Home Security Tips from a Security Professional
Are you leaving your home for a weekend? A workday? For a workout?  Follow the advice below, regardless of the time you will be away from your home.

1. Lock all outside doors and windows before you go to bed or leave your home (even if you're only going to be gone a short while). Home security companies often do have remote control locks in case you forget to lock your door when you leave.
2.  Change your locks if you lose your keys, move into a new home or have a new living situation. You don't know whom previous owners or roommates gave copies of keys to, so it's best to be safe.
3. Ensure your locks are secure. Perform regular maintenance to keep them up-to-par and functioning properly. We recommend deadbolt locks on all outside doors, and special locks on sliding glass doors, as they are especially vulnerable. 
4. Re-enforce your door frame. Perform Instead of a thin, flimsy strike plate, install a deeper box strike (a type of steel pocket that houses the bolt part of your deadbolt); to this, affix 3″ screws that burrow deep into the wall studs, instead of just the doorjamb. 
5. Make your home look occupied even when you're not there. Leave lights on when you go out. Make it look natural, lighting multiple rooms, as opposed to placing only one light on a timer.
6. Remove bushes and keep landscaped. Burglars often rely on trees and shrubbery as hiding places. Keep your yard well-trimmed or opt for a more open space—especially around windows. Also, if you're going to be away for a while, hire someone or ask a neighbor to keep your yard maintained and lawn mowed. ? Keep your garage door closed and locked. Also, park your car inside your garage, as opposed to in the driveway. This makes it harder to track your patterns and coming-and-goings.
7. Keep your yard well lit. Schedule your outdoor lights to be on in the evening, regardless of whether someone is home, to deter burglars. In addition, eliminate dark hiding places with motion-sensitive lights or floodlights. 
8. Don't let mail build up. If you're going away, have the Post Office hold your mail, or arrange for a friend or neighbor to remove it regularly.
9. Safeguard outside wiring. It's common for burglars to cut electricity and phone lines in an attempt to disarm home security systems. Ask about interactive security systems offer cellular based security that will work even with no power, cable or phone lines.
10. Install a home security system, and activate it. Once installed, remember to arm your system when leaving your home or settling in for the night. Interactive security systems can provide features that offer additional peace of mind when you are not home by enabling you to remotely arm/disarm the system.

^{These helpful tips provided by:
Jay Stone}

^{Vice President, Advanced Consumer Electronics (ACE)}

^{Advance, NC 27006}

^{336-941-3171 , jays@ace1983.com}