Burglaries are often committed spontaneously, but some burglars plan in advance and tackle their crime with much more precision. However, there’s common ways that burglars enter homes that don’t vary for the most part. Here’s a guide to some of the most common ways that burglars outsmart residential locks, as prepared by the residential security experts here at Top Locksmith.
Unlocked Windows and Doors
This is surprisingly common. Just make sure that your windows and doors are unlocked before going to sleep or leaving your home. Even the highest quality and strongest security level lock in the world means nothing if it’s not properly locked.
Zero Alarms
If your home doesn’t have an alarm system, and happens to be on a dark street, burglars have a long time to complete the process of bumping or picking your lock. If you have an alarm in place, burglars will likely not even attempt bumping in order to avoid triggering the alarm. We recommend a monitored alarm system that will automatically deploy the authorities to your location when it detects suspicious activity.
Deadbolts
It’s estimated that over 30 percent of burglars enter through front doors and over 22 percent enter through backdoors. Any lock weaker than high quality deadbolts will do almost nothing to prevent them from entering with brute force. Make sure to add high quality, durable, high security deadbolts to all the main entrances to your home, including the back door.
Sliding Doors
Sliding door locks are quite easy to bypass; but you can prevent this by installing a safety bar for wedging a dowel rod into the frame of the track, creating a physical barrier that prevents the door from opening.
Landscaping
Burglars often make the most of large, obstructing trees and bushes to hide out in for as long as possible in order to use the time to bypass or break through your locks. We recommend cutting back tall bushes or hedges – especially those close to your home’s perimeter – or at least installing natural deterrents like thorny or sharp plants. We also advise homeowners to install motion sensor lighting around entry points of the home. This will scare off potential burglars skulking around your property at night.