Layering Home Security

Posted in Home Security By Laura M. Sands

How Important Is It to Layer Home Security?

Layering home security is one of the most important aspects of keeping a home safe. By doing so, a homeowner can significantly reduce the chances of a break-in and/or harm to family members. With this in mind, each security device a homeowner purchases should be seen as but one layer of a larger home security plan.

What Does Layering Mean?

The idea of layering home security is quite simple. When a burglar contemplates the level of difficulty in breaking into a home, he is really assessing how many layers– or barriers– he must overcome in order to gain entry into the home. The more layers, the more the level of difficulty and the higher the likelihood that the burglar will target another home with a lower barrier to entry, instead.

Tips On Layering Your Home Security

Now that you know what it means to layer your home security, think about doing things like:

Using motion-activated security lighting around your home’s perimeter
Installing outdoor surveillance cameras at strategic points around your home
Installing a monitored alarm system
Using yard signs and window decals to indicate that your home is equipped for optimal security
Assuring that all windows and entrances are clear of items that may shield a burglar from view or that can be used for climbing (such as high shrubs, trees, outdoor furnishings, etc.)

For more possibilities on layering your home security, simply take a walk around your home’s perimeter and imagine assessing it from an intruder’s point of view. How easy or difficult would it be to get into your home? How many devices do you have that send a clear message to criminals that your house is protected? Is your home security signage in clear view to the average passerby? As you begin to think about your unique security needs, you will most certainly also come up with more ideas about creating strong security layers.

Are Home Security Layers Guaranteed to Protect?

Nothing in life is guaranteed, but we all are able to reduce the risks of certain undesirable experiences with the right amount of forethought. Home security layering is no different. Burglars generally prefer to do their jobs with as little effort as possible. They also like to get in and out of a home as quickly as they can. If, however, a home is equipped with multiple security devices and it is clear that its owner has focused on fortifying the house as securely as possible, a burglar is likely to view such a home as too much of a risk to try to enter.