Community
Studies: Publications
From this page, I will be linking a wide variety of information regarding homes -- buying, selling, maintaining, beautifying and enjoying.
The links above are generally to articles that have appeared in my Newsletter, The Scarboro Heights Record. Please come back often for new articles.
Don't Invite Burglars
Let's face it - the majority burglars are lazy. They like to get into a house the same way you do -- by walking through a door. And that's the easiest way for them to get your moveable property out, too. If a door doesn't prove to be an easy mark, then a window is likely the next target. That's why if you do nothing else to improve the security of your home, beefing up defenses at entry doors and windows should be at the top of your list.
The mere sight of a sturdy door outfitted with a dead-bolt lock may be enough to make an intruder walk away in search of an easier target. And that's precisely the impression you want to make with all of your home's entry doors -- not just the front door, but also service doors from the garage, French doors, old cellar and coal-chute doors, and doors to three-season porches as well. Just as important as the door and its lock are an entry's other components -- the doorframe, nearby windows, and the surrounding walls. One weak spot may be all a thief needs to gain entry.
There should be a light fixture outside every door on a house to enable a scan of the area to be accomplished safely from inside. Put globes on these light fixtures which are vandal-resistant. It is possible to wire such fixtures to a photo-cell or timer so that they automatically come on at dusk and turn off at dawn. This arrangement ensures the exterior of your home is illuminated during hours of darkness and makes it more difficult for an observer to tell when you are gone.
The Scarboro Heights Record V11 #2
Visitors Since October 8, 2006