Kids heading back to school means fewer people at home or outside on the street – and that leaves homes more vulnerable to break-ins. As the new school year begins, it’s a good time to take steps to improve home security.
“There’s nothing a burglar likes more than an empty house on an empty street,” said Steve Kolobaric, Marketing Manager of Weiser, manufacturers of innovative, high quality and secure door locksets. “When there’s no one around to keep watch, it’s important to have good locks and other security measures to protect the house until you and your neighbours get home.”
Simple precautions can make a huge difference, Kolobaric says, suggesting home security should be part of every family’s back-to-school planning.
“One of the biggest mistakes is leaving the door unlocked. This is especially problematic for families with small children, who are prone to losing keys,” he explained. “This can be resolved easily with a keyless entry system like the Weiser SmartCode, which lets you – and your kids – come in and out of the home without having to worry about keys.”
Many families also try the ‘hide-a-key’ approach, which Kolobaric says doesn’t work either. “Unfortunately, the bad guys know all the hiding places – under the welcome mat, on top of the door frame, inside the fake rock,” Kolobaric says. “Installing a keyless system is a much safer choice.”
Weiser’s SmartCode 10 Touchscreen lets you or your children into the house by inputting an easy four to eight digit code, while the Kevo Smart Lock can open the door with a smartphone. If your child doesn’t have a smartphone, you can put a Kevo key fob in his or her backpack, which will allow them to simply touch the keyhole to open the door.
Other back-to-school home security tips Weiser suggests:
• Make sure all the doors and windows, on every floor, are locked, all the time. Half of all break-ins are through unlocked doors.
• Use deadbolts to prevent forced entry. All exterior doors should have deadbolts with at least a 1” throwbolt.
• Leave a light on all day, so would-be burglars think someone might be home.
• Make sure you keep your street address visible, in case police are needed. When affixing numbers to your house, they should be at least four inches high, reflective and visible from the street.
“These are easy, common sense steps not just to make your family safer, but to ensure that they feel safer,” Kolobaric says.