The 4 Best Placements for Exterior Security Cameras

When shopping for a home security system, you’ve probably focused on which devices to place inside your home. But you should give equal attention to the exterior of your home. An unsecured perimeter gives criminals the opportunity to take advantage of weaknesses in your system. But where are the best placements for security cameras? 

Here are 4 places to consider placing your cameras so that you’re fully covered:

 

1. Driveway

Garages are often overlooked by homeowners when building a security system but they’re an easy point of entry for burglars. Monitoring your driveway is a great way to give your most expensive assets a little more protection.

 

2. Front door

With most break-ins happening right at the front door, it’s the first place you’ll want to place a security camera. If you haven’t already invested in a video doorbell, a solution such as the Ring Spotlight Camera is the best option to make sure that your home is protected.

 

3. Back door

When criminals aren’t trying your front door lock, they’re probably trying the back. If you’re arming the front with a Ring Video Doorbell, you’ll definitely want a camera in the back.

 

4. Any obscured entrances

Criminals are going to be drawn to any windows or doors that would hide them from street view. They might even dress up as a handyman to gain unquestioned access to your yard then use an obscured entrance as a way in. Make sure you have these areas secured.

A few last considerations: 

  • Don’t forget to monitor detached garages or sheds with valuable assets.
  • Use cameras with wide angles to capture a large area.
  • If your cameras catch part of your neighbor’s property it is okay as long as a majority of the area being surveilled is your property. If in doubt, contact your local authorities.

As long as your cameras cover a wide area, you should be able to completely monitor your property with just a few of them. You’ll ensure that your home security system is complete by covering the best placements for your exterior security cameras.

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Going on Vacation This Winter? You’ll Want to Read This First

This is about the time of year when even the most loyal of ski bums start dreaming of warmer ventures. If you’re planning on leaving your wintery town in search of tanned skin and bottomless mojitos, make sure that your home is fully protected by your home security system while you’re on vacation.

The last thing you want after a relaxing week of fun is to return home to a disaster.

 

A river runs through it

Nothing’s worse than stepping on your carpet to find that it’s soaking wet. If you’re really unfortunate, you could be stepping in sewer water that has been seeping for a week while you were away. 

But sewer backups aren’t the only potential contributors to a flooded home. During the winter, you may be at risk of pipes freezing and bursting. Whether you leave your heater too low while you’re away (cue the Nest Learning Thermostat) or a cold snap comes through, your pipes could burst. This free-flow of water is enough to ruin drywall, flooring, and more.

Fortunately, using something as simple as a Flood Sensor will keep you on top of the game during your vacation. Your home security system will let you know immediately when disaster strikes, even if you are hundreds of miles away. This gives you the opportunity to send someone out right away to assess the situation. 

 

Heaters gonna heat

You’ve probably experienced the nagging feeling that you forgot to turn down the thermostat before leaving on vacation. Instead of spending your whole trip wondering how much it’s going to cost to heat your empty home for a week, you can check on your Nest Learning Thermostat when you land — right from your smartphone.

And the best part of a smart thermostat is that you don’t have to return to a cold home after a sunny vacation. Use your smartphone to turn the heat back up on the way home from the airport. That way, you walk right into a cozy, heated home.

 

The lights are on, but nobody’s home

As you go through the steps to make sure your home looks occupied when you’re gone, you may be tempted to leave on a light on the whole time you’re gone. But nothing screams empty home more than one random light being left on 24/7. Setting your Smart Light Bulbs on a schedule will better give your home the appearance of being occupied.

 

So rest easy on that sandy beach and let your smart home work for you. When you bundle your home security system with the right home automation tools, you’ll have complete peace of mind anytime you’re away on vacation.

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Smart Devices That Combat Dangers Within Your Home

When you consider investing in a home security system, it’s usually with the intent of keeping bad guys out. But criminals are not the only threat to your family’s safety and security. A home security system can address possible threats within your home when you bundle it with the right smart devices.

When you’re aware of the potential dangers, you can make a better decision on which smart devices will benefit you. 

 

Fires and gas leaks

Most of us realize the importance of monitoring for fires or carbon monoxide in our home. However, when we have to leave our kids at home, sometimes we’re left to wonder if they — or their babysitter — would know what to do if a sensor was triggered.

In the event of an emergency, carbon monoxide and smoke detectors that are integrated into your security system can immediate alert you. So even when you’re away from home, you’ll be able to take immediately take action. 

Now you can leave the kids at home with that first-time babysitter and have a little more peace of mind.

 

Older adults living alone

Despite the uptick in aging parents moving in with their children, many are still living on their own. This often gives adult children rightful anxiety about whether their parents are safe. When you are unable to check on your parents daily, having a system in place to monitor their well-being is a necessity.

A panic pendant is a great way to put both your and your aging parents’ minds at ease. In the event of a fall or other injury, the panic pendant ensures your parents receive the attention they need.

 

Firearms and curious kids

When you store firearms in the home, your children are statistically at a higher risk for injury. Even if you take the recommended steps to properly lock up firearms, children are resourceful and can get ahold of keys or codes. A good solution for curious children is having a door sensor as a backup on your safe or gun room door. These sensors will alert you immediately to any breaches so you can take immediate action.

 

So while you are considering who you can keep out of your home to keep your family safe, also consider the dangers you can prevent within your home. The right smart devices will ensure that you’re fully able to monitor your family’s safety.

 

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Unconventional Uses for Door and Window Sensors

If you find yourself with a couple of unused smart devices hiding out in Junk Drawer No. 2, you’re like a lot of people. Especially when it comes to devices like door and window sensors that are economical and easy to come by.

But what exactly are you going to do with those extra devices?

What you may have not considered is that homeowners don’t only need security from people outside their home. Sometimes they need a bit of security from those inside the home too. Additional sensors can be placed in various indoor locations to keep an eye on your assets. Read on to see the different ways you can make these devices work for you.

 

Interior Doors

Kids. Roommates. Mothers-in-law. There are just some people we prefer to keep out of certain areas of our home. By using a sensor on an interior door, you can easily monitor your private space and feel better knowing that your assets are safe from prying eyes and sticky fingers.

 

Safes and Drawers

Sometimes the private spaces we keep are much smaller than an entire room. Valuables are often stored in a specific drawer or in a safe. Or perhaps you’re storing something much more serious, such as firearms.

As much as we don’t want to consider it, sometimes curious hands get ahold of keys or security codes. Placing a sensor as a backup on these locations will give you the opportunity to take immediate action and keep your valuables — and family — safe.

 

Mailbox

The best thing about smart devices is that they offer convenience in addition to security, solving a whole host of first-world problems. Using a sensor on your mailbox is a great way to prevent several trips outside just to see if your mail has arrived.

On a more serious note, identity theft is no joke and neglected mail gives individuals a prime opportunity to open up a credit card under your name. This can leave you at risk for damaged credit or collections for someone else’s purchases.

What’s most alarming is the Federal Trade Commission estimates over 400,000 Americans have had their identities compromised via mail theft. More alarming, about 10% of all identity theft happens thanks to people we know and trust.

So while knowing exactly when your National Geographic magazine arrives is ideal, using a sensor on your mailbox could be a key component in securing your identity.

 

These are just a few unconventional ways you can put your extra door and window sensors to good use. You can’t ever have too much security for your home and a comprehensive home security system designed by an expert is the first step in making sure you’re completely covered.

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Don’t Leave Your Home’s Security to the Basics — 3 Devices You Need to Buy Now

It may comes as a surprise that many companies only offer the bare minimum for a home security system. This is especially true when dealing with build-your-own configurations. You may be led to believe that all you need is a control panel and a couple of door and window sensors. But these bare-bones setups are not enough to fully protect your home during a breach in security. Arming your home with only the basics is the best way for criminals to take advantage of weaknesses in your system. While basic devices are crucial to your home’s security, they do not complete a well-rounded system. Here’s a list of three smart devices you can benefit from adding to your setup:

 

1. Glass Break Sensor

Over 90 percent of break-ins are forceful, meaning that you can expect a window to be shattered during a breach. Most criminals will not take the time to pry open a window or glass door when breaking it is easier, rendering a door or window sensor useless. Placing a Glass Break Sensor in your home as a backup is the best solution available, and the best way to further protect your assets.

 

2. Motion Sensor

You may be tempted to arm your home with the bare minimum simply because of the cost. If you have a lot of windows and doors, arming each one with a sensor is not an economical choice for many people. Fortunately, adding a Motion Sensor to common walkways in your home is a great way to cut down on costs and increase security in your home at the same time.

 

3. Ring Video Doorbell

Video tech is the future of home security and the Ring Video Doorbell leads the pack. When it’s used as a front-line solution, the Ring Video Doorbell acts as a deterrent for would-be robbers. When they know they’re being recorded, criminals are dissuaded from engaging in illegal activity.

 

Do yourself a service and don’t settle for the bare minimum when it comes to protecting your house. There are many economical and functional options to support the basic offerings of a home security system. These simple additions can save you extra money and peace-of-mind in the long run.

 

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Tilt Sensor: The Smart Device You Never Knew You Needed

If you’re overwhelmed by all the smart devices to choose from, you’re not alone; there are a lot of options to automate your home and keep it secure. Because of this, you may be missing out on extra security and convenience from products you never knew existed. Let’s be honest, a Tilt Sensor smart device is probably one of them. It’s not the most attractive device in smart home automation but it sure is useful.

Read on to see the different ways you can make this small, virtually unheard of, device work for you.

 

Secure your garage

Attached garages are an easy method of access for criminals and often overlooked by homeowners when it comes to managing home security, despite some of their most valuable assets (read: 69′ Camaro) being stored in it. When utilized, a Tilt Sensor will alert you anytime your garage door is opened, so you can take immediate action to breaches in your home security.

 

Monitor Doggy Doors

Ever worry that your doggy door could provide easy entry for intruders or even wild creatures? Whether you’re cuddled with your pooch in bed or recently bought a home with a doggy door you’re not ready to replace, a Tilt Sensor will alert you right away if anyone — or anything — is trying to access your home.

 

Watch your mailbox

If you want to keep an eye on your mail or just want to know when the mail has arrived so you’re not making several trips in knee-deep snow, a Tilt Sensor provides convenience as well as security. You’ll know when your postman arrives each day so you’re not leaving your mail and identity vulnerable to theft. 

Not to mention the benefit of only having to make one trek out in the snow.

 

Keep an eye on storm cellars

A padlock on a hinged storm cellar door might not be enough to secure your storage and belongings. And no one has time for someone taking advantage of the food storage that took you years to build up.

A tilt sensor is an easy and secure option for monitoring your cellar. Every time the door is raised, you’ll get an alert so you can quickly take action to protect your assets. 

 

These are just a few ways that a Tilt Sensor can prove to be a valuable addition to your home. Complete your home’s security system with a Tilt Sensor smart device and have peace of mind, knowing that every corner of your home is monitored.

 

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