In addition to being bitterly cold and unpleasant to deal with, winter weather can also impact the safety and security of your home or commercial business.
Here’s how:
- Accidentally leaving doors unlocked: Due to things like trying to get out of the cold as quickly as possible while carrying multiple items, etc.
- Earlier and extended darkness: Makes it easier for would-be criminals to hide near potential targets.
- Desperation: People in Toronto-Mississauga or Hamilton are desperate to get out of the cold and/or need money, clothes, etc.
- Empty homes: Families often go away on vacation during the winter months, leaving their homes empty for days on end.
- Compromised doors, windows, and frames: Strong winds and heavy snow can weaken the integrity of access points like doors, windows and hardware
Follow these smart tips from Aim Lock & Safe to keep your home protected all winter long.
Tip 1: Repair outdoor lights
Any burnt-out bulbs you’ve neglected to replace all year long should be swapped out.
Not only will they illuminate areas like walkways, sidewalks, and driveways, they’ll also prevent potential burglars from hiding in the darkness.
Additionally, you may want to invest in motion-detection lights.
There’s no better way to stop a trespasser dead in his tracks than by flooding him with an unexpected source of bright lights.
Tip 2: Check doors and window frames
Anywhere you feel a draft coming in is also a potential break-in point for determined thieves.
That’s because the doors and frames aren’t sealing properly.
As a result, criminals can get into your home by:
- Prying them open with a crowbar
- Pushing or kicking them loose (especially if there’s a substantial gap)
- Smashing or breaking any locks, hardware or latches
If you notice these gaps, here’s what you can do:
- Contact us immediately to repair any damaged doors and frames
- Invest in replacement doors or weather-stripping products
Tip 3: Put valuables away in a safe
Should someone break into your home, the very last thing you want is for them to have free access to your important items and documents.
Any objects you don’t want people to see should be placed out of sight inside a home safe, such as:
- Cash
- Jewelry
- Passports
- Home ownership documents
The same philosophy applies to commercial safes too. Put away anything which shouldn’t be in plain sight:
- Petty cash
- Customer information
- Credit card numbers
- Business licenses
Lastly, if you have any firearms, practice smart gun storage by keeping them inside a proper gun safe.
Tip 4: Don’t share vacation plans on social media
It’s tempting to share winter vacation plans on Facebook, Twitter and other social media channels.
While you’re happy to let friends know what you’re up to, potential criminals are also scouring social media for this type of information.
That way, they’ll know when your home will be an empty, easy target to hit.
Also, during your vacation, make sure you don’t post things like:
- Status updates
- Pictures
- Tag anyone who’s vacationing with you (you could inadvertently put their home at risk)
- Flight information
Look at it this way: If you wouldn’t share your vacation plans with a room full of strangers, don’t share on social media until you’re back home.
Tip 5: Give yourself extra time
By nature, driving to work, school, appointments, etc. is going to take longer because of snow on the roads and people driving a little slower.
If you leave a few minutes early, you won’t feel like you’re rushing out the door.
Otherwise, you may end up accidentally leaving your front door unlocked.
Tip 6: Do a little winter cleaning of your home
Winter’s a good time to go from room-to-room and get rid of anything you don’t need (or don’t want anyone else to see):
- Old, expired medicine (bring to your local pharmacy for safe disposal)
- Bills
- Expired tax information
- Old pay stubs
Winter is also cold and flu season. To make sure you and your family stay as healthy as possible, sanitize your hands and things you touch frequently, such as:
- Smartphones
- Tablets
- Television remotes
- Door locks and handles
- Faucets and taps
Let us secure your home for winter – and the rest of the year too
If you’re looking to boost the safety and security of your home or business for winter – and beyond – we can help.
With the products, services, and experience we possess, there’s no job we can’t handle.
Contact us with your questions or comments. We’ll get back to you quickly with the information you need.
- Live in Milton? Contact us here
- Live in Burlington-Oakville? Contact us here
- Live in Toronto-Mississauga? Contact us here
- Live in Hamilton? Contact us here
- Live in Cambridge, Kitchener-Waterloo? Contact us here
