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insurance: security
Securing your home against any unwanted elements or natural disasters is the first step towards securing your investment.

 Perimeter
 Sliding doors
 Security screen doors
 Glass panel doors
 Keyed window locks
 Smoke detectors
 Intruder alarm

 Perimeter
Doors permitting front, side and/or rear entry should be of the solid core type and be fitted with a double cylinder deadlock which can only be operated on either side a key. Where, say a rear door is meant to allow escape in an emergency, the locking device needs to be of the type which can be disengaged by hand from the inside.

An escape door which can only be operated from the inside by key may well be illegal for reasons of safety.

 Sliding doors
More difficult to secure, since they can be levered up and out from their tracks. In addition to the usual deadlocking, these can be fitted at the base with horizontal locking bars to reduce the possibility of the door removal by lever action.

 Security screen doors
Many purport to be 'security' types but only those which are designed to the Australian Standard should be considered since their design would include at least three locking bolts and similarly be hung from at least three hinges. Hinge bolts can provide added strengthening.

Door frames need to be solidly constructed to minimise the likelihood of easy attack and similarly, the actual metal grilles must be securely welded to the door body.

 Glass panelled doors
Although safety glass is required, being of heavier weight than normal window glass and more difficult to penetrate, these types of doors should have the additional fitting of metal grilles or bars, which in turn are fitted to the internal surface of the door panel framework, to make removal much more difficult.

 Keyed window lock
These vary in the way in which they are hung, whether from the top, side or sliding.

Note that with wind-out type windows, some are fitted with locks, although it is common for these windows to be opened by lever action from the base, since the fixing screws to the window panel frame generally screw into a shallow depth of perhaps 10mm.

All windows can and should be fitted with separate key operated window locks which are keyed alike.

Such locks are readily available and serve the purpose of making unauthorised entry difficult due to the need for the window pane having to be broken. Apart from the noise factor, an intruder attempting entry through a broken window pane risks injury from protruding glass shards.

Removable or fixed metal bars as well as security grilles are available in numerous designs to satisfy most visual requirements for attractiveness.

 Smoke detectors
These vary in size and type. The ultimate form of smoke detection is an installation which is hard-wired with internal alarm, back-up battery (in the event of a power failure) and monitored externally. Cost is the determining factor here but there are numerous good quality types of detectors which are low cost and carry low battery level warning s as well as testing 'buttons'.

It is said that a person's sense of smell is diminished when asleep and the likelihood of asphyxiation in a fire situation is heightened as a consequence. Smoke detectors are a proven early warning safety device.

Care needs to be exercised that there are sufficient detectors installed in a home so that both living areas and bedrooms have strategically positioned smoke detectors.

 Intruder alarms
These vary from the do-it-yourself type of very basic alarm to a fully external monitored system which provides full coverage internally and has all perimeter openings fitted with alarm devices. Naturally the cost of the former is much less than the latter although even this is better than no alarm at all. As well as personal safety considerations, intruder alarms should be tailored to the value and attractiveness of what is contained within the home.

A basic system if properly installed will mean that a siren or bell will sound if an entry point is opened and the sound will rely upon a response from the occupant or a neighbour. Often of course, these sounds are ignored if the residence is unoccupied at the time. There are monitored systems which will result in a response from the Security Company or some other person's pre-arranged response.

The type of monitoring chosen will determine how reliable the system is. Basic monitoring systems may not alert the monitoring personnel of an alarm situation if the telephone line is cut, whereas alarm monitoring via a dedicated line is designed to do so.

An intruder alarm can also be arranged to have zone protection in order that in an occupied home overnight, selected areas can remain under alarm surveillance thus permitting freedom of movement within bedroom/bathroom areas.

Intruder alarms should not only be installed professionally but be maintained by having a servicing agreement for inspections and testing at either annual or two-yearly intervals.

Note:
In conjunction with the alarm movement sensors and perimeter devices, smoke detectors can be added to the system and if monitored, the system will distinguish between the different detection sensors to permit early notification to the fire brigade if a smoke detector has become activated.