass in the door can be covered with a
non-breakable plastic - on the outside, installed with one-way security screws that cannot
be undone. Current purchase price for "Lexan" is about $8 per square foot,
purchase price.(However, bear in mind that this material is plastic, scratches easily, and
eventually turns milky from the ultraviolet rays of the sun). For all practical purposes,
ordinary 1/4" plexiglass will do just as well,and has the added advantage of being
much less expensive. As well, modern doors equipped with double or triple paned windows ,
and / or doors with tempered glass are reasonably secure against glass breakage. (A far
greater risk lies in the weak frames into which the deadbolt fits, since they can be so
easily be kicked in !!)
Basement and other ground floor low-lying windows, and windows opening
upon a fire escape are an easily accessible way into a home. The only real solution to
this is to install security window bars. Some words of caution are in order here. Stay
away from many of the pre-made, flimsy bars you find in hardware stores - many are a waste
of money, and can give you a false sense of security, as they are easily compromised. For
almost the same amount of money, there are versions available from established locksmiths,
custom metal working firms, and security companies that are custom made and fitted to the
window, and (very important) are properly anchored into concrete or strong wood studding.
These need not be ugly - there are versions available that are quite attractive - but stay
away from the very fancy designs. These are more expensive and can be flimsy if not
properly designed, due to the filial decoration inherent in that design. Secondly, any
window covering an area used as a sitting room or bedroom should be equipped with window
bars mounted on the inside that can be opened. A key for any associated padlock should be
hung down below the window, out of sight and out of reach of the window, preferably
accompanied with a decal clearly indicating its use. A replacement key should be put away
for safekeeping in case of loss of the original. If more than one window is padlocked, all
padlocks should be on the same key. Also, be sure to obey the fire regulations in your
particular area (including smoke detectors ). Nothing you own is worth the price of the
life of a loved one trapped in a bedroom during a house fire!!
If you do not wish to go to the expense of professionally installed bars
(average $60 and up per window, or $8 - $10 per square foot of coverage), there is a
"home handyman" solution available. This is to cover the window with several
bars made of 1 inch waterpipe, no more than 6 inches apart, with each pipe secured into
the stud on either side of the window with attaching screws, or cemented into the concrete
itself. This affords a low cost, non-removable solution to securing those windows not
often opened. In my opinion, such a solution is far superior to the flimsy bar
arrangements sold in stores for $15 to $25 each. (Note: Since this
article was first written, there are now bar arrangements available that you can purchase
from outlets like Home Depot for about $30 to $50 a set. While still not the quality of custom
bars, they are not too bad, and will do the job adequately!)
I am often asked which window designs are more secure than others. In the
newer homes built in the last few years, casement windows are common. These wind out with
crank handles on the bottom, and lock with small pull down clamps along one side. These
are relatively secure, and can only be forced open by significant effort with a crowbar or
like tool. Generally, horizontal sliding windows are much more prone to forced entry, with
the older "glass on wood frame" Pearson windows the absolute worst in terms of
security (and heat retention).
Recently, young thieves have begun to access homes through windows left
open on second floors of the home. This is a potential risk if the window is accessible
above a verandah or garage roof. Keep them locked at all times when they are not in use.
Block sliding windows with tight fitting pieces of wood, and (where possible) with screws
above the window in the track to keep the window from being lifted out. In some cases ,
where the window is a double slider, the outside sliding half of the window must be
actually screwed shut to prevent it being opened. This will restrict you to opening the
window using only the other inside portion of it, which you can then block, with a tight
fitting stick in the inside track.
Patio doors are another high risk access to the home. The simple solution
is to block the moveable patio door from being pryed up and out of its track by putting
screws into the frame above the door where it sits when it is in its closed position.
(Check the non removable door to ensure it is truly that !) Then install a
"swingdown" bar across the non-removable door on the inside that blocks the
removable door from being forced open. A tight fitting stick in the track will do almost
as well, but the bar being visible will discourage them from prying on the door and
damaging it, before they notice the stick in the track ! Also be aware that some thieves
have learned to use a notched paint scraper to slip the wood out of its track from the
outside). Make sure the bar you purchase is compatible with the type of door frame on the
patio door - aluminum, wood, or plastic - since you can't screw very well into plastic (or
use very short screws that now come with one brand called a "charlie bar") Wood
and metal doors can take advantage of bars held in place with screw-secured brackets,
while plastic framed doors generally should use "friction fit" bar arrangements
(with the exception noted). Regardless of the bar installed, it must be kept
tight at all times to continue to be effective. The commercial bar being visible, may
deter them from prying on the door when they don't see the stick in the track (These patio
doors are expensive, and if they are damaged, you will be asked to pay the amount of your
insurance deductible - often as much as $500)
I am often asked the best way to secure a cottage against break in.
Considering that most cottages are isolated, it it almost impossible to prevent robbery -
especially during the winter months - by thieves accessing these areas by snowmobile.
During the summer months, a lockable chain gate can in many instances provide a very
slight amount of extra security, by preventing thieves from driving directly up to your
cottage. The best advise I can give is simply not to leave anything in the cottage which
you can't afford to lose. If you must leave valuables, take great care to hide them well
(such as in an attic). Alarm systems are only useful if there is a neighbour present to
hear the horn. Even if police are called, response time will be significant by which time
they are long gone. The best you can hope is the alarm horn will scare them away.
Realistically, they may well feel they have the time to disable the system due to the
remote location of your cottage.
Today it is increasingly common to have small business ventures co-located
in the home. Typically a business will have a PC and a fax machine , both of which are
prime targets for thieves. If the business is located in the basement, ensure that
basement windows are covered with blinds at all times so that people looking in cannot see
expensive office equipment. The old saying "out of sight, out of mind" applies
here.You may want to consider fixing the CPU to the desk with equipment commercially
available at computer stores. Remember to back up your hard drive files to ensure you are
not out of business if equipment is stolen, and to protect the privacy of your customers.
Inexpensive add on zip drives make it very easy to do this today. Don't keep the backup
tapes anywhere they can easily be found or picked up during a robbery. Data encryption
software, or a simple password required for access to your hard drive, adds some small
measure of security against misuse should your customer data be stolen. Be aware that in
the Ottawa area, computer theft is rampant, so take special care in regards to guarding
these prime target items.
Walk around your home on the outside pretending to be a burglar assessing
the risks of breaking in!! You will quickly see the areas that require attention to
decrease the risks to you. Follow your instincts and attend to them right away. Human
nature being what it is, if you procrastinate, chances are one day you will be saying to
yourself "I should have done that before they broke in....!!" (Keep in mind that
statistics show that fully one third of break-in's are through kicking in the weak front
doors of most new homes; one third are via entry through basement windows, and the
remaining one third are through unlocked doors .....!!!!!!)
The next steps to take, and the last ones in order to consider, are
in the area of electronic security
