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There is no such thing as a burglar proof home. What there is, however using a burglar's double criteria of speedy entry and not attracting attention are homes that are too difficult to break in to.
The enemies of the burglar are time and attention. The longer it takes to enter and the more noise he makes increase his chances of being seen and caught. Homes not easily and quickly broken into are most often bypassed for easier targets. Make your home security system like an onion, not an egg, with layers upon layers, which are not only the best deterrent, but the best defense against break ins.
It is easy for a criminal to by pass a single line of defense. Multiple layers not only slow him, but serve as a means to alert you or your neighbors that someone is trying to break in. Doing these layered walk aways makes it more difficult for a criminal to meet his criteria of quick and unobserved entry. If enough of these deterrents are visible, then most of the time the would be intruder will simply choose not to even try. If he does try, then the layers he did not see will impede him. A good example of a layered defense is rosebushes outside the window, double locked, barred and safety coated side windows and something difficult to climb over inside under the window.
Consider the area that your locks sit in, because a lock is not enough, you must also address the area around it. You need to extend your thinking about security measures to eighteen and twenty four inches around the lock itself. A burglar does not care how much damage he causes getting in. T
he best locks in the world will do no good if he smashes the door in. A pine wood door frame will splinter and give way after a few savage kicks.
The back door dead bolt can often be bypassed by just breaking a window and reaching through to unlock it. Windows can be broken and locks undone. Many locked gates can be opened by simply reaching around and over. A hasp and lock will swiftly yield to blows from a even a small sledge hammer.
As well as locking some thing, you must also protect the lock and its components. A common combination of cheap locks and small construction flaws, that we tend not to notice, often give criminals the cracks in security they need to break in. Many home door locks can be quickly by passed with a knife or screw driver slid in the gap between door and frame.
After that the criminal can easily work the tongue of most cheap locks out of the door frame. A thin kitchen knife slid between sash windows can tap a normal window lock open. Hasps and locks can be hammered or twisted off in a few blows, or simply cut off with bolt cutters. Many sliding windows and doors can simply be lifted out of place.
Look at the gap between your door and your door frame from the inside to see if you can see the lock's tongue. All it takes is a flip of the criminal's wrist while holding a screw driver while on the outside to break away the thin door jam molding and expose that same gap. From there, it is another simple wrist gesture to jimmy the tongue out of the faceplate. Total elapsed time for break-in, about ten seconds with minimal noise.
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