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Showing posts with label affordable home security. Show all posts

Friday, May 31, 2024

Door Security Bar - Door Jammer Reviewed

We have two back doors in our home and both have door security bars on them at night. I love having multiple doors in our home for my own use, but I hate that they could be a security problem and potential intruder access. Let me tell you how I ever found out about door security bars. Frankly, I would never live in any home without them.

When our daughter moved out into her first apartment, I openly expressed my concern for the placement of the front door. The apartment manager recommended a door security bar that our daughter could easily put in place when she was home. The manager said it was better than a deadbolt lock because it couldn't be kicked in like a door frame. I was intrigued by this suggestion since I had never seen a door security bar. For a very small amount of money, we purchased one and immediately tried it out. It was so effective for our daughter, that I purchased two for our home.

That was years ago and several moves due to her career. Her next apartment required two security bars. She told me that she loved being able to enter through her kitchen door and easily see the front door security bar was still in place. I understood the peace of mind it provided her. Since then, she has had door security bars in every home, in every city, in every country she has lived in.

If we are driving when we travel, we have taken a door security bar to hotels with us. They won't travel well on airplanes, but we can easily slip one in our car.

When the door security bars are properly in place, no one has ever been able to push through one in our experience and we have tried. They need to be firmly wedged at an angle under the door handle. I give the base of ours a little kick with the side of my foot to make sure it is tight and secure. Think of the movies when you have seen damsels in distress put a leaning chair under the door handle. It works exactly the same way, just doesn't take up as much space.

Master Lock Door Security Bar

These security bars work well in my home. They easily fit under our door handles and grip the tile or hardwood floors. They may not be very pretty, but security is worth more than beauty.

We remove our door security bar each morning and put it back up at night. Since we never adjust the length of the bars we have on the back doors, they are easy to pull out from under the door handle and set them behind/beside the door for the day. Then, we shove them back in place at night.

20 Gauge Steel Construction
Easy to Remove & Put Back in Place
Adjustable Length
Pivoting Ball Joint on Foot Assures Full Contact with the Floor
Fits Most Standard Doors
Works in Sliding Doors too
Remove Y-connector for Door Handle to Use with Sliding Doors
Won't Damage Floors
No Tools Required

Master Lock door security Bar, Adjustable from 27-1/2 in. to 42 in., for Sliding and Front doorsCheck Price

There are a few things you need to remember when using the door security bars.

Place them at an angle, like you see in the picture. Not straight up and down under the door knob
Wedge them firmly between the door knob and the floor
Do not place them on moveable mats - they need to be able to grip the floor

As I was preparing to write this review, I noticed there are knock-offs that are so thin that they bend. I have purchased the door security bar shown below 5 times. Unless Master changes the way they are manufacturing their security bar, this is the brand I would recommend. Otherwise, search for one that is made with 20 gauge steel. Keep in mind, steel is stronger than iron.

Master Lock door security Bar, Home security Stopper, Adjustable from 27-1/2 in. to 42 in., for Sliding and Front doors 1 Pack, 265EC

Tuesday, April 18, 2023

Reviewing Window And Door Alarms For Affordable Home Security

We have been looking for how to increase our home security recently. While not in a high crime area, it only seems sensible to do what we can to protect our home and ourselves just in case.

We can't afford to put in a complete home security system that links to the Police at present and do not want to invest in anything too expensive as we will likely be moving house in the next couple of years, so we are considering and installing more affordable alternatives.

Window Alarms For Home Security

Our friend recently went to a talk by security and the police to gain ideas and discussed them with us. One of the main things the Police suggested was to make sure windows have window locks and to always keep doors and windows locked while not in the house.

When in the house it is also best to keep all external doors locked. At night make sure that all windows on lower levels are shut and locked.

Doors need to be secure and fit well with any glass being safety-reinforced or toughened glass.

One of the other recommendations was to fix door and window alarms.

The idea of window alarms is that most burglars want to do the crime as quietly as possible while not alerting anyone to their actions. The Police said it is surprising how quietly thieves can access a window that is not alarmed.

Of course, a professional or very determined burglar wanting a priceless painting or specific expensive jewelry will never be deterred. However, we and most people don't have those things and here we are talking about the opportunist thieves who carry out most household burglaries, casual or amateur burglars looking for easy gain.

If we fit these alarms it is essential that we notify trusted neighbours so that they recognise the sound and can look out to see if there is anyone around -while keeping themselves safe of course- and then call the Police if they see anyone lurking around or any signs of attempted entry.

All too often house alarms sound and everyone ignores them thinking they are going off by mistake so this step with neighbours is essential. Of course, we reciprocate with them and keep a watch on their homes.

In addition, the good aspect of window alarms is that when we are at home at night and one of the alarms goes off because of a thief or attacker entering, there will be time to lock ourselves in a room and call for assistance. The noise may even deter the burglar from bothering.

However, the Police said that most crimes take place during the day when they think you are out. I am not sure why but I always assumed crime would take place at night but apparently, with burglaries that is not generally the case.

It is of course essential that we also have window locks on all windows and ideally double glazed with toughened safety glass on at least the most vulnerable windows. An active neighbourhood community watch on each others homes is of course a real bonus.

Fitting A Window Or Door Alarm

The window alarms we bought are very discreet and simple to set up and use. They are relatively small but do sound a very loud alarm.

All you need to do is fix the adhesive strips to the two main parts of the alarm. Then position lightly, one on the fixed window frame and one on the mobile window.

Do make sure the little arrows if they have them point to each other. You do have to make sure that the two parts of the alarm are within a specified distance of each other otherwise it will not work.

Once they are in place lightly fixed, you can test them simply by switching to alarm and then opening the window or door. Then if working well you can firmly press on the alarm parts to fix it securely.

They are fitted to the inside of the window itself and the frame of the internal window. They are very secure and ours have never just dropped off. As they fit so firmly you would need to take them off carefully but that would be possible if required.

There is no wiring required, no drilling or screws and no damage to the windows or the frame. If you wanted to you could take them off when you move house so ideal if you are renting a house or likely to move soon. This was a big plus for us.

There are three settings on ours off, alarm and bleep. When the seal between them is broken for example by an attempt to prise open the window, or force exerted against the door, the alarm or bleep sounds.

30%

Door Window Alarm, 120DB Door Alarms for Kids Safety, Door Chime for Store Home

As they do fit so discreetly and on the inside of the windows you cannot see them from outside, so if they are to act as a deterrent it is also worthwhile buying a few stickers that alert people to the fact that you have window or door alarms fitted. Some alarms come with stickers, while others do not.

Reasons For Fitting A Window Or Door Alarm

Our main reason for getting them is as a deterrent and an alert, so ours are all set to alarm when the windows are closed.
Some people have said that the quieter but distinctive bleep setting is invaluable for use on doors when they have small children or elderly, vulnerable relatives who might leave a door open or wander out the door when they should not. The noise alerts them to a door being opened.
They can be useful for small businesses when you just want an inexpensive easy to fix way to alert you to a customer entering your premises for business. Clearly then you would look for an alarm with a bleep setting. A full loud alarm setting is useful for when you are leaving and locking the premises.
People may find them useful to fix up when traveling and staying over in motels for added peace of mind in a new or strange place. Perhaps fit them lightly in these circumstances as you are removing them very soon. Check with owner to make sure it is Ok to fix them.
They could be useful for students going away to University and living in halls or a flat. Check with the University first.
People are also using them when traveling in their RVs or Caravans for a security measure.

Testing The Alarm

The alarm noise setting ought to be very loud and when testing the alarm as you will be very close. It is wise to either put it on the lowest noise setting if it has one, or cover the alarm part with a cloth to dampen down the noise or wear ear defenders.

Certainly do not stay near the alarm while it is going off for any length of time, as over time hearing can be damaged.

It is important to test the alarms every so often, maybe once a month. If it has batteries they will need replacing after a while. The length of battery time you get from the battery may depend on if the alarms have been sounded often or not.

Window Alarm System 4-Pack - Ultra-Loud 120dB Alarms with Advanced Vibration Sensors - Window Security Alarms for Glass Break Detection - Features Low Battery LED Indicator

At first, we were concerned that they would be too sensitive and that we would get lots of annoying false alarms but that has not been the case with ours. The window cleaner also did not set them off when he cleaned the windows.

So it appears that with ours there has to be some force exerted to initiate the alarms. This is good for us as we have neighbours living close to us and we did not want to be annoying them or have lots of false alarms. A more rural or isolated location may not have these concerns. Some are very sensitive indeed and may or may not suit your needs.

Features Of Window Alarms To Consider

There are various window alarms with slightly different features. It depends on what is important to you personally and why you are using the alarms.

Here are some features to consider whether or not they are important to you when choosing a window/door alarm.

Does it have a high/low sensitivity feature and is that important to you?
What are the alarm sound or sounds options such as a high pitched alarm sound or bleep noise.
The length of time the alarm sounds may be important to you whether it is continuous until stopped, lasts only 60 seconds or repeats.
Do you need to switch it off manually or does it have a remote control?
Does it include warning stickers or do you will need or want to buy these separately?
We went for the system where the alarm has two parts you fix to the window and the frame but there are also alarms that are just one part that stick to the window pane itself, which is another option.
Do check how easy or difficult they are to remove once in position, especially those you stick to the window pane glass itself and if you know you will need to remove it for moving or because you are renting.
Some like the one below have a blinking light feature to alert would be burglars to its presence.

Window Alarm System 4-Pack - Ultra-Loud 120dB Alarms with Advanced Vibration Sensors - Window Security Alarms for Glass Break Detection - Features Low Battery LED Indicator

My experience is with very simple affordable manual window/door alarms, but you can also buy ones that link to wifi, phone app alerts and many other features that you may be interested in considering.

What it has given us is a little extra peace of mind. It is not and should not be the only home security measure we utilise, but it does give another layer of protection and security.