Home security doesn't have to be expensive or difficult. These 7 do-it-yourself (DIY) home security tips cost under $100 and don't require much of a time commitment.

1. 7 DIY Home Security Tips
Home security doesn't have to be
expensive or difficult. These 7 do-it-
yourself (DIY) home security tips cost
under
$100 and don't require much of a
time commitment.
From YourLocalSecurity.com/resources/diy-home-security.html

2. Window Locks
Windows, especially those on
the back side of a home, are
one of the most common entry
points for burglars. Securing the
windows in your home with
durable locks, including backup
stops, can help prevent burglars
who are looking for a quick
entry. Here are a few things you
can do to help make your
windows more secure.

3. Window Locks
• If you have a wooden window frame, replace the
window putty every few years and secure the wood
molding with finishing nails (a slender nail that has a
small head) at least 3 inches long.
• If your home has double-hung windows, you can keep
them open and minimize your risk of break-ins by
creating a security pin to help prevent the window
from being opened wide enough for an intruder to
enter. To do this, drill two small holes through the top
corners of the lower sash and into the bottom corners
of the upper sash. Then insert a strong nail through
the holes to prevent the window from being opened
further.

4. Window Locks
• If your home has
horizontal sliding
windows, restrict
outside access by
placing a thick
wooden dowel or
metal pipe between
the sash and the
window frame.

5. Heavy-Duty Strike Plates
The strike plate is the metal plate that
surrounds the lockset on a door. It's set in
the door jamb and receives the bolt of a
lock, keeping the door in place. Because
standard door moldings and deadbolt locks
are rather easy for burglars to kick in,
installing heavy-duty strike plates will help
increase your home's security. So here is an
easy guide to installing heavy-duty strike
plates and making your doors more secure.

6. Heavy-Duty Strike Plates
• Purchase a 4-screw, heavy-duty strike
plate from your local hardware store.
Make sure the screws are at least 3
inches long.
• To install your new strike plate, mark
the location where the plate will go. If
a bolt hole does not already exist, close
the door and mark where the hole
should be drilled in the door jamb. If
you are simply upgrading your current
strike plate a bolt hole should already
exist, and you'll only need to mark an
outline where the new strike plate will
be installed in the door jamb.

7. Heavy-Duty Strike Plates
• When drilling a new bolt hole,
use a drill bit that is as wide as
the bolt and make sure the hole
goes deep enough to receive the
full length of the bolt, when the
door is locked.
• Next, line up the new strike
plate on the door jamb and
create an outline where the
mortise should be created. The
mortise is the pocket that is cut
into the jamb for the strike
plate to fit into.

8. Heavy-Duty Strike Plates
• Using a chisel, cut out the area you have
marked, ensuring it is only as deep as
the strike plate is thick. An easy way to
clear out the area is to make your cuts
1/4 of an inch apart and remove the
excess material using a downward
scraping motion.
• Place the strike plate into the newly
formed mortise, and screw it into the
door jamb. Note: You may have to drill
guide holes for the screws before
securing the strike plate to the jamb to
avoid any cracking or splitting of the
door frame.

9. Sliding Glass Doors
Sliding glass doors are notoriously easy for
burglars to break into, even when they're
locked. In fact, some burglars target homes with
sliding glass doors because they're easy to open.
Use the following questions to help check the
safety of your sliding glass doors.

10. Sliding Glass Doors
• Do you have a secondary
blocking device? Thick
wooden dowels, 2x4's,
and metal pipes are all
good options.

11. Sliding Glass Doors
• Does the door's latch mechanism
effectively secure the door to the
frame or can it be easily lifted
out of place? Prevent lifting by
installing security devices like
through-the-door pins.
• Are the door's sliding rollers working properly or can the
door be "jiggled" out of place?

12. Garage Security
Even though the garage is one of the most common entry points for
burglars, some homeowners fail to secure their garage properly. Follow
these tips to help ensure your garage is as safe as possible.
• Every door attached to the garage should have
a deadbolt and should remain locked at all
times.
• Pay particular attention to the door leading
from the garage to your home. Treat this door
like the front door and make sure it has a
sturdy deadbolt.

13. Garage Security
• Close your garage door
quickly when you arrive
home so you don't reveal
what you store in the garage.
• Newly purchased remotes
have factory-set codes
that should be changed
immediately. Burglars can
access these codes and
will try them in new
neighborhoods until they
find a match.

14. Garage Door Emergency
Release Levers
Electric garage door openers are
usually equipped with an
emergency release lever. This lever
typically has a cord hanging down
that allows you to open the door
manually in case of an emergency
or power outage. While these
emergency release levers are
convenient, a savvy intruder can
slide a coat-hanger or other sturdy
wire between the door and the
frame, hook the emergency release
lever and easily open the garage
door.

15. Garage Door Emergency
Release Levers
Here are a couple of things you can do to help prevent burglars from
getting into your garage using the lever.
• Disable your emergency release
lever and remove the emergency
cord. They may be convenient, but
can be pulled from the outside with
a hanger or other device.
• Always lock the release lever. Some
garage door openers have this as an
option, but if your lever doesn't have
a keyed lock, use a plastic zip tie to
secure the lever to the carriage
assembly.

16. Security Signs
When you get a security system, make sure to display
the sign or the sticker that comes with the system on
your front lawn or in your window. Seeing a sign
indicating the home is protected by an alarm
monitoring company can be all it takes to deter burglars.
Also, a common place for burglars to enter the home is from
the back yard so they're not as likely to be seen. Having a
sign or sticker on that side of the house can help discourage
intruders.

17. Exterior Lighting
Burglars are much more likely to target homes with poor
lighting because it lowers their risk of being seen. Good
indoor lighting can help, but the most important thing is
proper exterior lighting. Follow these tips when upgrading
your outdoor lighting:
• Ensure areas around windows, doors, and blind spots are
properly lit, especially in the back of the home.
• Outdoor lights with motion sensors save energy and are fantastic
deterrents for would-be intruders.
• When installing outdoor lights, make sure they are placed high
enough that they can't easily be disabled by an intruder.

18. Exterior Lighting
• Avoid using solar-powered lights; a test completed by Consumer
Reports concluded they're too dim to provide adequate security.

19. Exterior Lighting
• Compact fluorescent light bulbs are good options for outdoor
lighting. They outlast other light bulbs and save energy.