Home security (especially those in rural locations)

[PinkPheebs99]

Just moved to isolated, rural detached house.
Any tips on home security as reviewing this at the moment. Thanks

Our front door has a full length glass panel next to it. I always think it seems really unsafe as someone could just smash the glass and open the front door. But blocking it up would make the whole house dark. Is there any good solution?

laminated glass.

Surely a burglar could still remove the panel so the best solution would be a proper lock that can only be opened with the key rather than those that you can open with your hand (having a mindblank over which is Yale and terminology sorry)?

yes, of course a British Standard 5-lever deadlock, not just a nightlatch.

But also laminated glass fixed with adhesive glazing tape, and with the beading on the inside, where it can't be pried off.

Thanks, very helpful

Theives target houses with dogs to steal the dogs.

Semi-rural neighbours caravan was towed away. I was home and didn't see anything. Now I look out at every sound although not living there any more.

I would suggest nice crunchy gravel, high iron gates, good alarm and the best locks you can find on the strongest doors you can get (ours is steel and cemented in) strengthened glass in windows and anything you would have in a town setting, like window grills. Security lighting, try to ensure it can't be knocked out with a pick-axe (yes, had that). Infra red cameras, high spec.

If I was moving again to anything rural I would be looking at land mines, barbed wire, a gun tower and armoured tank on the drive and electric fencing but I have become a nervous wreck.

Zombie

We had local police rep round to give us advice. Free service. Really useful! Not sure if they still do it. He recommended a front gate, gravel and a dog plus lots of other things that I can not now remember 😳

I think wireless CCTV systems are quite a deterrent these days.

I second locking everything up, but would add that this only works if you also beef up your sheds. I've had a bike nicked from a shed that was fully padlocked, but the ironmongery on the door was laughable and could just be crowbarred off. Now I have a thicker door, with better quality ironmongery, and screws that can't simply be removed. Very little will stop someone determined to get in, but making it really bloody difficult goes a long way to putting people off.

THIS THREAD IS VERY OLD. PLEASE NOTE BEFORE ANYONE ELSE COMMENTS. I AM SURE OP HAS SORTED IT AFTER 4 YEARS

If you’re worried about zombies, you can usually hear them moaning from some way off.

BTW the tips haven’t gone stale just because it’s an older thread.

Anything you can afford. I think if someone wants to go into a house, they will. Everything is just (if anything) a deterrent.