How can you prevent your home being burgled?
Inspiration - 24 October 2022
Before long, the clocks will be changing to winter time. For most people, that means an extra hour in bed. But what most homeowners don’t realise is that start of winter time also signals the start of break-in time. The darker days provide burglars with more time to strike unnoticed. High time therefore, to take proper precautions, because every break-in is one too many.
By taking a few simple steps, you can make it more difficult for burglars to gain entry.
QUALITY LOCK AND HINGES
It’s extremely important to ensure that all the weak spots in your home are properly secured. If, in spite of everything, a burglar decides to pick out your home, time will not be on their side. Research has shown that a burglar gives up on a break-in attempt after an average of three minutes. For that reason, it’s vital to have all your (sliding) windows and doors fitted with quality locks and hinges. Based on the number of SKG stars assigned to these fittings, it’s possible to see how burglar-resistant they actually are. Sobinco door and window fittings come with 2 or 3 SKG stars, which signifies a high degree of burglar resistance.
Discover here 10 systems that ensure your home is burglar-resistant.
Check out for yourself how secure your door and window fittings are
Based on the number of stars, it’s possible to see how burglar-resistant your locks and hinges actually are.
SKG certification is an initiative of Stichting Kwaliteit Gevelbouw. This independent organisation is responsible for testing locks and hinges for their durability and strength. If the test shows that the fittings in question are burglar-resistant they are given SKG certification. In this way you can be sure the window and door fittings in your home are secure and so provide a deterrent to burglars. SKG certificates come with a number of stars that indicate the level of burglar resistance.
1 star = standard burglar resistance
In itself, an SKG* lock is not burglar-resistant. This means that if you want proper security, you should have other products with better certification fitted.
2 stars = strong burglar resistance
SKG** locks can delay a burglar by up to 3 minutes when they try to break in to your home.
3 stars = extremely strong burglar resistance
The strongest locks have SKG*** certification and can delay a burglar trying to break in to your home by up to no less than 5 minutes. That doesn’t sound long, but for someone who’s trying to break in to your home, every second counts.
By using products with SKG** or SKG*** certification, you can raise the burglar resistance of your home for little extra cost.
GOOD HABITS
Living in a secure home is a question of keeping good habits. Not even the best locks will help if you don’t use them or you leave a window open. Security in the home costs next to nothing and yet it acts as a deterrent for unwanted visitors. Below are a few examples of measures you can take yourself:
• Make sure your home looks lived in: Use time switches and proximity sensors.
• Close windows and doors and lock everything. Even if you’re only going to the shops or walking the dog. Do not leave windows in a tilt position.
• Don’t leave your keys in the inside lock or, even worse, put them under the doormat.
• Keep valuables out of sight.
• Do not put cardboard packaging outside, which may alert burglars to new devices you may have recently purchased.
• Start a neighbourhood watch group in your area.
• Going away for the weekend? Inform the neighbours and ask them to keep an eye on your property. Avoid mentioning on social networks that you’re going on holiday.
• Make sure you lock away equipment that may help a burglar (ladder, tools, etc.).
• Do you have an alarm? Don’t forget to turn it on. And be aware: if the alarm goes off, the burglar is already inside. So don’t forget these valuable tips about our burglar-resistant systems.
• Don’t hesitate to call 911 in suspicious circumstances. The police would rather come too often than too late. Raising the alarm as soon as possible means there’s a greater likelihood of the burglars being caught.
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