One of the things about owning a home during a meltdown or some other disaster is that it becomes a target.
When your home becomes a target, you and your family become one as well.
People do strange things when they feel threatened and in times of survival, they will do almost anything to stay alive, even attack your home and your family.
Fortunately, there are steps you can take to prepare for those tough times.
Protecting your home and by extension, your family, doesn’t take much but it will be worth the expense when it and you survive.
Unfortunately, you won’t be able to protect your home from every threat but at least you give it and your family a fighting chance.
In this post we will look at how to protect your home and keep your loved ones safe.
10 Ways to Protect Your Home From Threats
Looters and criminals are people who take advantage of other people’s misfortune.
They love to wander into defenseless homes and see what they can take with them.
While you cannot dig a moat and install a draw bridge, you can take other steps to make sure your home is safer.
#1. Get a security system
The design varies and can include components like cameras, motion detectors, spotlights, high decibel alarms, and more.
You can get the components you are comfortable with and make your home more secure.
The best way is to get a system that you can monitor without outside help.
You can also invest in recording devices that will preserve the evidence if you do make it to a trial.
#2. Replace old door jambs
Kicking in a door or using a crowbar to pry it open is easier when the door jambs are old, weak, or deteriorating.
Go through your home and see which exterior doors need new, tougher to break door jambs.
You will need strong door jambs, not fancy ones as even the fancy ones have their vulnerabilities.
Don’t pick expensive ones as sometimes basic tough door jambs will suffice.
#3. Protect your windows
These are probably the weakest link in your home.
Large windows can easily be broken with a tock and smaller ones just need a hammer.
But there are many ways to stop those attacks and keep your home secure.
It may feel like you are in a prison, but bars or grates over your windows stop many looters and attackers.
You can also opt to install bulletproof windows, tempered glass, laminated glass, window alarms, and more.
You will need to do this for all your windows as looters, etc., can send small children through those smaller windows.
#4. Buy a dog
Not just any dog but a guard dog.
These dogs are specially trained and know how to scare off criminals and other home invaders.
It might be best to get two so they can protect each other as well.
Some of the best breeds to look at are:
- Bullmastiffs
- Doberman pinschers
- Rottweilers
- German shepherds
- Giant schnauzers
- Staffordshire terriers
- Great Danes
- Boxers
- and Bernese mountain dogs.
There are other breeds that will work as well.
Make sure you take care of your dog too.
#5. Buy security doors
These are more like screen doors than regular ones.
They are tough and have been proven to keep strangers from accessing your home once in position.
The bars will prevent them from getting to your door jambs and may give you time to call the police fr for help as the intruders struggle with those security doors.
These are easy to install as well and can act as a screen door when there is no trouble.
#6. Add barbed wire to your fences
This depends on the legal status of barbed wire for fencing.
But it is effective against those who will climb your fence to get to your home.
There are other options for this as well.
Razor wire will work as will anti-climb spikes and so on.
Make sure to put up signs warning everyone of the danger to protect yourself if you are taken to court for injuries.
#7. Build a safe room
This is where you and your family will have enough supplies and air to survive an attack.
You can also keep important documents.
Credit: flickr
Money and jewelry, etc., in these safe rooms.
There are many companies that do this type of work and it is a good investment when your family’s lives are at stake.
Just make sure the room is big enough for everyone and your supplies.
#8. Find hiding places
If a safe room is out of the question, find easy to access spots where you can renovate the space and hide all your food and other supplies.
Make sure even the youngest member of your family has easy access to those items.
Also, do not talk about your supplies.
That just makes you a greater target.
The fewer others know about your prepping the better it is for you and your family.
#9. Buy a gun and ammunition
Owning guns for defense is not wrong.
It is one of the biggest deterrents you can use against criminals and looters, etc.
Don’t buy a gun too large for you or your family to handle.
Also, do not buy one that is too small to be effective.
Then make sure you have enough ammunition on hand to see you through any emergency situation.
After you make the purchase, make sure you get trained in how to use it.
Also, get training for all members of your family so they do not shoot themselves.
Have enough guns on hand to make sure if you lose one, you can still defend yourself.
#10. Include your garage
Some people may forget that their garage can be a weak link to their home security.
Everything you do to your home, you need to do to your garage.
Use bars, security doors, locks, and strong door jambs.
For the garage door, make sure it can be locked when it is down and use the lock.
If the garage is attached, make sure the door leading to your home is tough, strong, and has a good door jamb on it.
You do not want any weak links when you are protecting your home.
Some Home Security Tips
The above are physical options you can use to protect your home.
But what if you are away?
There are still things you should do to make sure your home is not looted, etc., while you are out of town.
- Stop mail and newspaper deliveries. Ask your neighbors to pick up any fliers or mistaken deliveries for you.
- Tell law enforcement in your area that you will be away and no visitors are expected at any time.
- Tell your neighbors that you will be away and ask them to keep an eye on the place. They can watch in between the times the police swing by to check on your property
- Even if it is a false alarm, make sure your neighbors say something to the police. You never know when it is not a false alarm.
- Create a list of people who hold keys to your property. Provide names, phone numbers, and addresses. This will allow the police faster access to your home in case there is a problem.
- Make sure your local police department has an updated list of your phone numbers so they can get a hold of you quickly.
- Don’t forget to arm your security system before you go away
- Make sure you lock all the doors before you leave the house whether for local or extended absences.
Other Prepping to Keep your Home and Family Safe
All the protection in the world won’t help your home if you lack the necessary equipment and supplies to carry you through the emergency.
Here are some things you should make sure are prepped at all times.
#1. First aid kit
If you fall sick or get injured you can’t protect your home that well.
Make sure you have the right kind of medications on hand as well as bandages, crutches, and so on
#2. Good communication devices
This way you can stay in contact with the outside world and your family if you get separated.
Walkie Talkies for everyone are one option and back up batteries for cell phones or power banks are another.
CB or ham radios are another option.
#3. Food and water
The two most essential items you need a good supply of.
Store water correctly and stock up on the right food items.
Some Final Words
Keeping your home and family safe is essential in tough times.
Desperate people are known for doing very bad things to those who are not prepared.
Make sure to look at your home like you are someone looking to break in.
Find all those vulnerable spots and shore them up before it is too late.
The good news is that these safety measures do not always cost a lot of money.
Just the safe room is the most expensive item on this list.
Originally posted 2022-10-27 14:44:10.
