Yard Maintenance & Landscaping Tips
Read these 5 Yard Maintenance & Landscaping Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Home Security tips and hundreds of other topics.
Outdoor Security Of Surrounding Properties
Keeping your property well-maintained is a big part of safeguarding your home, but the surrounding area is important too. Talk to your neighbors and make sure they understand it is not just a cosmetic issue, but one of safety for the entire neighborhood.
If your neighbors' property is overgrown with bushes and trees it may provide burglars with a hiding place they can use to get near your house unseen. The more houses and yards they see in good condition and cared for, the more likely they are to move on to another neighborhood. Outdoor security cameras are another good deterrent. No criminal wants to be caught on video climbing through a window.
If you or your neighbors have large trees in your yards, those are very important to maintain. Trim any branches that reach toward windows in your house so they cannot be used for climbing. Try to keep tree branches at least 10 feet away from windows. No matter how far they are, it is always smart to keep those windows locked.
Vines and plants growing up the side of a house can also be used to climb toward windows, so avoid this whenever possible. There is no sense in giving a burglar incentive to choose your home as their next target.
Motion Detectors For Your Yard
Motion detectors can be used as part of your wireless security system both inside and outside your house. Any movement when there should not be and your alarm will sound.
These sensors will detect movement and sound an alarm through your security system's command station. So if you are out of the house and someone breaks in, moving from room to room looking for valuables to steal, they're busted!
They can be used as part of an outdoor security system as well, so anyone creeping up to your door or window will get a surprise they weren't looking for. This is a great way to protect your home whether you are there or not.
If you have children or pets, you can adjust the sensitivity of the motion detectors to account for these factors. Outdoor security lights can also be programmed with motion detectors, turning on whenever someone is moving in your yard at night.
All of Protect America's security packages can have motion detectors added to them. Add as many as you need to secure your entire home and yard.
Gates and Fencing For Security
If your yard is surrounded by a gate or fence you want to make sure they are kept closed and locked. An open gate serves no purpose. If you have children this is a good way to keep them safe by stopping them from wandering out of the yard without an adult.
These enclosures also act as a good deterrent and compliment your alarm system. A fence that requires a burglar to climb or spend time unlocking is the first barrier they encounter. Don't let them through it easily. Often enough that extra time to unlock or climb will discourage a would-be thief.
Fences and gates are big parts of outdoor security systems. Planting bushes behind them is helpful, too. Always keep them in good repair. This does not mean you have to make your house into a fortress and booby-trap your lawn. You're not defending the Alamo or securing Alcatraz.
Consult your wireless security provider on how to use you landscaping in conjunction with the system you have purchased. Remember though, gates are not sufficient by themselves. Even if you live in a gated community, there are ways through these. That is why you should have an alarm system installed. When a burglar has to jump through hoop after hoop it is much more likely they will quit and call it a day.
Keeping Tools/Ladders Away From Burglars
If you have a garage or work shed keep it locked and secure. The last thing you want to do is help a burglar break into your house. Leaving ladders and tools lying around and accessible in your yard or on your porch does just that. Yard maintenance is cosmetic, but it is also meant to assist your alarm system.
Ladders can be used to climb up to windows above the ground floor. A burglar on a ladder could be mistaken by neighbors as someone doing maintenance or landscape work. If they have to climb a tree it becomes a little more suspicious.
Tools like wrenches, crowbars, screwdrivers and more can be used by criminals to enter your home. Keep these items stored safely in your garage or work area where they are only accessible to yourself. Otherwise they can be used to pry open doors or windows, break glass or locks, or even as weapons.
Your tools and ladders should be locked up and out of sight. Ask your neighbors to do the same if you notice things lying around on their property. A burglar can just as easily swipe a wrench from your neighbor's yard and use it to break your window.
Eliminate Hiding Places For Burglars
Home security does not stop the minute you step outside the front door. The quality of your yard maintenance also affects your family‘s safety. You do not have to have a green thumb to realize that home security involves your entire property.
If you have hedges, bushes, gardens or trees in your lawn, it is important to keep them trimmed and neat. You want to eliminate places that a burglar might be able to hide while trying to break into your home.
The path from your yard to the house must also be kept clear and open. There should be no place for a burglar to jump out from and surprise you on your way into the house. Any bushes or gardens that border the path should be kept low enough so that you can see the other side clearly.
By keeping the soil and grass in your yard fresh and taken care of, it is much easier to notice disturbances like footprints made by trespassers. When there is no place for a burglar to hide they are forced out into the open. This increases the likelihood that you or a neighbor might see them, and visibility is a significant deterrent to burglars.
| Guru Spotlight |
| Kristle Jones |
