Having spent 33 years with 3M in numerous positions including National Sales Manager for 3M Window Films the author now runs his own show as Vista, Huper Optik, Armorcoat,
Geoshield and FormulaOne Window Film Dealer in the USA. One door closes and another one opens. No more red tape (Scotch or otherwise!) "Whosoever wishes to know about the world must learn about
it in its particular details. Knowledge is not intelligence. In searching for the truth be ready for the unexpected. Change alone is unchanging. The same road goes both up and down. The
beginning of a circle is also its end. Not I, but the world says it: all is one. And yet everything comes in season." Heraklietos of Ephesos
Below is a list, based on FBI research, indicating where home break-ins occur.
34% Front Door
23% First-Floor Window
22% Back Door
9% Garage
4% Basement
4% Unlocked Entrance
2% Second Floor
2% Storage Area
What can a Florida homeowner to reduce our chance of becoming some crooks next victim?
Don’t put boxes of expensive items by the curb:This advertises that you have something worth stealing. Keep them in garage until trash day. And don’t leave mail or newspapers piled up in mailbox or at end of driveway.
Take your name off the mailbox: It’s easy with the Internet to find your home number and see if you’re home – even while sitting in a car parked down the block using a PDA. Consider delisting yourself from Internet phone directories.
Put motion-sensor lights outside: Look for ones with adjustable sensitivity to avoid getting a false alarm from fluttering tree branches. Keep the exterior of house illuminated on all sides (using energy efficient compact fluorescent s and LEDs where possible).
Landscaping: Shrubs can be a deterrent to getting into the house, but keep them and trees pruned well enough that burglars can’t hide there. This Web site suggests the 3 foot/6 foot rule—keeping tree branches pruned up to 6feet off ground and shrubs down to 3 feet. Consider placing thornyshrubs beneath windows; and make sure neighbors can see into your yard.
Ensure windows can be locked or pinned: There are several ways to do this. For instance, with double-hung windows, the Rye Brook Police department in New York suggests drilling a small hole in a 45 degree angle betweeninner and outer frames and inserting nails that can be removed.
Doors: Many police departments recommend all outside doors should be metal or solid wood and have sturdy,well-installed dead bolt locks.
Don’t give obvious clues: Turn down the telephoneringer when no one is home. Burglars can hear you aren’t there. Make the house seem like someone is home: Put lamps or radios on timers thathave a random mode so the pattern isn’t predictable.
Go high tech: Consider investing in an alarm system; a growing number of these you can control from your cellphone or PDA. IControl, for instance, is partnering with ADT Security Services this year to help incorporate remote technologies into its alarm systems. But first do your research. The Better Business Bureau has seen complaints against U.S. burglar alarm systems dealers nearly triple since 2007, putting it in the top 2% of all industries ranked.It lists these tips for selecting an alarm company.
Take inventory: Video record each room to prove what was in there for a police report. List all serial numbers of expensive electronic items in one place. You can do this and then store the info online.
Use the “Vacant House List:” Many local police officials like this one in New Jersey maintain a “Vacant House List” that you can use when traveling for an extended period of time, like a week or more. Police will drive by and check on the house while you are away.
This may surprise you but most of the prestige homes we have installed for UV rejection, energy savings and glare reduction have a front door made of glass or a garage door with glass windows right or alongside the door lock!
Thicker is better since our VISTA, Armorcoat SunTek, Hanita and Huper Optik films have twice the puncture strength of our 3M thin film competition.
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