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Why Don’t You Have An Intruder Alarm?

August 31st, 2009 Scott Dostal No comments

It’s a bad economy and millions are out of work. Some people are turning to crime. An intruder alarm in every home would keep families safe from home invasion and robbery. There is just no denying that alarms scare criminals away. Installing an intruder alarm in your home might be the one thing that will keep you safe.

Intruder alarms are becoming as important as a good lock and a deadbolt on the front door of a home. Whether you live in an apartment, a condo, a duplex or a single family residence, you could be vulnerable to robbery or home invasion. There are some simple ways to know if you would be smart to have an intruder alarm. If you find that you should have intruder alarms, you can purchase and install quickly, sometimes in just one day. You can easily find the intruder alarm that is right for you.

Who Needs an Intruder Alarm?

If you live in a neighborhood where crime rates are high or are rising, you probably need an intruder alarm. If you are “elderly” or “disabled” you are among the groups of people who are considered relatively helpless and “easy prey.” You should also have an intruder alarm. If you live alone or have children at home alone regularly, you should also have an intruder alarm. If you fit one of these groups, you should protect yourself because you could be targeted for a break-in.

If you live in an unusually safe neighborhood or a high-security building, you might be safe. But others should consider the factors that make their home vulnerable and look into the need for an intruder alarm. The first step is to carefully evaluate your intruder alarm needs. You can get a good assessment by talking with a home security expert.

Are You an Easy Target?

It is important to know how vulnerable you and your family are before investing in an intruder alarm. Here are some of the things to consider:

– You never lock your doors; you don’t lock doors in the day time

– Windows on the first floor of your home are not locked

– There are wooded areas around your home or other good places to hide

– There is no light on some of your doors and windows at night

– Do you often return home with packages or other items in your arms?

– You park in a carport, a driveway or a detached garage

– Are there trees or shrubs near doors that are good places to hide?

– Nobody would hear you if you screamed

– Do you have patio doors or French doors?

– How easy would it be for someone to follow you home?

– You keep large amounts of cash at home

– Do you carry large amounts of cash?

Intruder Alarms Fit Every Need

If these questions have pointed to risk of break-in, you will need to choose the right intruder alarm. Keep in mind that some intruder alarms are more appropriate for particular types of residences.

If you live in large apartment-style building you probably only need an intruder alarm that would make a lot of noise. This kind of intruder alarm can usually be purchased in a home improvement or home electronics store. You might be able to install it on your own. You might only need an alarm on your door. If you are on one of the first few floors, you might also want to put intruder alarms on windows. Wireless and portable intruder alarms are ideal because they are easy to remove and take with you if you move.

If you live in a duplex or a single family home, you might want to consider something a little more sophisticated. For the home, there are several types of intruder alarms, often used in combination in an integrated system. There are alarms that notify you if a door is opened. Most issue a quiet beep if the intruder alarm system is deactivated ” but it is enough to alert you. There alarms that notify you if a window is opened. Many of these also alert you with a quiet beep when the system is deactivated. There are also glass-break alarms that respond to the sound of the glass in a window or door being broken. And there are motion sensors that sound an intruder alarm if someone is moving about the house. All of these alarms have loud sirens designed to scare off intruders and alert your neighbors.

Connection of intruder alarms to either monitoring companies or directly to your local police department are the final step in protecting your family. Most professionally installed intruder alarm systems will be connected to some method of alerting and summoning the police. Some systems also include a “panic button” in case all else fails.

Whether you think you are especially vulnerable to a break-in or not, intruder alarms are increasingly popular and advisable in residences. You’ll probably sleep better and your family will feel safer at home with good intruder alarms.

Todd Cavanaugh owns Protech Security Systems. His company has installed intruder alarm systems for the last decade. Protech specializes in home and business monitored security systems, 24-hour surveillance cameras, access control systems and smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Protech is among the intruder alarm Tucson companies recognized by the BBB as an Accredited Member.

Pros and Cons of Breakfast Nook Benches

August 31st, 2009 Malisa Holderbaum No comments

There are many things to consider when picking out your kitchen furniture. First, you must consider how many people will be sitting at the table and how much room you have. Second, the interior design of your home and kitchen specifically should be considered. Thirdly, you want to make sure that your choice is comfortable so that people will want to spend time there.

If you choose chairs for seating, then your will be able to accommodate four to six people. An alternative seating arrangement is benches that easily can hold eight to nine people if you sit close. Another benefit of the bench option is that they take up less room than chairs.

The L-shaped bench is a very common option. The L-shaped bench is just as it sounds. An L-shaped bench sits in a corner with the table moved up to it. You can then fill in the rest of the seating with additional benches, or chairs in any combination. Using additional benches will provide more seating space because you can fit a bench for three in the same space occupied by two chairs.

In addition to providing more sitting space, benches also provide other space saving benefits. Most benches will come with storage compartments underneath where you can store small kitchen appliances, art supplies, games or linens. These storage compartments are very convenient if you have limited counter or cabinet space.

If you choose to use the L-shaped or parallel benches then you want to consider the image they portray. Benches are usually made of wood and have a country feel to the room. Perhaps this is because of the similarity to picnic tables and benches. Whatever the reason, benches are not very formal or contemporary.

Think of the breakfast nook as an extension of your kitchen. If you have decorated your kitchen with black marble and stainless steel appliances, then wooden benches will seem out of place. However, if your walls are decorated with homemade arts and crafts and you use checkered linen, then the benches will fit in nicely.

Since most families gather in their breakfast nook for more than just eating meals, the comfort level of the seating arrangements is important. Benches require you to sit very close to your neighbor. If it is just you and your family then that should not be much of an issue, but if you entertain that is a different story. Your guests might not be comfortable with the intimacy required to sit so close. A good compromise is to use the L-shaped bench with chairs around the rest of the table.

In addition, benches can be uncomfortable for people of larger size. The surface area of a chair is much larger than that of a bench. If a larger person is sitting at your table, they will definitely be more comfortable in a chair. Again, the combination of benches and chairs should keep all your guests comfortable without denying you of the extra storage or accommodations.

Ms. Malisa knows for sure that a well appointed breakfast nook table will bring a lot of versatility to a kitchen. She also gets a rush writing about breakfast nook sets.