Dos and don'ts for home security

Keeping your house safe from burglars is mostly a matter of making it look like it's more trouble than it's worth for thieves to break in. Here are do and don't tips to keep your home safe from burglars.

• Build a fence with gates around your property (but don't obscure windows).
• Store valuables in a fireproof, waterproof safe.
• Establish neighbourhood watch programs, and post signs that area homes are being watched.
• Program your local police precinct on your phone's autodial or post the number near the phone.
• Replace hollow-core outside doors with steel doors.
• Install a wide-angle (180-degree) peephole in your front door. Simply drill a hole to put it in. If the bell rings and you don't see anyone through the peephole, don't open the door.
• To keep intruders from lifting a sliding door out of its frame from the outside, drive a couple of screws partway into the top track on the inside. No one will be able to lift out the doors without removing the screws first.
• Install decorative grillwork over low windows (unless that violates local building or fire codes).
• Add keyed pin locks to all windows, even on the second floor. Burglars know how to use ladders.
• Trim shrubbery bordering your home. Doing so both allows you a clear view through your windows, and prevents burglars from lying in wait behind them.
• Install dead bolts on outside doors.
• Secure cellar or basement doors that lead to the outside sliding crossbars from the inside.
• Reset your garage door opener. This will keep thieves who carry collections of standard transmitters from finding one that will open your garage.

• Leave cartons from new computers, TVs or appliances outside the house. They let burglars know you have expensive new equipment inside.
• Leave ladders in plain sight. The same goes for tools that can be used to break into your home.
• Put your name on your mailbox. That's information a burglar can use to phone you and find out whether you're at home.
• Leave an extra key unsecured. Keep it mounted on the wall and closed with a combination lock. Only give the combination to people you want to have access to your house.
• Rely on door chains. They can be broken easily. Opt instead for dead bolts.