Close Circuit Television (CCTV) can also provide a means of identifying those who may be lurking on your property. These easily hidden devises can also allow you to easily identify welcome visitors.

Security lighting is a key element in the safety of your property and can make it easy to see when you arrive home after dark. Interior lighting that is subject to a timer may confuse burglars as to whether there are family members inside. Outdoor lighting that uses motion sensing technology makes it difficult for robbers to gain undetected access to any vulnerable areas of your home.

The two primary doors burglars will attempt to gain access through are the garage and back doors. They usually are the easiest to compromise and they provide the greatest concealment. Glass paneled doors are a means of easy entrance into any home so consider replacing them with solid core doors when possible. Replace old locks with high quality mechanisms capable of resisting lock-picking attempts as well as prying and twisting. We also recommend the use of quality deadbolts. The use of a peephole is also advised when CCTV technology is not in use or in tandem when possible. If your home has sliding glass doors you can simply place a wooden dowel or similar commercial grade products like the charley-bar in the track to make it difficult for the door to slide should the latch be compromised.

With all the emphasis on doors we would be remiss if we failed to mention a burglar's favourite means of accessing your home. It is far more likely that a window will be left either open or unlocked than a door. Because windows generally use latch technology, a secondary blocking device should be considered. Should you require nighttime ventilation be sure to block your windows so that they will not open more than a few millimeters.

The author works in a roof contractor and works on cracked cladding.

Home safety Tips is a post from: Security Camera Review

Inexpensive household smoke detectors sound an alarm, alerting you to a fire. By giving you time to escape, smoke detectors cut your risk of dying in a home fire nearly in half. Smoke detectors save so many lives that most states have laws requiring them in private homes. Arizona is one of these states.

How many smoke detectors do I need or is required? According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), minimum protection requires a smoke detector outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement. On floors without bedrooms, detectors should be installed in or near living areas such as dens, living rooms, or family room.

Amerex Smoke Alarm

Be sure everyone sleeping in your home can hear your smoke detectors’ alarms even with bedroom doors closed. Install additional detectors inside bedrooms if any residents are hearing-impaired. For the hearing impaired, there are smoke detectors that flash a strobe light in addition to sounding an audible alarm.

The NFPA suggests installing additional detectors in hallways, dining rooms, utility rooms and furnace rooms for added protection. Smoke detectors are not recommended for kitchens, bathrooms, or garages – where cooking fumes, steam, or attics and other unheated spaces – where humidity and temperature changes might affect a detector’s operation.

How to Choose a Detector? Dozens of brands of smoke detectors are for sale in hardware, department, and discount stores. Make sure the smoke alarm you buy has the seal from an independent testing organization like underwriters laboratories or FM.

Several types of detectors are available. Some run on batteries, others on household current (now smoke detectors have both, usually for new construction or major remodeling). While some detectors use an ionization sensor, others use a photolectric detection system. All approved smoke detectors, regardless of type, will offer adequate protection provided they are installed and maintained properly.

• Ionization Smoke Detectors- These units detect the fire’s visible and invisible smoke particles. Smoke reduces the electric current within the unit, which in turn starts the alarm.
• Photoelectric Smoke Detector- These units also detect smoke particles, but only those large enough to be “seen” by the unit. The smoke blocks the path of a light beam within the detectors.

Either type of smoke detector can provide your family with an early warning of fire.

Amerex Fire Extinguisher

Ionization and photoelectric detection features are available on some smoke detector units. These should improve detector reliability by reducing false alarms.

Why do I get false alarms? A smoke detector false alarm can be initiated by small dirt particles, smoke from cooking, placement to close to flourescent lighting fixtures, and dust or temperature extremes. These may be present in garages, kitchens and attics. Fresh paint fumes can get heavy enough to cause a false alarm, so air out freshly painted rooms. Steam from bathrooms can also cause a false alarm.

Where do I install smoke detectors? Because smoke rises, mount detectors high on a wall or on the ceiling. Units mounted on the wall should be between 6 and 12 inches from the ceiling. Celing-mounted detectors should be installed at least 6 inches away from the nearest wall. In rooms with pitched ceilings, mount the detector at or near the ceilings highest point. Do not place detectors within 6 inches of where the wall and ceiling meet, on either surface. This is a “dead air” space that gets little air circulation. Instructions for installation and placement should accompany the unit. Follow these instructions precisely.

How do I test the smoke detector? All smoke detectors are required to have a test button installed on them; this test button checks all functions of the smoke detector. If your smoke detector does not have a test button, you should replace the unit for one that has one. Every 30 days this test should be done.

When do I replace the smoke detector battery? Since batteries weaken with age, they must be checked and replace at regular intervals (usually every 9-12 months). On battery powered units listed by UL or FM a beeping sound will be generated when the battery needs replacing (this usually occurs when you are trying to sleep). Remember having a detector with dead batteries is the same as having no detector at all. There are newer smoke detectors out there that have batteries that last 10 years.

When do I replace the Smoke detector? Studies show that untested smoke detectors lose about half of their dependability after a 5 to 7 year period. Smoke detectors should be replaced about 8 to 10 years. Read the manufacturers instructions as they usually have recommendations.

Do I clean my smoke detector? Yes! – Dust can damage your detector’s sensitivity. Most units need to be cleaned at least once a year, just use your vacuum cleaner to clean dust out of unit. The manufacturers instrucion manual should be read.

When the Detector Sounds!!

How your family responds in a fire depends on how well you’ve prepared.

• Everyone should be familiar with the sound of the detector’s alarm.
• Plan escape routes. Know at least two ways out of each room. Agree on a meeting place outside your home where all residents will gather after they escape.
• Practice your escape plan at least twice a year, and teach every member of your household these survival techniques.
• Crawl Low Under Smoke. If you must escape through an area with smoke, crawl to the nearest safe exit on your hands and knees. Smoke and poisonous gases rise. Keep your head 12 to 24 inches above floor.
• Stop, Drop, and Roll. If your clothes catch fire, stop, don’t run. Drop to the ground, cover your face with your hands, and roll over and over to smother the flames.
• When an alarm sounds, leave the building immediately and go to your meeting place. Then call the fire department from a neighbor’s phone.
• Once outside, stay outside. Once outside a burning building, do not reenter.

Amerex Smoke Detector

Questions about Smoke Detectors? Check Here is a post from: Security Camera Review