Break In

Last year my security company called me around 11 p.m. on Thanksgiving to ask me if everything was alright at my house. Since I wasn't there I had no idea. The police were dispatched and found the back door had been kicked in. My dad drove across town to secure the house and give the police officer the information she needed to file a report.

Luckily the house breaker(s) didn't seem to get much further than the doorway before the alarm went off and apparently scared them away. Why you'd bother breaking into a house that clearly advertises that an alarm company monitors it and doesn't appear to have much worth stealing I don't know. I also know that it doesn't take long for the Tulsa police to respond to a call in my area (see the story here).

However, I'd like to take a minute to talk about some tricks for protecting your home while you're out of town.

Having my home monitored gives me a discount on my home insurance, but from what I've read a lot of people who pay for home security systems don't actually use them. I always do. If I'm leaving for 20 minutes I still turn the alarm on, I'm paying every month to have the system monitored. That only happens if I turn it on. There are occasionally false alarms and I have accidentally set the alarm off myself, but if you make setting the alarm a habit then you get used to not opening doors when the alarm is on or turning it off as soon as you walk through the door.

The only real damage from the break in was to the door frame. Except for my front door (which is thick wood) all my doors are metal. When they kicked in the door the only damage was that the cosmetic molding came off (but didn't break) and the wood frame cracked. My dad managed to fix the door so it is even more secure than before. However, I still take the added precaution of barring the door with chairs now as well.

Simple door jam stick.
Where can I find something basic like this?

I want to buy door jams (like the ones in the picture), but most of the ones I've found online are pretty pricey. The one in the picture belongs to my grandma, she's had them as long as I can remember and they are pretty simple. All the ones I can find online are "fancy" which probably explains the high price tag. I'd really prefer something more basic.

I've also taken to having a friend check on my house or even stay if I'm going to be gone overnight.

Another great idea is to put a hold on your mail and newspapers. The police officer who responded to the break in said the fact that the mail was in my mailbox probably tipped the housebreaker off that no one was home. I hadn't thought to put a hold on my mail because of the holiday. Of course, I've also changed to a more secure mailbox, but that wasn't really a result of the break in.

Growing up our neighbors would leave their radio on whenever they were out of town. That way if someone was snooping around outside it sounded like someone was talking or listening to music. You can also buy timers that will make your lights, TV or other electronics turn on at set times. When I worked as a reporter I had a police scanner. If I needed to go out in the evening I would leave the scanner running in my apartment while it charged.

One feature that is nice about my house is the outdoor lighting. Not only do I have some really bright landscape lights in the front, but I have motion sensitive lights all around the house. It can be irritating when a cat or something sets off the one outside my bedroom window in the middle of the night, but I'm glad they were installed.

Even before the break in I was careful not to mention an out-of-town trip online until after I got back. No point in announcing ahead of time when the house will be empty. Everyone uses social media, and it isn't hard to find someone's personal information with just a quick Google search.

Have you ever had to deal with a break in? Was anything actually taken? Do you have precautions for when you leave now that you didn't have before?

Storm Door Safety

The finished product. I think the big pots are
new since my last post about the front entry way.

A couple weekends ago my dad and I installed my new storm door. I decided to buy a storm door to help with my air conditioning and heating bills, plus the added security of having the glass door that locks. Now I can open my front door without immediately giving people access to the house. In theory I should have time to slam the door shut again if I opened it to find someone scary on the other side (not that a glass door is perfectly secure of course).

My door before the storm door was installed.

Keeping it Simple
The door came in three parts. The frame, the glass/screen and the door handle. I purchased the door from Lowe's, you're able to mix and match the three parts. I kept it pretty basic with clear glass, a white frame and the same brass hardware that was on my front door.

Installing the pressure
pump that controls how
fast the door closes.

The main reason I wanted to stay simple with the storm door was the fact that my front door is so pretty. I didn't want anything that would hide the door. If I didn't love the front door I might have gone with one of the etched glass options or gotten a storm door with the iron designs. Although all of those options also cost more. I chose white because all the trim on my house is already white, so it just blended right in.

Lowe's had an installation option that cost just under $100, but my dad said that we would be able to install it ourselves. I mean we did build a deck all on our own!

The only real problem we ran into was that Dad's drill bits apparently got taken out of his tool bucket and didn't make it to my house. He sent me to the store for some (like I know what a drill bit is!). I managed to find a set with the size he needed and then we were in business.

Most of the actual installation Dad did, I helped hold the glass in place and get the edging into place. Meanwhile I got some yard work done, cleaned the garage, vacuumed my car and cleaned off my step aerobics equipment so that I could bring it inside and USE it. Call me crazy, but letting it sit in the garage covered in spider eggs wasn't getting me in shape. Now its clean, in the house and I actually used it today!

Finished Product

Ollie likes the new view!

So far I love the door. I've also been leaving the main door open sometimes when I'm home during the day. Ollie really likes that, he'll sit there for hours watching birds, neighbors, even the wind. He's always liked looking out the front windows, but his view is more limited since he has to perch on the furniture to see out.

I haven't been able to compare my utility bills yet to see if the storm door has made a difference, but I can't hear the wind whistling through the hairline cracks in the front door anymore, which is a good sign. The door is gorgeous, but not very well sealed. Between each of those panels is a miniscule opening that I could hear the air coming through. Dad and I tried to seal it at one point, but the tube exploded before we made any significant progress.

So far this was a great purchase!