What are the best home security solutions?
What makes you feel safe in your home? Does safety come in the form of the four walls that surround you? Or is it the comfort of your things, or could it be the familiarity that you get from everything being in its place? For most people it’s an alarm system, watching over their home. For people in the security business, life is about making you feel safe. Safety comes from a variety of places, and it should always be present in your home. Your home security system should feel like the warm blanket, straight from the dryer. The Palm Desert alarm company can provide you that blanket, via state of the art security and monitoring systems for your home.
You may be thinking, “I already have a security system, aren’t’ they all the same?” The answer is no, they are not. Optimal security systems are created by mixing the right monitoring devices to make sure everything you value is protected. With today’s high-tech equipment most features can be monitored or controlled from an app. The purpose here is to go over a few of the best components that make up a great security system.
Monitored V. Unmonitored Systems
You may be thinking that having a security system means your home is protected. Just having a system is not enough, you need to make sure that it has the proper elements to keep your valuables and loved one safe. Monitoring is an important part of a home alarm system. It’s up to you to decide whether you will be the monitor, or whether you’d rather allow a professional alarm company to oversee your home.
Unmonitored Security Systems
Unmonitored security systems are just that, unmonitored. These systems rely on sensors to detect movement where it shouldn’t be and send an alert or make a noise once it’s been detected. They’re kinda like car alarms, and if nobody is there to hear it what good is it doing? Do loud noises inherently scare away intruders? Sometimes this is the case, but it’s more likely for the intruder to make a mad dash to steal what they can before exiting your home. In fact, Safeguard the World estimates that homeowners who have unmonitored systems have $2000 more in loss when their homes are burglarized. These systems will not alert you via text or phone call if an intruder has entered your home. If you are away from your home when an intruder enters no one is there to call the police. They are a great deterrent, and if you are home they are fantastic for alerting you. Unmonitored systems offer detection services, but the better alternative is to have your home monitored by professionals.
Monitored Security Systems
Monitored systems use the same detection elements, but will alert the user, the police, or both if something triggers the alarm. So in the event that you are unavailable, the alarm company will dispatch help to your home if the alarm is triggered. The alarm company has centers which monitor your home 24/7. The best security company in Palm Springs is not only monitoring 24/7 all 365 days of the year but also makes sure that your home stays protected, by having a backup system. This kind of around, the clock security monitoring makes sure everything you value stays safe. At Palm Springs alarm companies, monitoring is as complex as your home. An alarm technician will survey your home and walk through your options. The technician can then install a personalized monitoring system that meets your family’s security needs. Great monitoring systems have the right combination of sensors, detectors, and alarms to assure the safety of everything you value. Here are some of the components that could be combined to secure your loved ones and valuables.
Surveillance
Most people associate home alarm systems with some form of surveillance. Cameras should be strategically placed around your property to ensure proper coverage. Having cameras placed on your property does not mean that the company sees everything, or is watching everything that goes on 24/7. They can be set to record continuously to a cloud-based system so that in the event footage is needed you could access that date or time. The other option is to use them in conjunction with motion sensors. By doing this you can set the cameras to record only when something is moving in their target area. This reduces the amount of dead footage that would have to be sifted through in the event of a break in. It makes it easier to find the data you need. Talk to your home alarm specialist about the best way to employ this technology.
Wired V. Wireless Security Options
Each home has a unique security need. There are benefits to having wireless or wired security systems. Palm Desert alarm companies can send a qualified home alarm specialist to assess your home’s specific security needs and install a very personalized system.
Wired Alarm Systems
A wired home alarm system connects all the components via wires running through the walls, under the floorboards, and through the ceiling to the main control panel. The control panel uses your home’s phone line to monitor your home. Wired systems are often times more reliable than wireless systems because a hard wire is less affected by weather and can’t be jammed with frequency interrupting devices. They aren’t without limitations. There are some places wired systems can’t be installed. For instance, brick walls couldn’t have wires running through them so the wires would be visible. Also depending on the way your home is laid out some walls may prevent the installation of some of the wired components. Your home alarm technician can walk through the best solutions in these scenarios to guarantee you have the best system for your family.
Wireless Alarm System
Palm Desert alarm companies can install state of the art wireless alarm system in your home. This system relies on an internet connection to connect all its elements and control panel. So instead of having wires running to each element of the system, they would use your home wifi connection in place of power cords and a phone line. These systems can be interfaced with many of the same components of the wired ones, and enable you to have the similar protection for your home. This system’s reliance on wifi connection may cause spotty coverage during bad weather. Anytime your home wifi isn’t working your alarm system will be offline. This system may work better for your home because without wires the components can be put in places that a wired system’s components can’t.
Alarm Sensors
It makes a lot of sense to have sensors in your home, and they’ve come a long way from only sensing smoke. Not all sensors are the same, and not all sensors are created for the sole purpose of detecting open doors or windows. While those types of sensors are still a vital part of securing your home, today’s sensors are far more high-tech and can sense subtle changes in temperature, moisture, pressure changes, and so much more.
Glass Break Sensors
As a part of a well-rounded security system, a home alarm technician can install sensors that will detect glass breaking in your home. These monitors work by being placed strategically around your home and detect the specific frequency of breaking glass. They work on all types of glass by being tuned to the unique frequency at which glass breaks. In conjunction with monitoring services, this type of sensor will give you a first alert if an intruder attempted to get into your home without forcing open a door or window. They also come with the added bonus of being the first person notified that the neighborhood ball game got out a little out of control, leading to an unfortunate break in your glass doors! Every home has glass of some type, so these sensors are a top choice for a well-rounded security system.
Doorway and Window Sensors
This is one of the most basic elements in a home alarm system. These sensors attach to opposing sides of a door or a window and send a signal if the door or window is opened while the system is armed. This is a great way to protect alternate entry points in your home from intruders.
Flood Sensors
No home security system would be complete without flood sensors, especially if you have a basement. This type of sensor can be installed to detect subtle changes in moisture, so you are the first to know if water is creeping a little too close to your valuables. These sensors aren’t just for people living in flood zones, a burst pipe can lead to flood-like damage and costly repairs. This type of sensor will send an alert if there is any unusual moisture activity along baseboards, or in low-lying areas, and help you catch the water before it damages your belongings. An alarm technician should survey your home to find the most optimal places to install these devices, and fine tune their sensors to avoid false alarms.
Temperature Sensors
If you own a smart thermostat you may think you won’t need temperature sensors, but you’d be wrong. With smart thermostats, you can control your home’s temperature, and some even have smoke detectors, but they don’t interact with your home security system. Temperature sensors installed as a part of your home’s alarm system will have access to all the other sensors installed your home, and this provides a truly smart way to program the heating and cooling system in your house. Temperature sensors know when you are home, they know when your windows or doors are open, and they can regulate temperatures based on this data. As a part of the alarm system, they get temperature readings from all over your home. So these devices can be an early defense against cold temperatures that could lead to busted pipes. They may also detect rising temperatures that could be an early warning of fire. It makes more sense to ditch the “smart thermostat” and allow a home alarm installer to place an integrated temperature sensor in your home as a part of your security system.
Detectors
Detectors are like sensors in that they are an early indicator of danger. But detectors often times have probes that interpret environmental changes. They do more than only relay data gathered, which is what most sensors do. When used in conjunction with sensors, detectors are a major factor in the safety of your home. Talk to your alarm technician about which detectors would best suit your home security needs.
Smoke Detectors
This is the type of detector most people think of when they think of detectors. Smoke detectors have come a long way from the basic battery operated circles that went off every time mom burned the bacon. Today’s smoke detectors don’t only detect smoke and make loud beeping noises. Smart smoke detectors can send an alert, via an app, about the specific part of your home smoke is coming from. The ability of the device to locate the smoke gives a more accurate picture of where a fire might be starting and lets the user know how likely it is that a fire has started. These devices can be placed anywhere in your home, but you should consult a home alarm specialist for optimal placement.
Gas Detectors
The ability to detect harmful fumes could mean the difference between life and death for your family. For this exact reason, gas detectors are an essential in all home alarms systems. Most people think they would be able to smell dangerous gasses before they become problematic, but this is not always the case. Methane gas has an additive which makes it something that people can smell, but in its natural form, it’s odorless and dangerous. Prolonged exposure can cause anything from dizziness to loss of consciousness; it can even be fatal.
Gas detectors can detect more than only methane gas they can also detect carbon monoxide in the home. Carbon Monoxide is termed the “silent, cold weather killer,” because it has no discerning smell or properties which alert people of its presence. It is most often released as a by-product of burning methane gas, or as a by-product from combustion engines. However, by having a skilled home alarm technician install, and routinely check, a gas detector in your home, you can protect your family against this type of danger. You may think you don’t need this type of detection because your home operates on electrically powered appliances, but carbon monoxide can come from unlikely sources. Gases are not a visible threat. They are a very real threat, which your family can be protected from.
Motion Detectors
This is the type of detector most people associate with home security systems. They use infrared technology to identify movement. Your home alarm system can hinge on the correct placement of these types of detectors, so it is important to maximize their use. After surveying your home your alarm installation technician should review with you the places where they would be most beneficial. Most homes will have some form of these monitoring entry and exit points. They could be placed in driveways along with automatic flood lights as well. Using motion detectors along the edges of your property can act as a deterrent to the would be burglars.
Driveway Alarms
When you’re at home alone often, you may have gotten a slight fright by unexpected visitors. Not expecting company, you may wonder who is knocking on your door. Be prepared by having your home alarm technician install driveway monitors. These work by sending a signal to your system when someone has crossed a set line in your driveway. This early alert could give you the time you need to prepare for the early arrival of guests, or unexpected guests.
Pressure Mats
Not expecting company? Don’t worry, have a pressure mat installed on your front step. This is a weight-sensitive device, which sends an alarm if someone steps on it. In conjunction with security cameras, this component will protect not only your home but your mail. It will alert you anytime weight is on top of it, so you’ll be the first to know about your FedEx delivery, and also any uninvited guests. They can be used in several places not only the front stoop, so you should talk to your home alarm specialist about optimal placement.
For you, safety may come in the form of your walls, your things, or your loved ones. Your security system should be there to add peace of mind for all these things. Your home alarm specialist can give you that warm blanket kind of safety in the form of your personalized home security system. There are several perks to having a home alarm system. Safeguard the World estimates that homeowners save an average of 20% on their insurance for having a home security system. There are no better perks than knowing your family and everything you value is safe and protected.