The 5 D’s of Home Defense – Delay
If you missed the introduction to this series, start here [link]
In the first article in this series, we learned what would make our house
look like a hard target, one that thieves and attackers would pass over. To
Deter an attack. In the second article, Detect, we covered ways of
knowing that someone was on your property and letting the bad guy know
that you knew of his presence. The third “D” in the five D’s to home
security is Delay. We addressed reinforcing our doors to delay intruders.
Todays article deals with our homes’ windows and other openings in our
homes and how can we delay a forced entry through them. The following
advise also applies to sliding glass doors as all the methods used will work
in the same way.
Windows are the second-most used entry point for invaders. Perhaps
there has been a time when you have been locked out of your house.
What was the next step you took? Yes, you checked the windows in case
one has been left unlocked. Crooks do the same thing. Besides walking
through an unlocked door, opening an unlocked window is the next choice
for intruders. It’s quieter than busting down a door and is potentially in a
unseen area of the yard. So, just like doors, they must be locked to
effectively delay an intrusion. Depending on the age and type of window,
the original lock may or may not be effective. A broom handle cut to the
proper length can delay an entry by preventing the window from being
pried open. Pins that go through the frame of the window and surround
work also. https://www.amazon.com/55201-Window-Guard-Sliding-
Windows/dp/B0036UFTVQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1547674163&sr=8-
3&keywords=window+lock+pins
If you must sleep with a window open, two holes for the pins can be used,
one for when the window is fully closed and one for when the window is
open. Make sure the window is only open enough to get the ventilation
needed but not open far enough to allow someone to crawl through. If
you need to leave a window open, use the pin method and not the broom
stick method. Lots of windows can be easily removed from the frame
when opened even a couple of inches. Keep in mind that none of these
methods prevent the bad guy from reaching in a slightly open window and
removing whatever lock you are using. If you are considering leaving
second-story windows open, you are still taking a chance. Are your ladders
on the side of the yard and easily used to gain second-story entrance?
Delay from an entry through a window can also be created with
landscaping. Planting bushes with stickers or rose bushes below windows
can be an effective delaying tactic.
Any door with glass or side-light needs to have a double-cylinder lock on it.
Meaning the lock is keying on both outside and inside preventing someone
breaking the glass and reaching in to unlock the door. Keep in mind that
the key will have to be used in order to exit through the door in an
emergency. One idea is to hang a key more than an arms distance away
from the glass but would suggest practice by anyone needing to get out
quickly in an emergency.
Though more expensive, window laminates have taken off in popularity. A
clear, polyester film is adhered to the window to slow down an attack to
the window. They can be purchased and installed DIY or have a pro do it.
Films range in toughness and the highest quality can even protect you
from gun fire. One unique characteristic of these bullet resistant films is
that you can fire a bullet through the inside at the bad guys but bullets
coming from the outside are slowed or stopped. Many federal law
enforcement buildings use these types of films as do buildings in hurricane
zones.
https://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=3m+window+security+fi
lm&tag=mh0b-
20&index=aps&hvadid=3520113859&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&ref=
pd_sl_4epeo2n738_e
Here’s video of how window films can delay intrusion.
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=3m+window+security+films&qpvt
=3m+window+security+films&view=detail&mid=E4BB7FB1DDC0064F63E6
E4BB7FB1DDC0064F63E6&&FORM=VRDGAR
Due to the cost, you may look to apply the film to only the most likely of
entry points. Examine your house for which window you would attack.
This might be a window that is out of sight from the road or one allows
quick access to a door lock such as found on a sliding glass window. You
may choose to laminate just the half of the sliding glass door that is close
to the lock. I had a thief break a window of my construction trailer and
when I replaced it, I did so with Lexan plastic instead of glass. The next
thief tried repeatedly to break the Lexan side with no success not knowing
that inches away was a glass window that would have broken easily.
Not sure how smart this guy is but there is no doubt that he believes in his
product. Ace is a company out of Canada and the last time I tried
purchasing the product and having the film shipped to the USA proved
impossible, but the video is worth watching. 3M does make a bullet
resistant film that I have used on jobsites.
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=3m+window+security+films&qpvt
=3m+window+security+films&view=detail&mid=A886FDD8852BF6511553
A886FDD8852BF6511553&rvsmid=9643FB00B16E1048DA5B9643FB00B16E
1048DA5B&FORM=VDQVAP
What other entry points are possible in the average home? As kids, we
used to enter our locked home by crawling up the garbage chute. Another
way is through unlocked mechanical rooms next to ductwork. In parts of
the country (those with low humidity) evaporative coolers, also called
swamp coolers, are popular and it’s very common to gain entry by simply
knocking over the cooler and exposing a hole easily big enough to climb
down through. Taking the time to look for possible entry points in our
homes and fortifying them could prevent a tragedy.
Be aware that even homes with alarm systems can be targets. One ploy
that intruders use is to purposely set off the door or window alarm and
then hide. You check it out and, finding no one and no entry, you re-set
the alarm and go back to bed. Then the bad guy does it once again. At
this point the homeowner will use a bypass feature of his alarm and
bypasses that door or window, thinking that the sensor has gone bad.
Then the bad guy enters through that door or window.
Next week we cover the