Where are your security weak points?

No matter what you may’ve done to increase security at your home, it is critical to evaluate its weakest safety points so they can be made stronger.

Contrary to popular belief, many burglars are very smart professionals. They’ll spend hours, possibly even days, analysing their target property and will exploit any weaknesses. After all, why take on a home that will be hard to break into? They’ll want to make life easy for themselves and will target less secure homes.

With this in mind, you should consider the following entry points:

• Doors

Doors are one of the first things any burglar will consider, such as how they open, close and lock.

To get a closer look and better understanding of what they’re up against, your potential intruder may pose as a delivery person or somebody from a utility company needing to read a meter or do an urgent repair just so they can see your door in action.

• Windows

Any kind of window, anywhere in your property – open or closed, in a basement, on a wall or a skylight in the roof – is an obvious entry point for a burglar; in fact any opening that’s larger than a human head is likely to be enough.

This means it’s advisable not to leave windows wide open when you’re on the premises and definitely not if you’re leaving your home unattended, even if just for a few minutes. However, most modern window systems include a locking device that allows for good ventilation.

Many thieves will try to avoid breaking window panes so they don’t arouse suspicion or cut themselves, meaning that they may revert to using an acid solution to melt the glass; unfortunately, there’s not much that can be done to prevent that.

• Chimneys

Owners of older properties should also bear in mind that an agile and adventurous criminal might try to gain entry via any large chimney.