Few human initiatives are as ancient and respectable as home fortification. We separated ourselves from the animal kingdom by the strength of our wits, and our knack for self-defense. So in order to defend our family from others, we’d like to become home fortification experts.
Especially if the world we know collapses and desperate people want to take what’s ours. Now good home fortification doesn’t need a full castle moat and a mangled barbed wire fence ringing your lawn. making a secure home can be done by adding up lots of simple tactics. It all depends on how far you would like to take it.
So first you must ask yourself:
- Do you want a secure house that looks as normal as possible?
- Or are you trying to remodel the structure you live in to resemble a bunker with maximum defense capabilities?
The more difficult your home is to penetrate the more likely a criminal will choose an easier target. Make it an absolute pain-in-the-ass for the enemy, and he’ll move on to easier targets. (aka your neighbors).
So with that said, I’m going to share my very best tips to help you put your own personal home fortification plan in place.
Start With the Obvious – Security Cameras
A simple Google search can offer a large kind of home security and police work options. Systems you can purchase and have installed directly into your home.
Usually, these security services enable you to “arm” your home when you aren’t there or after you have gone to sleep. Once the system is armed, any windows breaking or doors being forced open will trigger an alarm that notifies local authorities.
They basically call 911 for you when somebody breaks in. However, this constant monitoring isn’t low cost. DIY surveillance systems are cheaper and can be set up with relative ease. However, you can’t personally watch them 24/7.
So you have to decide that home fortification option is correct for you. The good new is a potential intruder doesn’t know if that security camera is tied to a monitoring system or not. They just see cameras and will probably just move on to an easier target.
However, if you’re not willing to take that gamble and have the dollars to pay here are some home security and surveillance systems you’ll look into:
There are a whole lot of security systems to think about so we suggest you do your homework. However, Frontpoint is our home security system of choice because 1) Simple DIY setup 2) It’s a transportable system that can move with you 3) They have a 30-day money back guarantee.
So they are worth checking out if you wish a full system with 24/7 monitoring capabilities. But honestly, this is just one security measure you can take to fortify your home. so if cash is tight then worry about the following options first.
Simple Ideas That Can Compound Your Home Fortification Efforts
Home defense does not have to be complex booby traps and unaffordable technology, to work effectively. How about some simple solutions? Like these:
Motion triggered lights – These handy motion sensing illuminators are available at Amazon. They’re an inexpensive, easy manner of detecting when intruders are intruding. Truthful warning, though: you’ll doubtlessly catch some unsuspecting wildlife by surprise from time-to-time.
Bells or Chimes – Hang a bell on your door, or some chimes just inside your door. Your mind can become accustomed to the jingling sound of your doors opening and closing. If you’re asleep, and wake in the middle of the night to jingling and jangling, you know one thing unusual is afoot.
Dogs – Whether or not you like them or not, these furry companions serve as one of the most effective home protection. Huge dogs are better, for obvious reasons, but even little dogs can serve as an alarm, or maybe even a deterrent.
Other Pets – While a dog will be a decent choice, generally more exotic pets can offer an extra level of intimidation. If somebody breaks into a house and comes face-to-face with a bengal tiger living it, there is no way they’re going to follow through with their villainous intentions. But proceed at your own caution. Wild animals don’t always perceive the difference between “good guys” and “bad guys”.
Fences – The age-old technology of the fence is one of mankind’s greatest accomplishments. They merely keep folks out of places you do not want them to be. Install one if you’re involved with home security. Just be smart about it, they’ll create a false sense of security and even make you a target. It’s just one tool you’ll use to make it harder for someone to snoop on your property. Most home fences can be easily scaled.
Natural View Blocking Solutions
Big flamboyant houses with exuberant options and huge fences make for excellent targets. It shouts, “We have lots of expensive stuff. Thus expensive we place up a huge fence.” Not all fences are unhealthy however most fences are mere child’s play for an experienced criminal or a desperate mob. However are ways to help conceal your house and naturally protect your privacy and provide security.
Mother nature has got you covered. Criminals won’t be able to scope your property out and develop a solid game set up if they can’t see in your windows from the street.
Trees and Shrubs – If you’re lucky enough to live in a house with a field or acreage, make use of it. Planting a lot of trees and shrubs around your house is not just good for property values; it is also effective at concealing your privacy.
They can also help block windows and driveways, front doors, patios, or backyards from view. And the fewer prying eyes to roam your home, the better.
Shrubs will be planted strategically to funnel invaders into defined areas that are simple to keep watch of. There are also many thorny bushes like blackberry and raspberry vines that can act as physical barriers against threats.
Which brings us to the next thorny category:
Cacti – These are nature’s barbed wire fences. In the days of Spanish colonization of the americas, Spaniards would plant mesquite around the perimeters of their homes.
This gangly, wild looking cactus would grow to well over eight feet tall. It will serve as an ideal means of protection against unwelcome intruders.
Don’t underestimate a well-placed thorn bush or Cacti beneath your first-floor windows. I don’t care how motivated you’re to break in, no one wants to get stuck with a bunch of thorns trying.
Blend In – Don’t Stick Out
Eye-catching, expensive looking homes are more likely to become targets. Thus do your best to keep your home flying under the radar.
You do not have to paint the house in a camouflage green to achieve this (actually that would stick out worse in most neighborhoods). Just avoid bright colors and stick to a lot of natural hues. Park your vehicles in garages, around back or hide them under tarps.
Also, use window blinds or curtains to keep outsiders from seeing valuables or expensive items you may have.
Train Your Family
No sane individual would knowingly break into a house full of highly trained, sharp-shooting badasses? Not only will a well-trained clan deter potential intruders, it ensures that every member of your family is capable of self-defence. This alone will grant you some semblance of peace of mind. But before you ship your relatives off to a military boot camp, do everything you can to prepare them with easier means first.
Take Your Family Shooting – It will be BB guns, .22’s, .357’s or AK-47’s or even a survival bow. As long as you get your loved one’s to know how guns work, a way to use them, and how to stay safe with them you’ve done your job.
Shooting is a nice skill everyone should learn. It’s helpful for hunting and imperative for effective self-defence.
Martial Arts – Enrolling in a martial arts school is one of the best things you can do to arrange yourself for a home invasion. I’d rather have a firearm than not, but I won’t be a sitting duck if I find yourself unarmed. Picking a specific style can be tough. Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Mui Thai and Ju Jitsu are all tight options to get started.
Melee Weapons – An easy kitchen knife, baseball bat or golf club will become an efficient self-defence weapon. But only if it’s in the hands of somebody who knows a way to use it effectively. Your entire family should be both physically and mentally prepared to keep intruders at bay.
Fortify Your Home Focus On The High Risk and Weak Points First
It might appear intuitive to you, however you’d be stunned how many individuals are afraid when burglar’s gain access to their homes. Usually it’s through an unlocked window or a fragile sliding glass door!
Let’s break it down statistically and take a look. Here are the highest seven common points of access criminals use to invade homes:
- 34% – Through the front door
- 23% – Through the first-floor windows
- 22% – Through a back door
- 9% – Through the garage
- 6% – Though unlocked storage areas
- 4% – Through basement or window
- 2% – Through second-floor window
Obviously, the most important places to fortify are the front and back doors. Next, is all the first-floor windows. But don’t stop there, you should reinforce all possible points of entry for maximum security.
Reinforcing Front/Back Doors – Install some huge solid doors, ideally built for reinforcement. You’ll purchase these at hardware stores like Home Depot, and they are worth the investment.
Regular hollow core wood or glass doors don’t hold up well against a determined intruder. While you’re working on your doors, it’s always an honest plan to install some quality locks. Add a deadbolt or two if you don’t have one already.
Class 2, one-inch deadbolts are recommended. Ordinary doorframes aren’t the most durable security mechanisms, either. By putting in some three-inch screws can improve stability and durability by a factor of ten. This may facilitate make it much tougher to break through. You might also want to buy some of those devices for “extraordinary” times such as a SHTF event.
Securing Windows – Massive glass-covered holes in your wall make for intuitive targets. Windows are quick access points and one of the first places an intruder will try.
Planting cacti or thorny bushes beneath windows can make it harder for home invaders to get through. You can also add “stoppers” to make access even harder. These are simply pins, nails, or screws that fasten the window down permanently. Anyone attempting to gain access through a stoppered-window can waste time and make noise doing so.
Burglar bars and security film can also make it nearly impossible to achieve access through a window. Thief bars are bars that area unit fixed over the window so that, even if somebody breaks the window, they still cannot gain access.
Security film is a thin layer of plastic that can be laid over the glass to keep it from shattering completely. Much like car windshields, this clever mechanism makes sure an intruder would need to break the entire window to enter. This can be a loud and time-consuming effort most criminals prefer to avoid.
Securing Your Walls – Typically, walls don’t present a problem … unless the hulk is trying to break into your home. However if somebody decides to start shooting at the exterior of your home, drywall, and wooden studs aren’t going to save you.
Brick or stone walls are the most effective for mitigating this threat. But leave yourself “loopholes”. These are little openings from which you’ll see and shoot, without being seen or shot a.
Block Up Those Chimneys – Who knows, right? Perhaps somebody is so intent on breaking into your home they plan to take the ash-tunnel route.
If you’re in extreme danger and need to fortify to the best extent possible, then block up your chimney. You don’t want any bad Santa’s coming down the pipes.
The Best Defense is a Good Offense
Make sure that you are well armed and equipped to manage a home invasion situation. Planting trees, painting the house and getting a German Shepard is great, however it’s not always enough on its own.
You need to outfit your home fortification with as much firepower and ammunition as is critical. If you’re serious about home defense (and you should be), set some booby-traps on your property. simple things like trip wires with bells hooked up is enough to alert you to intruders. But please, don’t set up any deadly traps inside your house.
First off, the are highly illegal. Folks have died at their own hands because they set off a booby trap they themselves set. Watch out when you set traps, if you’re not vigilant you might just catch yourself.
A Final Warning
Here is the rub: if someone is 100 percent determined to enter your home and rob you (or cause bodily harm) they most likely can.
That is unless you have a well defended, best-prepared bulletproof home it may be broken into if a large enough group coordinates an attack. Thus you have 2 choices.
- Work towards making your home bulletproof.
- Have a backup plan if you’re not willing to get it up to bulletproof standards. Specify a “bug-out-location” with your family or roommates so that you have a place to regroup should your defenses fall.
Which results in the next dark truth. You’ll not be able to stay in your house forever if you’re not prepared enough. Areas with higher populations are more susceptible to violent riots and high levels of crime. Thus if you live in a huge city or around lots of individuals it’s certainly in your best interest to develop a backup plan.
Evacuation doesn’t have to be a foul issue, change may be overcome, if you plan for it. With luck, you’ll never have to defend your home from anyone or anything. That’s the hope. But if things go south and you need to defend your home, you can ensure that you are prepared to the highest degree.
