Suggestion from a 26 yr LEO: One of the many things you can do is put up "Beware of Dog" signs regardless if you have one or not. It may cause the crook to pass on your location. Thank you guys for the great content. Peace.
Great advice! That “quiet” dog that you think is there is the one to worry about - just how big and badass is that dig waiting on the other side if the fence? 😉
The law can use a beware dog signs against you if someone trespassing gets bit so no trespassing signs are better don't just take my word for it look up the law in your state
To add. Added storm doors to my front and back, it helped delay a guy trying to break-in my backdoor while my wife and at time infant daughter was home alone and preventing them from being harmed. You might not be home to protect the once that are the most precious to you so 100% agree with Coch to harden your home.
Absolutely. It adds another lock and barrier, which worse case scenario will give your family another 10 seconds head start; best case scenario the inside door can be opened with out a sales man putting the foot in the way of the door and letting all the pets and kids escape (which happened to my mother in the early 1970's and she was really angry about having to chase 3 kids, a beagle and a cat down at 9 Am.
Here are a couple of things I’ve told my folks… Almost every vehicle these days has the alarm function on its key fob. If you don’t have a home alarm system, you could trigger your car alarm from inside your home if you think/know there’s a threat outside. It’s better than nothing and may dissuade them. Also, and some may find this “iffy” lol ~ We all know how long it takes police to respond. This is just a fact of life in our country. I’m a fireman. If you just happen to dial 911 and tell them you think your house is on fire, we ARE coming. Much faster than the police on average. I’ve told my wife a thousand times… “If you think something is going on, you call the fire department when I’m not home”. No idiot with bad intent is going to hang out with the big red flashy truck pulling up and a bunch of men jumping off to help a woman. End of story.
Excellent practical advice! Also adding longer screws or extended striker plate to the lock side of an entry door (with dead bolt, of course) greatly reduces the ability to pry, or kick in a door. Thanks, again!
1. Really endorse having dogs. 2. Barking dogs discourage break-ins. 3. Barking dogs provide early warning of trespassers. 4. Barking dogs provide time to assess the situation & determine the proper response.
Our particular threat is sneaky, vicious, relentless & elusive. We have four small dogs; real barkers, a permanent order of restraint, security cameras, lights; we're armed to the teeth, yet a week ago, he cut the spark plugs in our car. It's not the first time he's tampered with someone's vehicle. Caught on camera, as I said.. He's terrorized multiple families in our neighborhood for years. There are charges against him for an unrelated violent assault. One man, on a bicycle, has gotten away with deadly criminal acts, caught on camera, documented, reported & "investigated", yet he continues to roam free, terrorizing innocent people. We do not hold a victim mentality; we're pro-active, we've done our due diligence. I believe our situation is similar to the national crisis we now face; which is pretty lofty of me to say.. Our best strategy is to be prepared. Godspeed, everyone.
I don't get why people caught on camera breaking into homes with a weapon don't immediately get the death penalty. Especially in states where you're allowed to use deadly force. 1 less shitstain in the world robbing working people of sleep.
If you’re in most of the southern half of the US, bougainvillea is a great plant for around vulnerable windows in lower floors and poorly lit areas. A season or two and it will have thorns the size of trim nails and it’s one more layer of protection. Might not stop someone, but sure as hell will slow them down if not cause them to yelp when they get stabbed and now you’ve got a few more seconds warning.
I started my home protection journey when I moved back to Texas from Cali. My dad said “moving to SA, let me offer you a bit of advice” and proceeded to walk around my house pointing out every entry point. Then purchased me a FA, an alarm system, and a doorbell camera. Since then I’ve added motion lights, two big flood lights, swapped out the screws on every strike plate, panic button, glass break sensor, and three outdoor cameras, and two American Bulldogs. Friendly, but they bark which is what I need anyway. I thank god nothing I couldn’t control has happened. My wife thought I was crazy until she received several Nextdoor notifications about incidents that have happened less than five miles from us. Yeah it’s not complete and probably not the best. The idea is to build over time and figure out what’s best for your family. I love our system and my wife feels safe. Now my neighbors ask my dad for advice.
I lived downtown in a city for about a decade. Having a door stopper that wedges under the knob to the floor saved the day on a few occasions and gave peace of mind to my girlfriend when she was there alone. At night I have it fully wedged, completely bracing the door. During the day when/if someone knocked at the door I’d shorten the length one click which allowed me to crack the door a few inches. If they tried to push in it would jam up and stop anyone from squeezing through. That scenario happened twice btw.
Yeh, that doorstopper replaces alarm system, dogs, community alarm, cameras, weapons, a plan...MAN ARE YOU CRAZY??? I checked off 7 of the 8 steps proved by this video. The 8th is a plan... which unfortunately requires the cooperation of my wife. If a burglar cares to go against my home 360 degree home alarm, by community alarm, my 2 German Shepherds that are trained in protection, plus the arms that we have to protect ourselves..... BEST OF LUCK TO THEM.... because they will need it. Hurrah to your DOOR STOPPER!!!
Fence Lights Cameras Dogs Solid door, 3in hinge deck screws Windows blocked from opening by pvc pipe stopping it from sliding open Maintain your security system Have a plan Firearm last resort
@Bryan Anderson Perfect, yes, but I want to ask one thing; Should a 'hidden room' be added to that list? Could be fake stories, but we all hear accounts where the murderous intruders were caught because the family was hiding in a well concealed panic room, dialing the cops or loading a pistol kept there. I kinda like the idea of a well hidden secret room ! Any thoughts anyone?...
@@bentonrp Too expensive and impractical...also a waste of space 99.999% of the time. Why hide in a secret room when you can just run away also? You can also hide in any room, hidden or not... most burglars aren't looking to engage you, they just want to steal and get out quickly. If someone obviously wants to kill you, well, then, you probably have bigger issues to worry about.
Neighbors hate noisy dogs. Motion sensor warning horns that turn off abruptly with a long delay is much better unless you can train a dog to behave similar.
All natural hedges can be nice looking and pretty nasty. Osage Orange forms a dense, thorny hedge although maybe too nasty for some. Blackberry forms an extremely unwelcome hedge which can provide edible treats. Neither are difficult to establish but need maintenance which often causes boo boos. There are others like roses to plant underneath windows for beauty and repellency. Or be a man and just crap all around your house continually.
A funny story about blackberries. We were moving cattle for a few days in the high counrty and ran out of food. Dumb-ass kids. But anyway we found some blackberry bushes. I convinced my buddy those berries were poisonous. I ate them all when he wasn't looking. HEY, I'M NOT PROUD OF IT.........lol.
Used to machine doors back in the day. Gotta remember, long screws and heavy hinges are only as good as what they bolt into. Most normal doors are made from pretty soft stuff and are often hollow. Know what you are buying.
Dont like the wireless internet dependent cams. Tried them. Got rid of it. Ive wired three houses with hardwired alarm systems, cams and DVR. Going back to that. I'm going to build a house with concrete walls, steel doors and steel door jams and "riot glass". If i can afford ballistic glass, I'll do it. 8ft perimeter fence with the "Iron Clad" fence alarm system. Closer around the house and gardens I'll use the "Voice Alert System 6". It previously was an American company, but was purchased by a South African company called Drongo. They've improved the system and it is outstanding, BUT, they have to ship it to you from South Africa. Expensive, but worth it. Paint any white plastic green. Camouflage and conceal everything. Build a concealed safe room in the house, that can be secured with you inside. Have your cam system DVR and tv in there so you can see the cams. Put cam in the house. Dont forget the guns of course! Good luck and have fun! It's alot of fun building it and getting everything in place.
I grew up with bars on the windows and gates on the doors. The best thing you can do for security in my opinion is, have some kind of rapport with at least 1 neighbor so you can look out for eachother when you're not home. 24 hour cameras linked to your phone is a nice option if you can afford it too.
As ex LE and a stay at home homeschooling mom while my husband works his tail off all day... I LOVE this kind of video! We have an English Mastiff and we both have extensive weapons training and hand to hand BUT our home does need more fortification as well as we have 3 toddlers and I'm currently pregnant. The comments are extremely helpful too! Thanks for this and I will be looking for more useful tips and tricks from you!
Dogs are awesome. They hear everything, way before I do. They bark and scare the trap out of people. They're not mean or overly aggressive,, but you can't beat dogs for security.
Always good stuff from Coch and TH. I would add: Don’t post on social media, etc. when you are out of town/away from your home. Use “vacation hold” for mail at the post office when you are away. Not letting newspapers (if anyone still gets those delivered 😉) pile up at your front door, and consider having a TV or radio and a few interior lights that are on timers for when you are away to create an illusion that someone may be home. Re: plan if someone breaks in when you and your family are at home - who is in charge meaning who leads, who follows, who shelters in place, etc. and your “comms plan” - how you call 911 and how you communicate with each other. Looking forwarding to the next nugget from Coch and all the filks at TH.
Have you seen the tv fakers? It's a box you plug into an outlet that has rbg leds that flicker like a tv that you can set for certain times of day. Looks like you're home watching tv.
I also put heavy objects such as my large snake tanks on the inside of the easiest to get into Windows of my house. The other windows are higher up on my house. Like you said, layers of security. It doesn't make your home impenetrable but it's little things that will buy you time and make it harder for someone to get in and maybe move on to a softer target. Great video.
Dont assume youll be home when it happens as well. Dont keep all your goods in the master closet if possible - its the first place thieves go. A dummy safe in plain view full of bricks can hopefully waste enough time to keep your real stuff intact
In my area, home invasions are not uncommon. If I had a safe and were not home, the home invaders would not hesitate to torture any occupants for the combination. There's no problem with a spouse having the combination but I would not necessary give the combination to a young child. For many reasons, I am not interested in collecting firearms or having valuables around that would require me to buy a large safe.
For the garage door make sure there is a slide lock that goes into the frame. Use it. Turn off the power switch at night. If your going away for an extended period of time put a big arse C-clamp in the frame where the wheels go. Put a lock through the slide bolt, turn off the power to garage door opener. Exit and lock up through the front door. Never leave a spare key anywhere outside. Inform only a trusted neighbor about your time away. If this tip prevents one avoidable theft I'll be a happy camper.
A very strong option, after you replace the hinge screws - is a floor-mounted door barracade. Both Nightlock and OnGard, are excellent brands. Look for videos: the floor barricades are tremendously strong.
A friend lived in a multi-family house in Brooklyn. He had been burgled many times so he bought a high security door that had six bolts that came out aroiund the door to secure it. He came home one day to find that they cut a hole in the wall next to his door and got in. If they want in they'll find a way.
If you buy a house. Change the wood depending on how old the house is. It could be rotten, possibly already gone through a robbery. If you see possible sign. Get a piece of metal make it the length of the height of the door, cut out where the dead bolt and lower knob goes into wall. Route out the wall screw it down. The metal won't bust out like the wood would if kicked in. The longer it takes for a criminal to get in . He may give up and leave. Or gives you more time to get your weapon.
Super content. Thank you. Soon, you are going to be able to have a swarm of AI driven mini drones activated as soon as an intruder is detected within the perimeter. They can then "go after" the target with non lethal but very debilitating capabilities.
Leaving a radio on to talk radio. People hear voices and think someone's home or just fell asleep with a tv on. Interior lights on a timer, if your away lights are still on.
Great stuff... I'm afraid I have to disagree with motion lights. At least with me, the visible spectrum seemed to increase the crime events after we installed them. After thinking a lot, we switched to motion-sensing IR flood with our motion-active security cameras. Now they have no clue I'm even watching them:)
Depending on the situations perhaps, but where I am, the brighter and wider the splay the better to deter many/most thieves. I experienced this too. We lacked outdoor lighting while the neighbors had strong lighting and we were the chosen target.
Not saying I'm a hacker but selling the personal information of convicted thugs and burglars to scammers and India and Nigeria is a decent side hustle. Even though these thugs think they are smart and tough, they are not. If you call a thug and pose as the IRS then if they don't turn over their bank account and identification credentials, threatened them with arrest and they will fall for it every time. Especially if you recite their address and tell them when law enforcement is due to arrive.
Boards with nails driven thru them can be used as a defense tool. Turn them sharp side up, bury them a few inches in the ground under windows. Cover lightly with leaves, old grass clippings, etc...( don't forget where they are placed for your own protection)
My home security for outside is "see profile pic" LOL He will let me know & stop someone is within 100yards of my house!! Plus, we have fences and cameras. Thank you for the great advice! Oh yeah the door screws are a must!!
I would say to lock your master bedroom door and then put a door stop alarm behind it. if the bad guy manages to get through a door stop and 120db ringing through your ears from 10 ft away, you're mostly likely already up with your firearm ready to go
We just put up Blink 4 cameras all around our 6 acres. They work great, from our gate to our porch. IR also is excellent. I was hesitant because a 5 camera system is only 250.00.
Good info. Like "Ah Chu" pointed out, long screws on the strike side/lock side are important as well. From a production standpoint, unless the video in the background is from the Sheriff's Office alerting the neighborhood to a perv roaming the streets, I'd recommend something that isn't distracting and taking focus away from what's being presented. A simple picture or scene is preferable. If you're trying to promote something, use a "card" or link in the description. Also, links to the materials you mentioned would be helpful. Thanks.
For the hinges, be sure to install structural screws for a high shear rating. Most screws, such as deck screws, are made with only clamping force in mind. Someone trying to kick in a door is likely applying substantial shear force to the hinges, which might break a deck screw.
Two things criminals do not like: bright lights and loud noises. The lights you've got covered already. The second part is an alarm, and you want the exact opposite of a silent alarm. You want the loudest alarm you can legally set up on your property (check your local laws to be on the safe side), something that is going to make would be burglars brown their trousers and nope out.
I agree with the reinforcing the door hinges but also reinforce the actual lock and deadbolts on all of the entry doors. Armor concepts has a kit for just about every door imagineable and it is very easy to install.
THE BEST comment here bar none. It's the best knock off hack idea there is. Good on you. Thread in some razor wire for good measure ... wrap and secure it good bound around secure reed bars will make any thief pass you by and move on ... vs having to work and get all bloody.
Love the info! I had an idea about extra security for windows - shrubs; specifically schrubs or bushes that are tough to move through and have thorns. These help make window entry nearly impossible without indepth pre-planning and tools designed to overcome that perimeter defense. 👍 It becomes alot of work to get past thorny, thick bushes.
Thanks for the interesting video! I just wanted to add a suggestion: I live in Italy, and here we use shutters a lot (especially "roller shutters"). There are "anti theft" shutters, which are pretty nice and are a good defense which can substitute bars.
Do copperheads, cottonmouths & fire ants count toward the exterior security? Don't forget about possible access from the attic, depending on your home's design.
I've got a huge front window. My house has been broken into twice in one month. Both times they came through the door, luckily. A friend bought me deadbolts to put in the doors. I said absolutely not! If they can't get through the door they'll go through the huge window. I can patch or fix a wood door pretty cheap. That big a piece of glass is expensive, hard to transport and hard to install.
Dorricade Door Bar was a nice addition to my front door as well. It looks like it will work but I'd like to see an independant test. It's the only one I've seen that I would actually recommend.
Great info Frogman. Layers of security. Light up the outside, without silhouetting yourselves inside. Have a fall back or Alamo room. No one knows your house better, in the dark, then you. Own it, and own the uninvited!!!
Yep, also be sure that everyone picks up after themselves. No shoes, toys,, or WHATEVER,,, left out on the floor. Keeps from having a trip hazard, especially carrying a firearm in the middle of the night (just awakened). I usually do a walk thru looking for potential hazards or issues before going to bed.
Ok brother, good points, I'd like to add to the list please, is become friends with your neighbors, look out for each other, help each other, stay in touch, let them know if you are going away for the weekend, check on each others properly... more the better, and if suspicious activity is going on, post it up around town, let others know.. if you can expose theieves,they may back off,don't be a coward, protect your property and neighbors and neighborhood!!!
I just installed new motion lights on my house, and am considering what kind of cameras to install now. I installed steel security entry doors, but even those came with short screws. This need to be upgraded to long screws to go into the door jamb deeper to make it stronger. Additionally, you can install a door brace that acts as a bar to stop entry for the outside. Ugly, but it can help. I'm the future I want to install solar powered lights to light up the yard and shrubbery area at night. Illuminate hiding places. I've had an intruder plan in place since moving into the house. As my kids get older, they'll be told about the plan and where to go if they hear anything that scares them or they think someone is trying to get into the house.
Thank you for the tips. One of my best friends was murdered in his backyard 12 years ago. The assailant hid in the shadows of his backyard until he came out and shot him. A dog, motion lights, and cameras would have saved his life that night.
I decided against Harding in favor of a tunnelled stand off bunker with escape tunnels. All cache's stocked and sealed, each containing the exact stocks. Plus, I have set up, bang stashes for shooting my way to the under .
There's a good video testing different ways to slowly reinforce your doors. The weakest part is the door knob area where it goes into the frame. Replace the frame area where the latch is for the door knob/handle area, simply adding long screws so the little metal plate in the door frame Is secured to the studs in the wall works amazing. This is also one of the reasons breech operation teams will target the door bolt and latch with the big door rammer; they know the avg door isn't secured there. The next weakest part was mentioned in the video, the hinge screws are too short to reach the stud in the wall like the one I mentioned above. Etc.
New to your channel would be nice if you do a video on how to protect yourself in your home or safe guard your kids from someone who is entering or already in the home and you have a pistol rifle
A good idea is this: Set up an easy-to-see defense so when those who come within your perimeter, you'll have a better sense on their real intentions; and so will a jury. This can go a long way on proving defensive measures, if that is what is needed.
I was taught by an ex Sheriff that there are Rings of Security of personal protection around you. For the Home very secure doors and windows are imperative. One of the most under secured areas a burglar takes is an unlocked window in the Bathroom or Second floor. For forced entry not having one or more deadbolts and the mentioned 3" long deck screws that secure into the door studs. Wood doors are generally the least secure and are the worst for home insulation. The master bedroom is the target for burglars as this is where jewelry, cash, electronics or items for pawn can be had. Secure this door with a steel outer door if possible not a thin wood inner door.
If you're on good terms with your neighbour, talk to them. That's also useful to not get someone grumpy bei burning their retinas with your floodlights. They might have seen someone the cams didn't catch staking out the area. Of course, don't get paranoid. The probability of a break in is quite low but it's good to be prepared. While you're at it, have functioning fire extinguishers in your bedroom, and bigger ones somewhere central, learn how to use them and have them checked. Fires happen a lot more than break ins. Have emergency lines on speed dial on a small phone that is not your main phone on you is a good idea. Know all the medical relevant information of you and your loved ones.
Deck screws aren't the best. They're made from brittle metal and also the last inch isn't threaded and so doesn't grip. You want something like #10 screw and threaded all the way up the screw. Stainless steel is good.
Window with bars: we don’t want bars?? I surely do 😂 l lived in Argentina my early years. EVERYONE has bars. If you didn’t, for sure they will break in. See the windows of the shelters in kibbutzim, the terrorists easily broke in through them. All those houses so defenseless by the Gaza border!!!! 😩😩😩
I got tired of people showing up at the house. We installed an 8 ft tall, 3 tiers of barbed wire with a lock on the gate. No one shows up unannounced anymore.
Fishing line between the fish and the house on the weak side .Quality outdoor lights from dusk to dawn. Walk around the perimeter of your house at least every 2 weeks.
When I read "hardened" I was thinking nuclear bomb shelter with hidden air vents, air filtration, blast doors. And wifi so you can watch youtube during the zombie apocalypse.
I'd love to hear from you guys about an outdoor alarm that makes enough noise to get the perpetrators thinking twice about continuing to try to break in. And some great brands of motion activated floodlights. I'm interested in preventing the lowlifes from entering than documenting everything and going to the police:see? They're in my bedroom!
You should either replace your door hinges with security hinges or just buy some security pins for your current ones. It will make it very difficult to knock in your door and buy you extra time if someone is trying to enter that way. Simple and cheap way to really upgrade your home defense.
My neighborhood has been targeted with car burglaries. My wife is scared but I actually want to try and catch the theifs. This helped me so much. Thanks. And you are right. The 2nd ammendment should always be the last resort. Honestly I just want to help them and try to get them to change. Anything is possible with God.
We live on 21 acres of land, for me I like having live bear traps set for humans. 100 of them have worked for yrs!!! Not a problem… lawyer on hand… signs everywhere about live bear traps set for those who want to play around.
Get a Kangal dog . i live in Germany where Kangal dogs are well known because of their origins being close by in Turkey . Turkish delivery drivers were afraid to come to our house if the dog was outside on the balcony . we asked a driver one time to bring a heavy item up stairs for us and we would pay him 40 euros ! when he saw the dog , he said " is that a kangal dog on your porch ?" my wife said " yes" and he got back in his truck and left .😂
@TacticalHyve I know this is an old video, but hopefully you get my question. I live in an upstairs apartment. No one lives next door or directly downstairs from me. I am frightened. I am a female and live alone in Houston. For the last week there have been 3 incidents of a man (or men) walking up to the top of my stairs and turning around and leaving which was captured on doorbell cam. The next 2, the video is so pixelated that I cannot tell who it is. I have a sliding balcony door which has the bar and a pin, 2 deadbolts, a alarm, doorbell cam and a window sensor on the small kitchen widow by the front door. I do have protection. No dog and no family. Any suggestions?
Just confronted by two boys with a knife. I shouted at the top of my voice for help , no one came to help, I just stepped on the knife and scared the boys away with my very loud voice. it was 8:45 in the morning. School holidays is the worst time for thefts.
Thanks. Good tips but can you give tactical advice for after all of this. If you have someone in your yard I'm assuming you shouldn't rush out the door with a gun because his friend might be waiting outside the door also with a gun. Etc.
Can't sue if you say "No Trespassing, Working Dog". I heard. People these day so full of hate they just set the house on fire and wait til you come out, so plan on that one too. 😢
It's a good video I would like to see videos on the ultimate security for a home and then inside the home I don't feel or I haven't seen yet insanely awesome security..... I've been stocked by my ex for 17 years I was just really like to see the very ultimate insecurity
