Throughout numerous studies, interviews with former criminals and general observation, one common thread among break-ins is that they are typically done when the home is easy to break into.
What does this mean for you? This means that most potential burglars will spend some time looking around a home and casing it before they actually make the move to break and enter.
They look for things such as unlocked doors, poorly secured or unlocked windows and other obvious points of entry.
If you are serious about the security of your home, one project that you should add to your DIY list is to install window locks.
What kind of window locks, you ask? Because many standard window locks (those that come installed on your windows) can be defeated by clever and experienced criminals, you should seek out additional locking protection in the form of inexpensive, yet effective window pins.
If you have a home with wooden-framed double-hung windows, you can install these pins quickly and easily.
Window pins will help keep your window from being pried open.
Here's how you do it: 1.
Start by laying out all of your tools, hardware and other equipment.
You will need a hammer, drill with drill bits, a pencil and a tape measure.
In addition, you will also need your window pins.
Decide whether you want to use one pin or two pins for each window, and buy the amount that you need.
This decision is purely your own.
2.
Close and lock the window that you want to install the pins on first.
Mark your first pin by making the proper measurement and denoting it with your pencil.
This is where you will drill to place your first pin.
The pins will be placed in this hole whenever the window is in the closed and locked position.
3.
Be very careful drilling your first hole.
In most cases, you will want to use a 1/8" drill bit.
If you are worried about splintering or cracking your wood, start with a smaller bit to drill a pilot hole.
Whether you use a larger or smaller bit, you will need to drill your hole all the way through the inner/lower sash and about three quarters of the way through the outside sash.
Be careful not to drill too deep, or you could drill all the way to the outside, making it possible to pop the pin out from outside.
4.
Insert your window pin.
Use a little grease if it does not slide smoothly.
5.
If you want, you can raise your windows just a bit and drill a second hole that will allow you to crack your windows open while still keeping them pinned shut.
Although it is still possible for someone to break into your home by physically smashing the windows, statistics show that this is not a very common occurrence.
By making burglars work to get into your home, you can actually deter most of them from even attempting in the first place.