Discovering why.... smart home security
- Further Green
- Feb 16, 2018
- 3 min read
As the saying goes your home is your castle. You, your family and those who live with you must feel safe when at home. In this day and age very few homes come with a moat or high walls to repel potential intruders, with secure locks, alarms and cameras becoming common place in their stead.
Finding the peace of mind both when you are home and when you are away is important. Security is always rated as a top consideration for homeowners and tenants alike. So what does security for your home actually look like today? In this blog post we are going to dive in to the arena of smart home security to give you some information and inspiration for your home.
Home security takes on two aspects: prevention and awareness. Prevention includes the steps you take to secure you home, from locks on the windows and doors, to the deterrents of visible signs that your home is guarded that deter the inquisitive - including cameras, alarm signs, and motion sensitive lights. Awareness refers to the alerts you and others receive that something is not right. Between 80% and 95% of theft is opportunistic, meaning that if you remove the opportunity through a combination of prevention and alerts you are putting yourself and your home in a secure position. Both of these aspects now include smart technology that can bring the control of your home more within your control, wherever you are.
So what about products? Let’s start from the position where you have locks on all of your doors and windows, but nothing else. We’re going to look at 3 categories of product which we believe are essential to all home security systems.
Alarms - An alarm system will act as both a deterrent and alert to you and your neighbours and is a clear first choice of security options. Generally an alarm system will include an alarm box, control panel, external siren, door and window contacts, and motion sensors. In today’s home security market there are two categories: intruder (traditional) alarms and integrated (wireless) alarms. Intruder alarms are the more traditional - hardwired throughout a house, control panels, connection to the police. Integrated alarms include the same devices and functionality but are wireless, easier to install and provide remote access via mobile and computer desktop apps.
Cameras - Installing cameras will provide you with live and recorded footage and are something that we highly recommend. Smart cameras can now be scheduled to operate at certain times or when you are away from the home, be focused on narrow or wide areas, and at daytime or nighttime. Using facial recognition they can also be set to alert you when someone approaches who isn’t recognised, or to let you know when the grandparents arrive. Cameras are increasingly user friendly, cost effective and good looking, as the Nest series can attest to.
Smoke, heat & carbon monoxide detectors - smoke alarms provide a vital early warning and can allow extra time to escape if there is a fire in your home. The London Fire Brigade recommend multiple, linked smoke alarms for your property to be properly covered. Today’s smoke detectors can alert your phone wherever you are, giving you vital notice to make sure people are safe and any potential danger dealt with.
When considering the security capabilities of smart technology there are two aspects which it influences: automation and monitoring. Automation means the ability to program and schedule events for the devices on the network. The programming may include time-related commands, such as having your lights turn on or off at specific times each day or night. It can also include non-scheduled events, such as turning on all the lights in your home when your security system alarm is triggered. With monitoring you can check your security system's status: whether the lights are on, whether the doors are locked, what the current temperature of your home is and much more. With cameras as part of your home automation system, you can even pull up real-time video feeds and literally see what's going on in your home while you're away. Automation has the capability to take your home security to another level.
What about the cost? As with all areas of smart technology and automation, the capabilities have increased exponentially while costs have fallen dramatically. It is still possible to spend significant amounts of money, but it is also possible to install an affordable system that provides the security you want and need. At deCO we have experience at both ends of the spectrum, and work closely with our clients to structure a security system that satisfies their needs, their home and their budget.
To find out more or to request a quote please get in touch with us.
