Home Security Tips For Basement Windows
Basement windows present a significant security vulnerability for many homes. Although the basement itself may not hold anything of value, often doors or windows leading to the basement are not as well protected as other entry points to the home, and therefore, burglars see it as easy access to the rest of your home.
Here are a few quick tips to guide you through improving the security of your basement windows.
Use good outside lighting
Make sure your basement windows are always well-lit during the evenings and at night. A dark place is always more likely to be broken into.
Keep basement windows visible from the outside
A basement window that is concealed by plants or shrubs is attractive to burglars because it provides them a cover under which they can easily operate.
Install security bars and good locks
Heavy security bars made of iron or steel offer sufficient protection against intruders. However, you must install these bars in such a way that firefighters can still use the window as an exit point, in case of an emergency. Most of these bars can be manipulated from the inside so that the window can provide an escape route.
Use a reliable set of locks and keys for the basement windows, if they do not have secure latches or other locking mechanisms. However, you must be able to open at least one window in the basement without the use of keys, in an emergency situation.
Advertise your home security system
A monitored home security system is one of the most effective ways of preventing break-ins. Make sure any passers-by can clearly see your home security stickers. Your basement windows must be secure and set up in alliance with the security system.
Use shatter-proof glass
To improve the security of your basement windows, it can also be beneficial to have shatter-proof glass installed as a replacement for regular glass. Since basement windows are usually fairly small in size, installing shatter-proof glass can be relatively affordable. Unless you have experience in glass installation, it’s highly recommended that you hire a professional to upgrade the glass in your basement windows. Research professional glass installation services in your area, and choose a highly rated service provider that has positive customer reviews.
Block the view into the basement
Use glass block for your windows, so that any outsider cannot peek in and see what is going on inside your basement. The intruder will not be able to tell if the basement is empty or occupied. Glass block is also extremely strong and difficult to shatter.
Plant tactical landscaping
To help limit access to your basement windows, you can also use tactical landscaping methods. Plant low, thorny bushes around your basement windows, making them difficult or nearly impossible for an intruder to access. If you are worried about the appearance of your home, you can use Hawthorne, Rosebushes or Barberry bushes to create a visually pleasing “barrier” around your basement window area. If you need to have access to your basement windows, you can also use thick, thorn-free shrubbery that still provides limited access.
The most effective home security strategies are those devised with your home’s particular layout and weaknesses in mind. Always remember to protect every potential entry into your home, not just the ones you use every day.
© 2010 Canada Realty News™
Source: www.vanhomesales.com
Home Is Where Her Heart Is
By Kathryn Haley
TD Canada Trust has conducted polls for women home owners for 3 years. Here are the findings of the latest survey according to the TD Canada Trust website.
Home is where her heart is: 3rd annual TD Canada Trust Women and Home Ownership Poll reveals the growing importance of having a place to call your own
TORONTO, January 20, 2010 – Although financial security continues to top the list of home ownership benefits, the comforts of home are increasingly important to Canadian women. According to the third annual TD Canada Trust Women and Home Ownership Poll, which surveyed women who have purchased a home independently, key features of home ownership, including being able to renovate to suit individual tastes and having a garden, are now more essential to Canadian women than they were in 2008.
When asked to describe the best things about home ownership, Canadian women said it is about making a house a home. Having a place of their own (34%), being able to decorate or renovate the way they want (34%) and having a backyard or garden (32%) were some of the responses that increased dramatically from the first survey conducted in 2008. Women had cited having a place of their own at 22%, being able to decorate or renovate the way they want at 14%, and having a backyard or garden at only 5% back in 2008.
“Even though the comforts of home have become increasingly important to women, the financial reasons for home ownership have also increased in importance,” says Chris Wisniewski, Group Product Manager, Real Estate Secured Lending, TD Canada Trust. This year 44% of women ranked financial security as the best thing about home ownership compared to 23% of a similar sample of women in 2008. Second on the list of best things about owning a home was not having to pay rent or pay other people (38% versus 13% in 2008). “It’s not surprising that the financial reasons for ownership have increased in importance for people. People are looking for ways to feel financially stable again and see home ownership as a way to build equity and invest in their future.”
The financial commitment of owning a home can be a double-edged sword; for many women home ownership offers a sense of financial security yet the financial responsibility can be a headache for others. Twenty-nine per cent of women say that the additional expenses and financial responsibility related to owning a home are their least favourite things about home ownership.
In fact, getting more advice when talking to experts and asking even more questions is something most women surveyed wished they had considered when buying their first home. When asked which topics they wish they knew more about when they purchased their home, 40% of women wished they had more knowledge about the fees and costs associated with purchasing a home, 32% wanted more information about the expected annual expense of owning a property and 30% wanted more information about mortgage options.
About the TD Canada Trust Women and Home Ownership Poll
The TD Canada Trust Women and Home Ownership Poll surveyed women 18 years of age and older from across the country, to explore home ownership behaviour among women. The survey was conducted by Angus Reid Strategies with English and French speaking Canadians using the Angus Reid Forum. The sample size includes 1,000 women who have purchased a home independently. The answers from 361 women aged 20 to 45 were used to compare to the 2008 poll which surveyed this age group exclusively.
So what do you think? Do you agree with the results? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
Planning a New Home Landscape: A Designer’s Perspective
By Steve Allat
So, you’re building your dream home! The months of managing construction trades and sub-trades is almost at an end, final decision are being made so that you can obtain occupancy and yet there is still one fairly substantial area to complete – the landscape. Of course, this is no small feat for a few reasons:
If you have really planned ahead you will have either had a design done by a Landscape Professional during the construction phase or at least thought about how the landscape will look for you as the house was nearing completion. Give yourself time to determine what you really want. A small investment in time and planning will save you time and money in the installation phase.
Whether you go to the formality of having a design blueprint done or not, there are some basic questions that need to be addressed so that you ensure yourself of making solid, foundational decisions that will result in obtaining the landscape you desire the first time around, no matter which way you go about it.
Here is a short list of things to think about, whether you’re planning way ahead or attempting to do it as it happens:
1. Plan your outdoor space with your needs in mind regarding:
- getting around in the yard (function)
- the shape and size necessary for your outdoor areas (form)
- entertaining requirements
- whether there need to be child or animal-friendly spaces
- how much time you plan on spending maintaining what you install
2. List your needs, wants and desires.
- think colours, textures and specific products and plants you would like to include
- Use the exterior colour of the house as inspiration and repeat or complement the colours
3. Budget to set a realistic starting point and a range that you are comfortable with.
- a typical install for a respectable landscape will have a budget of roughly 10% of the overall value
- size of the house
Envision driving up to your new home and painting a picture in your mind, regardless of specifics so that you can convey the feeling you are trying to capture. The details can be filled in along the way by a qualified designer, architect and tradespeople. Your job is to simply know what you want and convey that effectively to those whose job it is to take your vision and make it real.
Steve Allat is a graduate of the University of Guelph Horticulture programs (91A) and has worked in every capacity in the landscape industry ever since, from planning and installing perennial gardens to managing large residential and commercial installations. He enjoys working with clients to bring their ideas to fruition so that they can maximize enjoyment of their outdoor living spaces.
For more information and a free initial consultation, you can contact Steve Allat at steveallat.com or call him at 778-938-0371
Serving Vancouver and the Lower Mainland.
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