- Joined
- May 9, 2017
This thread is for general information and discussion on how to secure your home, especially with a highly controversial election coming up. A lot of times I see too much emphasis on guns when discussing this topic. That's not to say guns aren't important, they absolutely are. But there are other things you can do to prevent and deter burglars, or just give you time to get your guns.
Hopefully that's enough to get started. Discuss.
I don't put a lot of stock in this for one simple reason: Live response takes too long. Even if you assume the police have the best of intentions, they can't be everywhere at once. By all means, call the police if somebody is trying to kick in your door. If you can get somebody else to put their life on the line instead of yours, fucking do it. Just don't expect it or rely on it. Police usually won't be there in time to help.
I don't really know if "Monitored by $BigSecurityCorp" stickers on the door make any difference as a deterrent. They probably couldn't hurt.
That said, monitored alarms have their use in terms of generating an alert if you aren't at home.
I don't really know if "Monitored by $BigSecurityCorp" stickers on the door make any difference as a deterrent. They probably couldn't hurt.
That said, monitored alarms have their use in terms of generating an alert if you aren't at home.
The non-monitored kind. Useful for getting you out of bed, and sometimes scaring off burglars. If possible, check exactly how much you can hear when you're laying in your bed and someone is banging on your door. If it's not enough to wake you up, consider some kind of alarm.
I'm skeptical about these as a deterrent. Some of the most surveilled cities in the world are also the highest crime. They do have their uses though. They can help identify a suspect after the fact, they can help you monitor your home remotely, and they can allow you to see what's going on outside without having to poke your head out.
Wired cameras are STRONGLY recommended. Burglars are starting to figure out how to jam wireless ones. You can use CAT6 with a POE switch to power most IP cameras, no separate power wires required. CAT6 is fairly easy to install and very safe. It's also very easy to put that switch on a UPS in case you lose power. For wired, I like Amcrest. Make sure you know your needs in terms of angle, low light vision capabilities, data storage, etc. For an NVR, I'd recommend looking at either Frigate or Shinobi.
Most wireless door cameras, besides sucking generally, pipe your data directly to glowniggers. If at all possible, get something not cloud based. Unfortunately I don't have a solution for a local-only NVR based wireless camera at the moment. I'm actually testing something right now and I'll update this if it works.
Wired cameras are STRONGLY recommended. Burglars are starting to figure out how to jam wireless ones. You can use CAT6 with a POE switch to power most IP cameras, no separate power wires required. CAT6 is fairly easy to install and very safe. It's also very easy to put that switch on a UPS in case you lose power. For wired, I like Amcrest. Make sure you know your needs in terms of angle, low light vision capabilities, data storage, etc. For an NVR, I'd recommend looking at either Frigate or Shinobi.
Most wireless door cameras, besides sucking generally, pipe your data directly to glowniggers. If at all possible, get something not cloud based. Unfortunately I don't have a solution for a local-only NVR based wireless camera at the moment. I'm actually testing something right now and I'll update this if it works.
IMO one of the most overlooked aspects of home security. You can have all the guns in the world, but if you only have 5 seconds of warning before a meth head is in your bedroom, it won't help you. Some say that locks only keep honest people out. Horse shit. Any barrier can be broken through, but you can force them to take a lot of time, and make a lot of noise.
You know how most intruders enter a home? The doors! They just kick them right the fuck open! Fortunately it's pretty cheap and easy to reinforce your average front door.
Hardened Door Screws - Replace your hinge screws with these. They say no drilling required, but I strongly recommend pre-drilling with a 1/8" bit. This will make the install easier and keep the wood from splitting. Then use the included square bit with a drill to screw them in. DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN. Start light and turn up the power until they're flush or nearly flush.
Hardened Strike Plate - You don't need 30 cheap deadbolts on your door when one good piece of metal will work. Replace your cheap, shitty strike plates with this. Replace the long screws in this kit (ONLY the long screws) with the ones from above. They won't be quite flush (due to differences in head geometry) but they'll be much stronger.
Even Hardeneder Strike Plate - If you REALLY want to reinforce your door, try this instead. But it's a lot more expensive and conspicuous, and I'm not convinced the practical difference is all that much.
Security Hinges - You only need this if your door swings out rather than in. This is common for commercial, but rare for residential. It makes it impossible to take a door off the hinges simply by tapping the pins out.
Anti-Kick Plate - Well, that's what they call it, but the hardened strike plate should prevent kicking in. I actually see this as extra protection for your lock, since you can only disable it from inside. Well, should be, although there are a few known attacks against these...
Speaking of locks. For the average person, I would recommend something like this.
Kwikset Uptown
The Smartkey is easy to rekey, and the newer versions are highly resistant (though not completely immune) to picking and bypass tools. Note that not all Smartkeys are created equal. The ones you want are Uptown, Downtown, Halifax, or Milan. The others have older, weaker security.
Make sure the door frame has a deep enough recess for the deadbolt to go well into. Sometimes they're very shallow. This makes the door more vulnerable to kicks and prying.
Finally, if you have a hollow external door, replace it with a solid one.
What about glass?
Glass break alarms are a thing. Some are noise sensitive, some are vibration sensitive, some are both. I'm still experimenting with these, so I don't have any specific advice. However, I've read that these generaly ARE a good deterrent.
Sliding glass doors suck, but sometimes you're stuck with them. This video has some general tips on making them more resistant to prying and other bypass.
You can also get security film. It makes the glass stick together rather than shattering into a million pieces. You can still get through it with enough time, but it's MUCH harder.
For windows... well, I don't worry about them quite as much. Going through a window involves, you know, going THROUGH a window. You should have time to respond as long as there's an alarm. However, there are bars available that can only be opened from the inside.
For bars or film, I STRONGLY suggest consulting a local expert. Putting film on a window sounds easy. It isn't. It's a highly specialized, labor intensive process requiring specific tools. And it's expensive. Personally, I'd get film if you have a sliding glass door, and consider getting some glass break alarms. I don't think windows are as big a deal. One idea I've heard is planting thorny bushes under your windows, although I don't know much about that sort of thing.
You know how most intruders enter a home? The doors! They just kick them right the fuck open! Fortunately it's pretty cheap and easy to reinforce your average front door.
Hardened Door Screws - Replace your hinge screws with these. They say no drilling required, but I strongly recommend pre-drilling with a 1/8" bit. This will make the install easier and keep the wood from splitting. Then use the included square bit with a drill to screw them in. DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN. Start light and turn up the power until they're flush or nearly flush.
Hardened Strike Plate - You don't need 30 cheap deadbolts on your door when one good piece of metal will work. Replace your cheap, shitty strike plates with this. Replace the long screws in this kit (ONLY the long screws) with the ones from above. They won't be quite flush (due to differences in head geometry) but they'll be much stronger.
Even Hardeneder Strike Plate - If you REALLY want to reinforce your door, try this instead. But it's a lot more expensive and conspicuous, and I'm not convinced the practical difference is all that much.
Security Hinges - You only need this if your door swings out rather than in. This is common for commercial, but rare for residential. It makes it impossible to take a door off the hinges simply by tapping the pins out.
Anti-Kick Plate - Well, that's what they call it, but the hardened strike plate should prevent kicking in. I actually see this as extra protection for your lock, since you can only disable it from inside. Well, should be, although there are a few known attacks against these...
Speaking of locks. For the average person, I would recommend something like this.
Kwikset Uptown
The Smartkey is easy to rekey, and the newer versions are highly resistant (though not completely immune) to picking and bypass tools. Note that not all Smartkeys are created equal. The ones you want are Uptown, Downtown, Halifax, or Milan. The others have older, weaker security.
Make sure the door frame has a deep enough recess for the deadbolt to go well into. Sometimes they're very shallow. This makes the door more vulnerable to kicks and prying.
Finally, if you have a hollow external door, replace it with a solid one.
What about glass?
Glass break alarms are a thing. Some are noise sensitive, some are vibration sensitive, some are both. I'm still experimenting with these, so I don't have any specific advice. However, I've read that these generaly ARE a good deterrent.
Sliding glass doors suck, but sometimes you're stuck with them. This video has some general tips on making them more resistant to prying and other bypass.
You can also get security film. It makes the glass stick together rather than shattering into a million pieces. You can still get through it with enough time, but it's MUCH harder.
For windows... well, I don't worry about them quite as much. Going through a window involves, you know, going THROUGH a window. You should have time to respond as long as there's an alarm. However, there are bars available that can only be opened from the inside.
For bars or film, I STRONGLY suggest consulting a local expert. Putting film on a window sounds easy. It isn't. It's a highly specialized, labor intensive process requiring specific tools. And it's expensive. Personally, I'd get film if you have a sliding glass door, and consider getting some glass break alarms. I don't think windows are as big a deal. One idea I've heard is planting thorny bushes under your windows, although I don't know much about that sort of thing.
They're not the end all and be all, but they matter. If you live in an area where it's illegal to defend yourself with force... I don't know what to tell you. Here's a very quick overview. Train with it, know your gun, buy proper defensive ammo, know the layout of your home and all the angles/cover. Know what's behind your target. As a general rule any round which will reliably stop a human will go through drywall. For more information, consult the autists in the Mega Rad Gun Thread.
Pistol
By this I mean something like a 9mm semi-auto.
Pros
Easy to maneuver
Can give you a free hand/fire one handed in a pinch
Cons
Lower power
Relatively jam prone
Harder to aim, especially under pressure
Rifle
Rifle in this case meaning AR-15 or similar, not a hunting rifle.
Pros
High mag capacity
Low recoil
Easiest followup shots
Better armor penetration
Cons
Relatively expensive
High (dangerous) levels of drywall penetration
Shotgun
Pros
Cheap (for pumps, semi-autos are generally about on par with AR-15s for price/quality ratio)
Less legal restrictions
Insanely reliable (again, pumps)
Versatile (slugs are available if you really want them, but stay away from "exotic" rounds)
Extreme stopping power/less critical shot placement(any unarmored target that eats buckshot inside of 25 yards is FUCKING DEAD)
Cons
Shorter range (though still more than enough for indoors)
High recoil
Hardest to maneuver due to length
Low ammo capacity
I own all these, but I favor the shotgun for home defense. The average self defense situation involves two shots, and I'm a firm believer that for Joe Jackoff, overwhelming front-loaded force is more important than staying power.
If for whatever reason you can't or won't own a gun, consider this.
A Less Lethal Option
This is basically a paintball shotgun that shoots paintballs full of pepper spray. It WILL temporarily disable an attacker... but you better know what your follow up plan is.
Pistol
By this I mean something like a 9mm semi-auto.
Pros
Easy to maneuver
Can give you a free hand/fire one handed in a pinch
Cons
Lower power
Relatively jam prone
Harder to aim, especially under pressure
Rifle
Rifle in this case meaning AR-15 or similar, not a hunting rifle.
Pros
High mag capacity
Low recoil
Easiest followup shots
Better armor penetration
Cons
Relatively expensive
High (dangerous) levels of drywall penetration
Shotgun
Pros
Cheap (for pumps, semi-autos are generally about on par with AR-15s for price/quality ratio)
Less legal restrictions
Insanely reliable (again, pumps)
Versatile (slugs are available if you really want them, but stay away from "exotic" rounds)
Extreme stopping power/less critical shot placement(any unarmored target that eats buckshot inside of 25 yards is FUCKING DEAD)
Cons
Shorter range (though still more than enough for indoors)
High recoil
Hardest to maneuver due to length
Low ammo capacity
I own all these, but I favor the shotgun for home defense. The average self defense situation involves two shots, and I'm a firm believer that for Joe Jackoff, overwhelming front-loaded force is more important than staying power.
If for whatever reason you can't or won't own a gun, consider this.
A Less Lethal Option
This is basically a paintball shotgun that shoots paintballs full of pepper spray. It WILL temporarily disable an attacker... but you better know what your follow up plan is.
I know your pain.
I have an uncle who used to work in property management, and I asked him about some of this stuff. This is a summary of what he told me.
Ask forgiveness rather than permission. NEVER ask your landlord "Can I do X?" No matter how innocuous it seems, they will ALWAYS say no, because they have absolutely no reason to take the risk of saying yes. As much as possible, try to do things that are reversible. If you're replacing something, keep the old one. Keep it subtle. You can probably get away with minor changes like replacing your strike plate, but not your entire door. If you replace a lock, make sure the old key is compatible with the new lock. Whatever it is, just do it and don't talk about it. And don't be an idiot. If you think you might fuck it up, hire somebody who can keep their mouth shut.
Don't run cable, at least nothing that involves going inside walls/ceilings. This really sucks for cameras, but it's the way it is.
Obviously, don't advertise that you own weapons.
I am not a lawyer. Don't blame me if your landlord leaves you an upper decker.
I have an uncle who used to work in property management, and I asked him about some of this stuff. This is a summary of what he told me.
Ask forgiveness rather than permission. NEVER ask your landlord "Can I do X?" No matter how innocuous it seems, they will ALWAYS say no, because they have absolutely no reason to take the risk of saying yes. As much as possible, try to do things that are reversible. If you're replacing something, keep the old one. Keep it subtle. You can probably get away with minor changes like replacing your strike plate, but not your entire door. If you replace a lock, make sure the old key is compatible with the new lock. Whatever it is, just do it and don't talk about it. And don't be an idiot. If you think you might fuck it up, hire somebody who can keep their mouth shut.
Don't run cable, at least nothing that involves going inside walls/ceilings. This really sucks for cameras, but it's the way it is.
Obviously, don't advertise that you own weapons.
I am not a lawyer. Don't blame me if your landlord leaves you an upper decker.
Hopefully that's enough to get started. Discuss.
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