How much do you think you would lose if someone gained access to your garage or your home? According to Family Living Today, that price tag is going to come in around $2,200 on average. For some people, the losses are going to be even higher. For some car enthusiasts, their most valuable property is behind the garage door in the form of tools, parts, and historic cars. For others, their most prized possessions lay behind the garage door into the house. Either way, those losses hurt, but they are also preventable.
Modern technology can keep you, yours and your belongings safe. Here are some tech upgrades to get you started.
Begin With the Basics
Upgrading your home security does not have to be complicated. Start with the basics: access points and lights. You can prevent most garage burglaries by installing locks on windows and securing your doors. If you find yourself forgetting to close your garage door, install a timer. You could even disable the system if you are going away for vacation.
Covering your windows with plastic film is also smart. It lets the light in but prevents would-be thieves from casing your property. If you are in an area prone to burglary or you have a precious property inside your garage, springing for window bars or an alarm system is a good idea. Lights are important, too. Motion-sensor lights, smart timers or just bright lighting can be a deterrent to would-be thieves.
Protect Your Vehicles
If you believe that your vehicles are a likely target for theft, consider using anti-theft devices on your automobiles. Steering wheel locks and tire locks are low-tech and effective for preventing someone from taking your car. You could also use an electronic tracking system for your vehicle. While this won’t stop your car from getting stolen, it will help you get it back. They have a 90 percent recovery rate.
If you are a skilled mechanic or know someone who is, you might want to look at installing kill switches. Put one on the fuel pump or install several, creating your own sort of code. It takes a pro to do it right, but this method is practically impossible to beat.
Better Security Video
Finally, look at installing a security camera system. A good system, like Lorex Technology’s Nocturnal cameras, will have features like color night vision, weatherproof housing, 4K video resolution, and high-efficiency video compression recording (which records 4K footage without the large file size). Lorex Nocturnals also offer remote viewing capabilities and will record footage 24/7, unless you opt to start recording footage only when motion is detected.
On top of that, through the camera system’s Network Video Recorder (NVR), you can program regional motion zones, which can be customized for heightened sensitivity to motion. Depending on how much motion you set as the threshold, the NVR won’t start recording until that threshold has been reached. By setting these regional motion zones, you can have the camera focus on a specific spot, such as the garage, so that the slightest movement will trigger the camera to start recording (leaving other areas to record when more movement is detected).
Keep your vehicle and your home safe with tech upgrades. Low-tech options like window film, extra locks, and steering wheel locks work well to deter thieves, but there is so much more you can do. In addition to installing kill switches and tracking devices, you can also install timers for your lights and garage door or start recording your own security footage. With night vision and sound recording capabilities, you can rest easy knowing that your home and your family is well protected.
Good advice and we all need a little more protection.