Door Peephole, Video Door Phone or Door Viewer?

Your home security when you aren’t at home is about protecting your possessions, saving you from making costly insurance claims and destroying your sense of safety in your own home. This doesn’t mean that you can ignore your home security when you are inside the house, though. When you’re inside, there is something much more valuable than possessions inside your home … you and your family. Knowing who is on the other side of the door is critical to your personal safety and home security -- but what product helps assure your safety best?

Peepholes

These were once common in homes, but have recently fallen out of favor. They don’t always do what they are designed to, as intruders could easily duck out of the peephole's way, or turn their back. Our natural curiosity means that we usually open the door anyway! Open style peepholes are a safety risk, with people able to poke things through them. And even if nobody who means you harm ever comes to your door, people can't escape the uncomfortable feeling that someone can see them, but they don’t have the same ability, when there is a peephole in a door.

Video door phones

Obviously, despite the problems with peepholes, they are the cheapest way to add to your home security by discovering who is knocking on your door. Most models today are quite vandal-resistant, and some have built in infrared illumination to allow you to see who is at your door even in dark conditions. While the audio version is obviously cheaper, being able to see exactly who is at your door gives you greater opportunity to assess their intentions and truthfulness.

Door viewers

In technicality, these land somewhere between ordinary peepholes and video door phones. They also land somewhere in the middle price wise, and are currently the preferred solution for many home security experts. You can get up to around 200 degree viewing angle quite easily, and while they need more knowledge for installation, builders are usually sufficient -- not as expensive as electronics experts. Look for one with an inner privacy lens cover, and expect to pay between $20 and $50.

4 Door and Window Solutions to Support Your Alarm System

While an alarm system remains the gold standard in home security (watch your insurance premiums fall of a cliff after you install a monitored alarm!), they are meant to deter burglars at quite a late stage in the break-in process. You can help ensure that you don’t have to deal with the mess of a break-in (completed or not) by securing your doors and windows. Today we’re looking at products to help you secure your doors and windows and support your monitored alarm system.

Electronic Deadbolt Locks

These work in a variety of different ways -- some use a PIN, some use a remote control, some use fingerprints. Some also have keys to activate them. Because they are electronic, they can’t be picked, but there are still methods to circumvent them or hack them. They aren't a replacement for your security system, but are an excellent addition.

Magnetic door sensors

This one is cheating a little -- because it really ties your window and door security, and your monitored alarm system together. A magnetic sensor will trip an alarm and a back-to-base call if the magnetic circuit is broken -- by someone opening the window or door, that is. They differ from other sensors in that the presence or absence of light doesn’t affect how well they work.

Glass break sensors

All the window locks in the world still leave your house vulnerable to someone with their hand wrapped in a towel to break a window and do a smash and grab. You need to tie your monitored alarm system to window breakage, either with an older style alarm that bonds metal strips to the window -- when they break apart they open an alarm circuit -- or a newer style system that detects the sound or motion of breaking glass.

Window films

These can not only help secure your home by preventing someone breaking your window glass to get into the house, they also add value to the home, guard against UV fading inside the house and help in disaster-proofing.