Top 10 home security tips – Ayrton Bespoke

Best way to keep your home secure

Front doors

The most vulnerable part of your property. More secure doors are thicker than original Victorian or later period doors – 65mm -therefore adding more timber and increasing the strength of the door dramatically. Use Banham mortice locks and always two deadlocks. Make sure these are locked when the property is empty and at night, engage at least one of these locks. If someone breaks in they cannot exit the front door.

Video doorbells and spy hole cameras

Great new products are on the market, replacing intercoms and the old spy hole with Wi-Fi video cameras that can alert you to motion straight to your mobile. Check out Ring.com.

Double glazing

Breaking a double-glazed window is hard work and more avoided by burglars these days as there is a higher chance of DNA being caught on the glazing materials.

Glass type

Toughened glass is essential for front door glazed panels at the very least. Stained glass can be replicated within a double-glazed unit. Consider laminated glass for more vulnerable locations, such as rear and side positions of a property. Laminated glass does not shatter, rather like a car windscreen.

Window locks and hinges

Sashes should all have dead bolts (see bottom image), ideally in two positions, with lockable catches. Similarly handles and stays should all be lockable on casement windows.

Door locks

French and folding doors should all have multi-point locks, usually operated with a single handle.

Obstructions

Makes sure there is no hiding place, such as a high hedge at the front of your property where someone has time to break in. Gravel is also a good old-fashioned deterrent!

Cameras

Ring.com and Nest have affordable stick up cameras that can pick up motion and record it. You can’t have enough of them! Fixed recordable cameras are an upgrade on this.

Alarm system

If all else fails!

Insurance

Check your policy to see what is required to be adequately insured.

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