It’s important that everyone keep their home secure, and to do so you might take numerous precautions. It might be as simple as locking your doors (even when you are at home) or installing a security system. Plus, you can buy home insurance to protect you in the event a problem ever does arise.
Still, there are a few less obvious but necessary steps that you should take to further increase your home’s security. For example, the investment in more secure windows and additional window safety features can assist you in making your dwelling safer all around. Let’s take a closer look at how you should approach window security.
Are You Vulnerable To Home Break-Ins?
You want to make it as hard as possible for an uninvited person to enter your home. To do so, you must start out knowing exactly how they might be able to get into your dwelling in the first place.
Ask yourself what your home’s most likely entry points are. These might of course be exterior doors (including cellar doors), but you must not forget that windows also can be entryways, particularly if they are on your ground floor. It might not be hard, after all, for someone to approach the home, cut your window screen and then push open your window.
At minimum, you should leave your windows locked whenever you don’t have them open. It only takes a moment to do so, and there’s no benefit at all to have windows that are unlocked but closed. Though a simple task, locking your windows can do a lot to keep unwanted intruders out. But there’s always more you can do to keep your interior secure.
Additional Risk Management Tips
If you are looking for additional ways to keep your home’s windows, secure, consider a few of the following ideas. They’ll be easy to take on the next time you do home maintenance.
- Look for signs of window damage. Remove and replace broken windows (or single panes). Replacing broken windows helps save energy in addition to making the home more secure.
- Replace missing or broken screens. If you can see that there’s an easy way for someone to tear cut or slide the screen open, then the screen is no longer offering optimized security.
- Keep curtains closed or blinds drawn after dark. A passerby should not be able to see into a lighted home. By seeing what you have inside, they might be tempted to break in.
- Consider using smart window technology throughout the home. By applying smart sensors around windows and doors, you will receive a mobile alert when someone opens a window, and you’ll be able to act. If you want to invest in a high-end security system, you will likely receive window sensors and a monitoring service as part of this package.
If someone were to break into your home through one of your windows, then your home insurance policy can help you repair structural damage and replace stolen belongings. Still, having coverage does not mean you shouldn’t do all you can to minimize break-in risks. Therefore, by keeping your windows secure, you’ll go a long way toward preventing break-ins in the first place.