Home security

[Dargo]

I have 16 cameras monitering my property at all times as well as 2 trained German Shepherd Dogs on duty. That is besides the fact that all of my neighbors know that I am licensed to have fully automatic firearms that I frequently shoot. Some neighbors used to call the Sherriff to report automatic gunfire at my house and high caliber rounds being fired, but the Sherriff is very well aware of what I have and how I am licensed. We have not had any issues. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[pennwalk]

Guys, you are really helping me get focused. Thank You.

Chris

 

[pennwalk]

<font color="blue"> YES to everything except air filtration </font>

The air filtration thing came up because the neighbors have a bomb shelter. Sleeps 8, generator, well. It's huge. It's something like 50 years old. Anyway I'm not sure if you want to hunker down or run. May depend on what type of emergency you are facing. We are down wind and not very far from 3 mile island.

Chris

 

[pennwalk]

I was wondering if a couple of security camera bubbles on the corners of the house wouldn't act as a deterrent. It would be nice to be able to see what is going on on the driveway from the office. To be able to pull up the pictures of the driveway on the computer.

Chris

 

[JoeR]

A friend of mine used to design security systems for Nuclear Power plants. The one rule of thumb he taught me is you want to detect an intruder at the perimeter and not upon entry. Dogs are good since they can hear an intruder outside your house before they gain entry. Otherwise, you should install cameras or perimeter sensors. This way you know when someone is outside rather than inside with you. I am a firm believer in this now. I have a vehicle sensor on my driveway along with a camera. If the sensor goes off, I look at the camera and figure out what is going on. I also have a couple of simple motion sensors around the house that trigger a buzzer in the house too.

Joe

 

[pennwalk]

<font color="blue"> I also have a couple of simple motion sensors around the house that trigger a buzzer in the house too. </font>

That sounds like a good idea.

Chris

 

[riptides]

I am going for staggard, perimeter type defence system.
<ul type="square">
One my neighbors house looks more interesting than mine
Two my driveway is barely accessable
Three my dogs vary in size from "crush me" to "ankle biter"
Four my barn looks better than my house
Five the moat around my house is filled with a foul smelling liquid
Six the barn looks better than my house
Seven all phone lines are buried and the box wires are steel encased
Eight one big dog is in the house or barn, I forget
Nine a safe room is being built on the top floor
Ten guns are located in the safe room
[/list]

-Mike Z.

 

[dmccarty]

Chris,

We did not put in an alarm system for a couple of reasons. The insurance savings would take years to pay off the system which tells me the insurance company ain't worried about my house being hit. Two the systems are a PITA.

Also we are isoloated. The wife worries about locking the doors which is a good idea, when we are not at home. Given our isolation and glass doors/windows its real easy to get in. I would rather them walk in the door than break it down. Now we do have a GSD guardng the house that would likely make most people walk away rather than trying to open the door behind which the dog is laying plans to eat them. And the only thing between the dog and them is a glass panel. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

But it can be done. We keep our gate very icky looking. I would like to spruce it up but it just looks like a gate keeping people from tresspassing land. The house can not be seen from the gate so we are in stealth mode. There are easier houses to access. The other thing in our favor is we are a dead end road. Once you are in there ain't but one way out. Which makes the professional's a bit nervous since they cannot get away real easy.

I refuse to have bushes near the house for a couple of reasons. Security is one. I built a nice lookig house and spent alot of money to do so. I want to see the house not a bush. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif And I'm worried about snakes hiding under the buhes and the kids reaching for a toy....

The kids are not old enough to be told what to do. But the oldest is getting there.

I'm don't loose sleep over bad guys hitting the house. Either we are home and between me, the dog and the wife the bads buys will have a bad day. If we are not home I worry about the dog getting hurt but the rest can be replaced.

I'm TERRIFIED and DO loose sleep regarding tornado, h'canes, and wind storms. We just had a storm go through and east of us I have seen a few trees that got taken down. When we build the second phase of the house it WILL have a tornado shelter. In the current plan the door to the shelter is hidden and the shelter can double as a safe room.

We did put in wiring for security cameras. I have looked into them and one day we will have 'em. A guy I work with installs systems as a side job and he has shown me some interesting stuff. There are camera's out there that work day and night. At night you flood the area around the house with IR. To the cameras its like daylight. To the bad guy its still dark.... I think this would be neat to watch the animals. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

We have mulitple cell phones so if the phone lines gets cut we still can call for help.

Later,
Dan

 

[MossRoad]

Don't forget to put a sign at your door(s) that reads, "If you can read this, your picture is already on the internet via wireless connection. Have a nice day." /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[meledward23]

I have a steel security door mounted at the top of the stairs to my second floor. With the layout of my home it makes perfect sense. The upstairs is only bedrooms, so all bedrooms are in the "safe zone". The door is secured to the wall studs on both sides. We secure the door everynight when we go to bed. "The fortress is locked down". If an animal forgets to come upstairs before bed time he sleeps in the rest of the house and is usually irritated by morning.

All second story windows are more or less inaccesible. A nice extension ladder would help a "badie" get inside. But short of that I am much more comfortable if that someone comes to hit the house while we are home they arent waking me up standing next to me, but rather bashing a tough door in. At which point they better turn tail before I take three steps to the safe.