Home Security for 2021
We are all hoping 2021 will be better than 2020. It could be suggested it couldn’t get any worse but we never know so we live in hope. But one thing you don’t have to hope for is better security. Better security needs to be worked for and in this article ITCC Locksmiths will explain how in 2021 you can increase the security of your home using some of the newest technologies available.
photo/ Jan Alexander
Locks
Property security always starts with your locks. The smart lock is becoming more and more popular as their prices are slowly decreasing, increasing the lock’s availability to people. Don’t get me wrong the smart lock compared to traditional locks is still expensive with the cheapest being around £200. But as more suppliers come onto the market and the locks popularity grows we expect the price of smart locks to continue to fall.
A smart lock is an electronic lock which lacks a pin tumbler system. This means the smart lock does not require a key and because of this there is no keyhole. Instead the smart lock interacts with the world through either bluetooth or wifi connection. So instead of using a traditional key to lock and unlock doors, smart locks are usually unlocked with either a fob or by using a dedicated app on your smartphone.
And as smart locks connect to your wifi and can be controlled by your phone this allows you to remotely lock and unlock your door which is a huge boost in convenience. Maybe your child has returned from school early without keys, no problem, simply open the app and unlock your door. Another benefit of the smart lock is you can send people temporary keys using the app which last for a certain amount of time. Maybe a builder is coming to do some work in your home and you’re not there, no worries just send them a temporary key lasting a specified amount of time. The smart lock is changing the face of home security due to its increased level of security and extra convenience.
Doorbells
The simple doorbell has come on leaps and bonds in the 10 years with the introduction of the smart doorbell. The smart doorbell is like every other dooorsell but with a few extra enhancements. The smart doorbell was invented by Jamie Siminoff in 2013 with his Ring doorbell. Smart doorbells as we said fulfills the exact same job as a normal doorbell with some extra functions and components. For example they usually include a high definition camera, two way audio system and motion sensor. All of which connects to your wifi allowing you to monitor and speak to whoever is at your door wherever you are as long as you have an internet connection. This means you no longer need to open your door to communicate with anyone on the other side and no longer need to expose yourself, very handy when the visitor is unknown.
photo courtesy of gardenlightLED
Lighting
Security is much more than locks. Another aspect of security is visibility aka lighting. Most burglars strike at night and like to conceal themselves with darkness. Burglars intentionally choose targets which are easy to access and easy to get away from and remaining concealed is part of this. If you place lighting near all of your accessible doors and windows, you remove this and you leave less places for burglars to hide and thus deter a burglary from occurring. We recommend lights which activate based on motion meaning they will only activate when someone approaches and will turn off when no activity is detected in contrast to dusk till dawn lights which turn on when the sun sets and turns off when the sun rises. We advocate motion sensor lighting primarily because dusk till dawn lights can annoy both yourself and your neighbours and the increased electricity usage sending you energy bills higher. Talking about energy bills, it is also worth purchasing LED lights as opposed to halogen lights, as LED lights consume around 10% of the energy of a halogen bulb.
Total Security
While there is no such thing as total security the closest thing to it is a Smart home security system. Smart home security systems can incorporate CCTV, a smart doorbell, alarm system, smart locks, carbon dioxide and smoke alarms. These systems are truly comprehensive and offer a good level of customization. Another thing they offer is convenience, many systems allow you to remotely control the locks on your home, monitor your CCTV and communicate with anyone at your door using the app based on the manufacturers website or mobile application. These systems can be very expensive and some systems require a subscription service which is paid annually or monthly. The subscription usually covers data storage for your cctv and smart doorbell and monitoring.
For example let’s say your property alarm goes off, this would be picked up by the monitoring station who would try to ring your home telephone number or mobile, if you do not pick up the monitoring station will alert the police to the potential break in, very handy if you leave your home unoccupied for periods of time.
We hope this guide has shed some light on the future trends of security and how new technologies can increase your properties security and your peace of mind.
This article was written by Callan Wells-Raynes from ITCC Locksmiths in London, for more handy tips on security please visit our Locksmith Blog.
Author: Callan Wells-Raynes
Image by Nenad Maric from Pixabay
