DIY security system or go through ADT or Brinks?

My house got recently broken into.They took my new flat screen tv and my ps3, I was upset to say the least lol. So it made me want to have some sort of security system in place.



How My house was broken into:

I came home and noticed my fron door was open.I thought i left my door unlocked and the wind blew it open. Then i noticed that the glass on my door was broken. I have a really dumb door with a major security flaw.It is a big wooden door with about 12 small glass panes in the door itself with 4 on each side running vertically.They broke one of the panes near the lock and stuck there hand in and unlocked the door.

I live with my mom and she is the house owner.She dosent feel to atiment or too serious about makeing the house more secure.I say this because she dosent want to fix the main flaw of our security here at the house which would be the big door withabout 12 acess points to break to gain acess to the lock.

My house is set up as to where I have an inside porch.So that means you walk down the block,go up my 10 foot sidewalk to enter my indoor front porch which is fully visible to the street. My Porch door is also a wooddoor with a big pane of glass which has this very sturdy lock.I think this would of maybe prevented it because i doubt there going to break a big peice of glass in full view of the street and other people house. But they came onto the indoor porch because the front front door was unlocked then they came to the big wood door with all those glass panes,broke a pain closest to the lock and walked upstiars and took my ps3 and flastscreeen and i assume drove off.

So this is why im asking my question which is should i go through a company like ADT,Broadview,simplx a company that offers that type of service where the house is monitored at there central location then alert you and the proper emergency service if they detect a problem or should i just build my own system and try and make the house more secure.



1. Should i go with one of those companies? the only benifit is that if i dont secure my doors properly and im not home and the neighbors dont hear it and call that i know the police will be there.



2. What products can i buy to make my house more secure?



3.For my wooden front door what can i do to make that secure? i heard of deadbolts where you need a key to lock/unlock on both sides,are those real? I want that so if they do break the glass they still cant get in.



4.Are cameras really that benificial? They only really help when in plain view,which i think isint that good to begin with cept detur. Or that there only good when your stuff is already gone which i think is to late.Where can i buy cameras that only motion activated?



4.Are there any good websites that are about home security that offeer cheap good products? how about any forums for prevention and security product reviews



5.What kind of locks are there and what benifits do they provide?Are there any chain locks which you can unlock from the outside?



6.should i buy a new door handle with a lock and maybe some sort of other lock like a deadbolt for my bedroom door? I ask this because i dont have anything else worth stealing except for my room and worse comes tow orse they break in but i want something to stop or slow them down alot if they actually get in.



7.Where can i buy glass laminate so i can make all the glass entry points in my house unbreakable. I think its called security film and its a laminate that makes it bullet proof or shatter proof so they cant just break the glass and unlock the door..I searched ebay,is there any other sites that offer this type of product?



8.What can i do to make my front porch door more secure? Im goin to start locking this door more often since its out in the open and i think that will detur most. Maybe put security fil over it just incase. Same with my back door and my front wooden door. What can i do to make those more secure?



9.What decides how good a lock is? is it the width or depth of the lock/deadbolt?DIY security system or go through ADT or Brinks?
Lot's of questions, not enough space to answer them all. For that matter, there's not going to be one answer since a lot of factors must be considered. For sure you should replace the single cylinder door locks with double cylinder dead bolts.



Double cylinder dead bolts are considered more secure in doors with glass or doors with glass sidelights. It is meant to deter a burglar who might break the glass and reach inside to unlock the door. However, you will want to check your state building codes because double cylinder locks are a violation in some states due to the possible hindrance to escape in a hurry. During a fire, a person may become disoriented and blinded by smoke, becoming trapped behind their own door when they can not find the key to unlock it. Certainly an important issue to consider when choosing your deadbolt.



Safety Tip: If you have a Double Cylinder Dead Bolt, hang a key next to or above the door out of reach of the glass opening. Be sure everyone in the house knows where it is in case of emergency. Having a copy made with a red colored blank or red paint the top of the key, will make it more visible. Removing it when you have strangers or service people in the house is also a safe practice.



As far as whether or not to have a security company monitored system installed is something you'll need to do more research on. It's also going to require you and your mother to be more disciplined about locking the doors, all of the doors, whenever you are not home and at night. If you have a bunch of nuisance calls then you will get fined.



You should do some more research on do it yourself security systems available at sites like the following:



http://home.howstuffworks.com/home-impro鈥?/a>

http://www.diysecurityforum.com/

http://www.homesecuritystore.com/

http://www.intellahome.com/

http://www.doityourself.com/stry/the-bes鈥?/a>



Then call a couple of the monitoring companies in your area and have them come out and do a site survey and give you a quote for the system installation and monitoring costs.



Good luck.