Fortifying your home makes it immune to attacks by covering all the possible security loopholes.
Whether you live in the city or off the grid, you never know when a burglar or intruder will try to break into your home. Making your home secure is your responsibility and should be done on time.
In this article, we will discuss ways to fortify your home. These are expert tips that have been proven effective in boosting home security and ensures that everyone is safe.
Continue reading to learn how to make your home theft-proof.
Contents
- Why Do You Need To Fortify Your Home?
- 12 Effective Ways To Fortify Your Home
- Camouflage Your Home
- Creating A Defensive Perimeter Around Your Home
- Hanging Warning Signs On Your Property
- Set Up Security Cameras And Motion Lights
- Use Warning Devices
- Reinforce Your Home’s Doors/Windows
- Securing Your Walls
- Blocking Off Your Chimney
- Guard Dog/Animals
- Setting Up Booby Traps Both Inside And Outside Your Home
- Self-defense Weapon Equipment And Keep It Accessible
- Have A Place You Can Retreat (Safe room)
- Pro Tip: First Things First, Keep Secret
- Personal Experience
- FAQs
- Wrapping Up
Why Do You Need To Fortify Your Home?
The main reason for fortifying a home is to keep burglars at bay. In the modern world we live in, security cameras and alarms are deemed fit for deterring thieves.
However, if they become desperate enough, they can go past the cameras. After all, cameras do not catch thieves but only record the footage.
Fortifying your home will make it safer against possible attacks by enemies, including wild animals.
If you are living off the grid, you can expect unexpected visits by wild animals. If you do not fence your home, they will find their way, and you will be in a constant battle.
Fortifying a home makes it safer not only for burglars who want to steal but also your enemies.
Make it nearly impossible for an assailant to access your home by covering all security loopholes. How do you do that? Read on to the next section to find out!
12 Effective Ways To Fortify Your Home
If you are out to keep thieves at bay, you should consider these ways of fortifying your home. There are 12 different ways of making your off-grid home more secure and safe. They include the following:
- Camouflage Your Home
- Creating a Defensive Perimeter Around the Home
- Hanging Warning Signs on Your Property
- Set Up Security Cameras/Motion Lights
- Use Warning Devices
- Reinforce Doors/Windows
- Securing Walls
- Blocking Off the Chimney
- Guard Dog/Animal
- Booby Traps Inside/Outside the Home
- Self-Defense Weapon Equipment(Keep These Accessible)
- Have a Place You Can Retreat To (Safe Room)
Using the above methods, you can make your home safer and habitable. You will be protecting your family and property in the best way possible. Let us get into details about each method of fortifying your home.
Camouflage Your Home
Camouflaging in this context does not mean you make your home green not to be seen.
The trick is to make it as similar to the neighbors as possible. A house that stands out is a target by burglars because they believe there are valuables inside it.
As part of your camouflaging plan, try to paint the house with more natural colors while avoiding the overly bright paint colors.
Also, you can consider having window curtains, sheers, or blinds that will prevent the valuables from being seen on the outside.
If you are designing a new home, consider having a garage at the back where no one sees your car. Just blend in with the rest and do not expose your valuables.
Creating A Defensive Perimeter Around Your Home
Having a fence around your property can be just the best thing to do to make it more secure. You can do so with live fences or build one from available material.
Landscape Defensively: Grow Defensive Plants
There are thorny plants recommended for use when growing a fence. Kay apple, for example, is extensively used as a fence around the property to be secured.
They are planted close to each other to provide no spacing between them when fully grown. Due to their spiky structure, it becomes hard to penetrate through.
Build Fences Around Your Property
Barbed Wire Roll – Barbed Wire Fence for Outdoor
- Barbed Wire Quality - This barb wire is made of high-quality materials used for protecting your property. Barbed wire is designed to help prevent intruders from entering in your property.
- 4 Point Barb Wire - This Barbwire fence is a 4 point 20 feet long and 18 gauge. It has a 4 point sharp spikes for an effective use for deterring or preventing intruders and animals. Very sharp wire handle carefully with gloves.
- Protection - This barbed wire fence can be used in farms, garden, yard, etc. Barb wire fence can be rolled around the top of the fence to add protection in your property.
Alternatively, you can construct a barbed-wire fence or a brick-walled fence with anti-climb spikes.
We have also seen people securing their homes with a bed of nails or tire spikes. The fence acts as the first line of defense to keep burglars or invaders away.
Hanging Warning Signs On Your Property
There are many ways of scaring a burglar or an assailant; using warning signs is just one of them.
You must have seen properties with warning signs that read “This property is under 24/7 CCTV surveillance” or “This property is protected by COMPANY NAME.”
Hanging a warning sign is a trick that scares away intruders. It might be as indicated.
But in some cases, they are just to scare off burglars. You can also use the same mind game to scare off invaders from your property.
Set Up Security Cameras And Motion Lights
In many cases, burglars want to break in without being noticed and pick whatever valuable they can lay their hands on without a confrontation.
That will not be the case if you already have security cameras and motion-sensing lights. Even if you are not around, a burglar will be scared away by the flashlights.
Also, having security cameras installed on your property will help you identify any intruder and prepare to attack. You have a better chance of triumphing in a confrontation if you spot your opponent first.
Outdoor Security Camera, Motion Detection, Home Security
- Smart Motion Detect & Alert; NETVUE security camera outdoor schedulable motion detection, motion recording and real-time motion alert via APP, upload snapshots and videos, motion sensibility adjustment, accurate and smart motion detection less false alarm; Equip with AI, effectively avoids “false positives” caused by pets, winds or leaves; When motion detected, motion video is triggered and Smart Clip starts recording; If human detected in the video, Netvue App will alert you immediately
- FHD 1080P & 60 Feet Night Vision; NETVUE motion sensor camera with night vision is built with an 1080P FHD camera that provides you with clear and crisp recordings that you can watch remotely in real-time through the mobile app NETVUE thanks to the 36mm lens of this outdoor security camera, which also offers a 100° viewing angle; In addition, you can get Live FHD Video during the day and night through its infrared LEDs, allowing you to see up to 60 feet of video even in the pitch-dark
- Compatiable with Wifi / Etherent & Alexa; NETVUE outdoor security camera wireless works perfectly when connected to a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi or Ethernet cable (2.4GHz Wi-Fi network only, not for 5.0GHz); Moreover, this outdoor surveillance camera is compatible with Alexa, Echo Show, Echo Spot, or Fire TV; Please kindly note that this Wi-Fi camera requires a wall plug and is NOT battery powered, Power Adapter is included
Use Warning Devices
An assailant or a burglar is likely to run away if an alarm sounds when they step into your property. You can consider using the following warning devices to keep the home invaders at bay.
Motion Detectors
Motion detectors will sense any moving body that enters the secured area. You can then choose what to do with the information.
The most common response to motion detectors is flashing lights or sounding an alarm. You can also get creative by unlocking the dog’s cage whenever motion is detected.
Perimeter Warning Systems
You can wire your motion sensors all around the perimeter such that an alarm will sound when someone comes very close to it.
Also, the sensor can be turning the security lights on when an invader comes close to the fence. For fear of being seen, the enemy will run away from your property.
Install An Alarm System
Alarm systems are very effective in scaring off invaders. The sound of an alarm system is irritating, and no one will be courageous enough to continue with the mission once an alarm warning sounds.
Most burglars will take to their heels and flee the scene because they fear confrontation.
Reinforce Your Home’s Doors/Windows
Weak doors and windows give burglars an easy way to access your house. The shorter it takes to break in, the higher the chances of success.
To make it difficult for them to get into your home, consider doing the following:
Boost Your Door Security
Using proper door locks and hinges make it nearly impossible to break in. Apart from the aesthetics that doorknobs, handle, locks and hinges offer, they also keep your home safe.
Consider reinforcing them with steel to make it impossible to break in when the door is locked.
Also, you can consider replacing wooden doors with steel doors. You will be more secure with such doors, especially if you live in an area with security problems.
Secure Your Windows
If a burglar cannot access your home through the door, windows will provide the next option. You also need to reinforce your windows with security bars and window bars.
That ensures there is no entry even if the glass is shattered. Also, consider using locking handles that anyone from outside cannot use to open the window.
Securing Your Walls
We have heard of cases where burglars created a hole through the wall to access a house.
However, that takes time, and many people would not prefer it not unless the burglar knows that you will be away for quite some time.
Brick or stone walls are preferred because they are hard to penetrate. Such barriers will protect you if the enemy opens fire.
Drywall and wooden studs do not offer such protection. You should avoid them if living in an area with extreme insecurity.
Blocking Off Your Chimney
It might look far-fetched, but the truth is that a chimney can be an entry point into your home. Block it with wire mesh to make your home more secure.
Guard Dog/Animals
Pitbulls, Bulldogs, and German Shepherds are all security dogs that can take on any enemy. Keeping a dog on its own is not a guarantee for your home security but should be used to complement other methods.
That is because it is easy to get rid of a dog when the invader is determined to access your home.
Dogs not only take on the enemy but also double up as alarm systems. Once you hear your dog bark, you know an enemy is nearby. You can then prepare to defend yourself by ambushing the opponent.
Setting Up Booby Traps Both Inside And Outside Your Home
Boobytraps are effective but can also pose a threat to your family or friends.
Before you think of setting up one, you should consider the possibility of your loved one getting trapped instead of the purported burglar. Also, you need to learn how to set up a booby trap, detect where it is, and remove it if necessary.
Boobytraps not only distract an invader but also inflict pain. You set them up on your property at locations where you feel the invaders can use them to attack your home.
Self-defense Weapon Equipment And Keep It Accessible
You need to spring into action as the last line of defense. To do that, you need self-defense weapons, which should be readily accessible. Think of how quickly you need to act when someone breaks into your home.
The most common self-defense weapons are handguns. You can consider any of these 13 best combat pistols in the world.
But if you are not a gunman, then there are also 15 alternatives to guns for self defense. You also need to teach your family members how to use them in case of an attack.
Have A Place You Can Retreat (Safe room)
Many people prefer fighting back, which is a good idea. However, you might have children and other vulnerable people in your home.
You need a safe room, usually the basement, where you can hide. If you cannot fight back or are overpowered, retreat to the same room and call for help.
Pro Tip: First Things First, Keep Secret
Your home will be a target if burglars realize that you have some valuables. These invaders will not just break into your home if they do not know what they are after.
So, to ensure you are safe, avoid talking about your property and the expensive assets you keep in your house with anyone.
Let it be a family secret because you cannot trust anybody. The fewer people that know about you and your property, the safer you are.
Personal Experience
I remember it was a long night with the dream of courage. When my parents had to take my sister to the hospital because my sister had to give birth urgently, I was alone at home. I was 14 years old at the time.
Yeah, it’s a far off-grid place. At that time, I had not seen the movie “Home Alone”. How funny, right?
I designed alarm bells out of empty metal cans. I put them behind the door because I thought just the door being pushed in would impact the cans, making them sound.
Yeah, I even turned off all the lights because I thought if I couldn’t see the thieves, they would not see anything either. I put obstacles to prevent the movement of intruders. I had a weapon hidden on the bed.
I lay and waited for the sound of the cans and started imagining. As a result, I fell asleep and slept soundly until morning.
I thought about the danger to myself, then “fortified” the house. So young, so the imagination is also very rich. In fact, my parents asked a nice neighbor to look after me, and my place is very safe.
FAQs
Is it illegal to fortify your home?
No, it is not illegal to fortify your home as long as you use the approved methods.
In fact, it is a must-do thing if you want to protect yourself and your family from intruders. It is the only way of keeping anyone with criminal intent from accessing your home.
How do I prepare my house for SHTF?
There are many ways on how to do it, as discussed in this article.
They include camouflaging your home, constructing walls, setting boobytraps, installing security cameras and floodlights, using motion sensors, keeping guard dogs, etc. Please refer to the article for more details.
How do you fortify a house door?
To make your door burglar-proof, reinforce the jamb, hinges, and strike plates.
Install high-quality deadbolt locks that are impossible to operate without the specified key. Also, you can consider replacing the wooden door with a steel door.
Why should you never put a tall fence around your house?
Erect fences that intruders will find challenging to climb. The wall should be strong and tall enough, but not overly tall.
You do not want to seclude yourself from the rest of the world with a very tall wall around your property. It might become a security breach instead of offering the intended protection to your property.
Wrapping Up
Fortifying a home is a personal matter that should be taken seriously. It does not matter whether you are an urban dweller or you live in the countryside.
Matters of security cut across and you only ensure your safety by doing everything possible to protect your property and its occupants.
We hope the information provided in this post is useful and will make your home safer. Please share it with your friends. We appreciate your time and encourage you to explore other related posts at the Em Offgrid.
