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Home Security: The New Homeowner Checklist

Written by GuardMe Security on . Posted in Blog.

Congratulations! You’ve moved into your new home. Whether it’s your first or your fourth, every home has a number of aspects to keep in mind right from the start. Obviously, keeping a checklist is important, but sometimes we run into situations where we don’t have the time to take a second and organize our thoughts. Luckily, we here at GuardMe do, and we’ve taken the liberty to put together a handy checklist of tasks every new homeowner should keep in mind when moving into their new digs.

  1. Change your locks – Whether you decide to rekey your locks or change them completely, this is among most important thing to keep in mind when purchasing a new home. Since you can’t possibly know the character of every person the previous homeowner gave spare keys to, (or those who might have spare keys that shouldn’t) the safest option is to change your locks and save yourself the headache.
  2. Do a sweep of the house – Check your windows, storms, cellar entrances, attic, and everything in between when you first enter the home. Ensure that all locks are working as they should, and make sure there aren’t any holes or gaps in your home that potential burglars can potentially exploit.
  3. Check your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors – Some of us have different opinions of the importance of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors than others, so it’s crucial to make sure all of your detectors have new batteries and work properly. A defective smoke detector can be the difference between stopping a small fire from going out of control and losing all your worldly possessions in an inferno.
  4. Dispose of boxes and packaging properly – Giant television and furniture boxes are like honey to flies for potential home intruders. They know you’ve got nice things in your house and will be more likely to attempt a break-in. Break down those large boxes and place them in a closed recycling container in order to throw off the scent of thieves and keep your home safe.
  5. Trim your flora – Overgrown plant life makes for a perfect hiding space for unwanted guests. Be sure to trim your bushes, plants, trees, and more and keep them well-maintained in order to deter thieves from trying to enter your home.
  6. Install a home security system – The most obvious way to keep your home safe and burglar-free is to install a home security system. Motion-sensitive cameras on the outside and inside of your home, photoelectric smoke detectors, environmental detectors, security keypads and more can potentially deter criminals from even attempting a break-in, and can help you keep your family and possessions safe in the event there is forced entry into your home.

About GuardMe Security

GuardMe offers a number of different options for homeowners interested in a home security system built to match your family’s wants and needs. We also offer home automation systems for those interested in a “smart home” that can be controlled by a smartphone or tablet. No matter what you desire, GuardMe’s team of experts will be sure to exceed your expectations and deliver a high-quality system that you and your family can be confident in.

For more information or to get a home security quote, visit www.guardmesecurity.com

Selling Your Home? Tips to Ensure Home Security

Written by GuardMe Security on . Posted in Blog.

While your home is for sale, it is open to the public. From the photographs online to allowing complete strangers to walk through your home, you need to protect yourself. Homes for sale are prime targets for burglars, because they can scope it out online and even pretend to be an interested buyer while secretly seeing what you have to steal.

How to Protect Your Home While It Is For Sale

There are steps you can take to protect your home and personal belongings while you have your home listed, these include:

  • Activating Your Home Security System – If you have a home security system, make sure it is armed when you are away. If you do not have one, consider installing it before you list your home for sale.
  • Never Give Out Your Master Code – You will have to give agents your alarm code so that they can enter. Create a special user code for agents and never give out your master alarm code. Disable the temporary agent code when you are done showing so that nobody can use it later.
  • Do Not Leave Valuables Out – Before you take photographs or let anyone walk through your home, put valuables out of sight – this includes jewelry, money, DVDs, computer equipment, etc. If you can, consider moving all valuables to a safe or even a family member’s house so that they are out of sight from the snoopers too.
  • Skip Open Houses – Open houses allow people to walk through your house without an agent. Instead of having open houses, have your selling agent only do private showings.
  • Require Identification – Let your agent know that all potential buyers must furnish an official ID before walking through your house. This may deter potential burglars.

GuardMe Security can help you secure your home while it is on the market. Whether it is vacant or you are still living in it, our residential home security systems paired with security cameras can protect your home while it is vulnerable and open to strangers.

Call GuardMe Security experts today at (800) 235-0644 to learn more about our home security solutions.

Give Yourself the Gift of Home Automation this Christmas

Written by GuardMe Security on . Posted in Blog.

As you get older, it is harder to think of what you really want for Christmas. There is always one trend that never gets old: buying things that make life easier. Home automation systems are quickly becoming popular, especially around Christmas time. They not only make life simpler, but give homeowners peace of mind and added security – not to mention home value.

Why Home Automation for Christmas?

Homes can be just as tech savvy as cars and computers these days. In fact, as long as you have a smartphone, tablet or PC you can control almost every aspect of your home. While there are numerous reasons to consider a home automation system for your home this Christmas, here are some of the biggest benefits and features you will find with today’s systems:

  • Safety – Home automation is an additional level of safety you can add to your home. From controlling appliances and lights with the tap of a finger, you can make sure everything is turned off before you leave for the day, including curling irons. You can also ensure that lights are turned on when it gets dark.
  • Automatic Door Locks – How often do you leave only to realize you forgot to lock the front door or perhaps the garage entrance? With home automation, you do not have to turn around; instead, you can use your smartphone to lock your doors. If someone does enter your home, you can set up alerts to be delivered straight to your device, so you know who comes and goes.
  • Adding Security Cameras – Whether you have kids, an open backyard or pets to keep an eye on, home automation systems have you covered. Never miss a moment of what is going on by adding home security cameras with your automation system. You can check in on your home periodically throughout the day via your computer, tablet or smartphone.
  • Comfort – Adjusting your thermostat (whether you are away or just in the other room) is as simple as pulling out your device and making the change. Not only does this make life easier, but it could help you save money on energy – by allowing you to keep your home cool during the day and start heating it just an hour before you head home.
  • Peace of Mind While Traveling – During the holidays and even year-round, there will be times when you travel away from your home. Instead of relying on equally busy neighbors to keep an eye on things, you can control your home and monitor its security through your home automation system.

About GuardMe Security

Home automation systems are much more affordable than you might realize. With all of the added benefits, they are quickly becoming an attractive upgrade for most homeowners. GuardMe Security is your local home automation expert. We provide free consultations and can help you find the right home automation and security system to suit your family’s needs.

Tips for Burglar-Proofing Your Front Door

Written by GuardMe Security on . Posted in Blog.

Is It Secure?

Your front door is there to greet guests and welcome newcomers to your home, but is it also welcoming intruders?

Because statistics show that burglars often enter a home through the front or back access doors, decreasing your doors’ vulnerability is important.

Tips for Burglar-Proofing Your Front Door

  • Opt for a solid core door. These are more difficult to break or kick in. You can tell if you have a solid core door just by knocking on it. If it sounds hollow or has an echo, you should replace it with one made from metal, solid wood or fiberglass.
  • Change the locks. If you are not the first owner of your home, replace the locks and make sure all access doors have a deadbolt lock in place. Opt for a stronger box strike model that has longer screws to improve your door’s stability and prevent someone from forcing it open.
  • Use wide-angle peepholes on your doors. Criminals may try to knock on the door then try to force their way in. With a wide-angle peephole, you can see who is on the porch and see if the person is alone, as well as see if they have any tools with them.
  • Keep hinges on the inside. If for some reason your door’s hinges are exposed on the outside, a burglar can just undo the hinge and gain access. Have your hinges changed to the inside to prevent that.
  • Use security sensors with your home’s alarm system. Make sure when installing a new home security system, that you have sensors on every single door and window a person can gain access through. These sensors will send a signal to the control panel when opened and alert your alarm monitoring company.

About GuardMe Security

GuardMe Security can customize your alarm system and install sensors on every access point of your home for maximum protection. While providing you with a free estimate, our technicians can make recommendations to further improve your home’s security, including your doors.

Talk to GuardMe Security experts today at (800) 235-0644. Ask us a question online and a representative will be in touch with you. 

Fire Safety is Important During the Holidays

Written by GuardMe Security on . Posted in Blog.

The holidays are a busy time and most people are scrambling to do too much, too fast. Unfortunately, all of that busy work and rushing from store-to-store trying to finish up last minute shopping means many homeowners may be neglecting basic safety at home. Whether you are cooking holiday meals or just putting up your Christmas lights, it is important to keep fire safety in mind.

Tips for Keeping Your Home Safe  

From candles being lit to baking your Christmas ham, the holidays involve the risk of fire in your home. Keep your home safe by taking the time to prepare and implement a few additional safety tips this holiday season:

  • Kitchen Safety – If you are cooking (whether it is on the stove or in the oven), stay in the kitchen as much as possible. If for some reason you need to step away, return to the kitchen frequently to check on boiling pots, simmering sauces and anything baking in the oven.
  • Candle Safety – Keep flaming candles away from children and never leave children alone in a room with a lit candle. LED candles are a good choice. They flicker and look just like real candles, but without the flame. Do not use candles near flammable materials, such as curtains or a Christmas tree.
  • Keep a Fire Extinguisher Handy – Every home should have a fire extinguisher. These are relatively inexpensive and can be stored in the laundry area or kitchen to stop any minor house fires from becoming devastating ones.
  • Test Smoke Alarms – Smoke alarms should be tested just before the holidays and every month after that. Replace batteries in all of your carbon monoxide detectors as well.
  • Be Safe with Christmas Lights – If you are setting up Christmas lights outside, keep plugs away from standing water, snow or any other type of moisture. Do not use extension cords that are frayed. Indoors, only use grounded outlets and keep your Christmas tree lights on a timer so that they do not remain on overnight.

About GuardMe Security

To learn more about how you can protect your home from fires this holiday or to install a fire alarm with your home alarm system, contact your local home security specialists. GuardMe Security offers free consultations and can help you install a system that protects your home during the busy holiday season and right through the year.

Give us a call at (800) 235-0644 or feel free to ask a question online and a representative will be in touch shortly.

Why Smart Video Doorbells are an Advantage to Home Security

Written by GuardMe Security on . Posted in Blog.

Times are changing– fast. Technology has provided ways to improve our lives in ways we never even thought before now. One of those improvements, the video doorbell, makes the traditional doorbell seem like something out of the Dark Ages. So, why are smart video doorbells an advantage to home security? We’ll tell you.

Disadvantages of Traditional Doorbells

Before we discuss the advantages of video doorbells, we need to go over some of the disadvantages of traditional doorbells, and how they put you and your home at risk. Having a traditional doorbell means:

  • Having to go near to the door, and/or open it to address the need.
  • Having to get near the door to verify identity.
  • Letting thieves know you are not home when you do not answer.

Video Doorbell Basics

What makes video doorbells so valuable are their capabilities, and how they work. First, they feature a high-definition 1080p camera, a buzzer, and two-way audio. All of these features connect to your smartphone or another smart device via the smart app.

Advantages of HD Video Doorbells

Sometimes, small things can make a big difference. That is definitely the case with video doorbells. It does not take long to see these sleek and sophisticated devices add tremendous value to a smart home security system. Here are just a few of the many benefits:

  • You do not have to get near the door to answer it. You can always see who is at the door via live video and answer using the audio. Keeping a safe distance between yourself and an unknown is paramount in safety.
  • Infrared night vision camera technology allows you to see who is there day or night.
  • HD cameras provide crisp, clear images.You can even snap a photo of who is at the door.
  • You can answer the door remotely using two-way audio, so you do not have to reveal your absence.
  • You can record and download suspicious activity.

Smart video doorbells have become an indispensable tool in home security because it is like a standing guard. It is your eyes and ears of your smart home security system, whether you are home or away. GuardMe Security provides user-friendly systems that are specifically designed with quality in mind. Guardme designs, installs, and service any type of system from fire, security and alarm, to access control, video security, and central monitoring.

Peep Hole Vs Video Doorbell, Who Wins?

Written by GuardMe Security on . Posted in Blog.

If peep holes and video doorbells were superheroes, who’d win? We won’t get into any DC vs. Marvel comparison shenanigans but, in this case there is a clear winner. Your front door is the entryway into your universe and the entryway to guests as well as an entry point for some pretty gnarly villains. It is important to have the most ideal tools to protect the fortress.

Peephole Perks

The peephole has been around as long as there have been doors and in that time, they have served us well. Typically installed at eye-level, the peephole is a hole in the door equipped with high-strength glass through which you can see who is outside of the door without having to open it. Pretty ingenious.
It has some neat advantages, too:

  1. It is cheap.
  2. It rarely, if ever, wears out.
  3. It does not require electricity.

Even though the peephole has served well for centuries, it has always had some serious drawbacks. Unless you have mastered the super-stealth tip toe to the door trick, there really isn’t a way to know who is there without giving yourself away. To use it, you must put yourself in close proximity to the door; which is fine if it is friends or family on the other side but dangerous if it is a bad guy. Even if you do get close enough to look through the peephole, it doesn’t mean you will see well as it produces a distorted fisheye view with as a very limited field of view.

Video Doorbell Victories

A video doorbell is a doorbell equipped with a motion sensor, 2-way communication, and camera to which you can connect remotely from devices such as a smart phone and through your home security system. When activity triggers the motion sensor or someone rings the doorbell, whoever is at the door appears on the screen. The system allows you to answer the door from anywhere, whether you are at home having dinner or miles away on vacation and never give away whether the home is occupied or not.
Here are some of the best advantages:

  1. You do not have to get near the door to answer it, which is much safer.
  2. You can record video of events and save it for later.
  3. You can appear to be home, which deters crime.
  4. Video doorbells allow you to manage disruptions.
  5. Video doorbells provide a wider, clearer view.
  6. It is an extra security camera.

When it comes to the great peephole-video doorbell battle, the video doorbell wins hands down. In addition to providing a great view, it also helps deter crime. Since 1997, GuardMe Security has been at the forefront of equipping homes and businesses with security that matters.

Smart and Simple Steps to Prepare for Winter

Written by GuardMe Security on . Posted in Blog.

Winter is beautiful but comes with a set of risks. Wind chill can cause frostbite; freezing rain can cause road hazards; and Nor’easters can cause more damage than hurricanes. Now is the best time to prepare for those potential hazards.
Here are some fast, smart, and simple steps you can take to ensure a safer winter in your home.

Perform Heating System Maintenance Now

Give your heating system a test run now to detect any problems. Clean the filters and ducts to remove dust and debris. If you have a propane or oil furnace, make sure the fuel storage tank is topped off and ready to go. Never run a system that is operating poorly as it can pose a serious safety hazard. If you detect any problems, call a professional immediately.

Consider a Smart Thermostat

Once your system is working properly, consider using a smart thermostat that can be controlled remotely. This can help manage utility bills and heating costs while still making sure your home is safely warm for your arrival each day.

Reverse Your Ceiling Fans

Set your ceiling fans to spin clockwise. This will create an updraft and bring warm air down for more even heating and save on heating costs.

Be Sure Your Home Security System Includes a Carbon Monoxide Detector

Carbon monoxide is a colorless and odorless gas which is poisonous to humans. The fumes can cause sleepiness and disorientation making it difficult for those suffering from its effects to react quickly or effectively enough to save themselves. A monitored carbon monoxide detector is the best tool to alert residents and authorities that there is a serious emergency.

Protect Your Pipes

Protect pipes in uninsulated spaces, such as in the attic or crawlspace, by wrapping them with electrical heating tape then insulate them with foam insulation.

Install Environmental Detectors

Environmental detectors can notify you when detecting extreme temperatures, leaking, or flooding, helping to minimize potential damage.

Stay on Top of Severe Weather Alerts

Don’t be caught off guard. The New Jersey Office of Emergency Management provides a number of ways to get weather alerts, including by text, call, and on social media. Check out the website for a full list of ways you can connect to this valuable resources. http://www.state.nj.us/njoem/plan/winter.html

GuardMe Security is always at the forefront of protection security. We design, install, and service any type of system you may need from fire, security and access control to professional monitoring. Our mission has always been to provide custom integrated systems based on the very specific needs of each client. If you have any questions about security systems, please give us a call today.

The Subtle Dangers of CO and How To Avoid Them

Written by GuardMe Security on . Posted in Blog.

When you purchased those smoke detectors you so responsibly installed in your home, did you notice a similar-looking detector for carbon monoxide? If you have any products or equipment in or near your home that burn fuel, you might want to pick up a few carbon monoxide detectors too.

Unlike smoke or natural gas, carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless, but it is just as poisonous. In the U.S., between 150 and 200 people die annually from carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning produced by malfunctioning furnaces, ranges, water heaters, space heaters, fireplaces, charcoal- or gas-fired grills and engine-powered devices such as portable generators.

Even more lose their lives when CO accumulates after people leave their cars running in garages. And every year, thousands of people wind up in emergency rooms for treatment as a result of CO poisoning.

Prevention involves following these basic safety procedures.

  1. Install all appliances following the manufacturer’s instructions as well as local building codes – generally by qualified professionals.
  2. Unless you have the proper knowledge and skill as well as the appropriate tools, do not service fuel-burning appliances yourself.
  3. If your home has a fuel-burning heating system, have it serviced and inspected annually by professionals. Be sure to include chimneys and flues.
  4. Operating a portable generator or another gas-powered tool in or near an enclosed space can trap CO, leading to potentially lethal levels of the gas. Open doors and windows do not provide enough ventilation.
  5. Never use camping stoves designed for outdoor use only in an enclosed vehicle, tent or building. Some of these products may be designed to work in enclosed spaces, but they will specify that on the packaging and provide instructions for their safe use.
  6. Never burn charcoal in any kind of enclosed space such as a building, tent, or vehicle.
  7. Never leave a car running in a garage, even if you have the door open.
  8. Don’t use gas appliances such as ovens or clothes dryers as space heaters for your home.
  9. If you use a natural gas or propane oven, don’t cover the bottom with aluminum foil the way you can with an electric oven. You can block the oven’s combustion flow, producing CO.
  10. Re-check all gas appliance vents, heating vents or chimney flues after any home renovations. These can easily be blocked by forgotten tarps or debris.
  11. Install carbon monoxide alarms in hallways near every sleeping area and in living areas in the neighborhood of fuel-burning appliances. The recommendation is one alarm installed in the hallway outside every bedroom. Make sure the alarms aren’t blocked by furniture or window coverings. CO alarms should not be installed in kitchens or directly above any fuel-burning appliances. Test alarms regularly and replace following the schedule recommended by the manufacturer.

Signs and Symptoms of CO Poisoning

Initially, CO exposure has symptoms that resemble the flu without any fever. These include headaches, shortness of breath, nausea, dizziness, and fatigue. Further exposure can lead to vomiting, mental confusion and loss of muscular coordination. The end result is loss of consciousness and finally, death. The exposure levels and duration can affect the severity of the symptoms.

If you find yourself experiencing any of these symptoms unexpectedly, don’t wait for the CO alarm to go off to confirm it. Leave your home immediately and call the fire department on your cell or at a neighbor’s home. If they find evidence of high levels of CO, be sure that you and any family members who were exposed see a doctor immediately, letting him or her know about the CO exposure.

The Best Way To Avoid Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Finally, have all of your appliances checked for problems before re-using them. If one or more CO alarms go off in your home, leave immediately with all family members and pets. Call 911 and do not re-enter your home until the emergency specialists have ensured you that it is safe. Even a few minutes can lead to loss of consciousness and death if the exposure is high enough. Do not use the problem equipment again until a qualified service technician checks and repairs it.

We Can Help – Contact Us Today.

Carbon monoxide poisoning is an easily avoidable risk, yet every year too many people succumb to it. Like wearing a seatbelt, you may never need a CO detector, but why take a chance? By following these few simple steps, AND installing a carbon monoxide detector by a qualified professional security company, you may become a lifesaver for the ones you care about most.