I am thinking no but worth a try. I am looking for *free* advice about security. If nobody replies, I have at least written down my intentions etc.
Basically I am going to do a plan for my Grandad to improve his current security. The reasons are that he lives in a fairly bad area, he's usually alone and very venerable. I care about him too much for the possibility of anything happening if it can be prevent. Of course.
Firstly I want to attack the possibility of fire:
He has 2 smoke alarms, one downstairs in the hall and one at the top of the stairs. Since he blew himself up his hearing has gone from bad to worse - to the point I had to once drive over at 11:30pm in heavy snow and enter his house, he couldn't hear the phone or the doorbell. Hence the smoke alarms IMO are useless, especially if he is asleep. I want to put a siren in his bedroom that will sound if the smoke alarm sounds. He is covered for CO2 downstairs so I am not worried about that.
Security:
I intend to ask him to totally reprotect the internal perimetre of the house, this includes a new yale lock on the inside front door (external is a good PVC door but I don't believe his internal door is one that you can lock and prevent the lock from being opened by smashing the glass), a bolt on the back "conservatory" door, which is more of his workshop. A second bolt on the door between his internal carport to back up the current lock on that door. This means that although it is feasible people can get into his garage/second workshop area from the garden or drive, the internal part of the house is well protected. His car/tools etc. are irrelevant.
I intend to ask him to refit a lock to his bedroom door and use a quality lock. I will instruct him to ONLY use this in the event that he knows somebody is in his house and shouldn't be. You hear many stories these days and all I would want him to do is lock the door and protect himself.
He already has a colour CCTV system at the front of the house with dedicated TV and long play video recorder. This however is covert so I am considering a dummy CCTV box to support this - a more visible deterent. Front and back are covered by numerous PIR security lights, 60metres up his garden is a PIR security light which once set off, sets off the light there and most importantly a buzzer in the house and a bright red bulb in the conservatory. IMO, if you entered through the garden, you would see this large red light and turn back since you would be worried what else is to follow!
I intend to fit 3 x panic alarm switches connected to one zone on his alarm. One next to the door if somebody attempts to force entry despite him knowing NOT to open the door (hence CCTV). One in bedroom (if he wakes to some noises) and one in the living room. This is since the living room puts him most venerable because if he is in here and hears something, somebody is probably already in the house.
I am hoping to fit a pressure sensitive mat underneath the carpet at the top of the stairs since there is a venerable PVC window here which probably wouldn't be in the PIR range of the alarm. Both front and rear main entry doors are PVC, double glazed and door contacted already.
I am considering a simple beam break for the drive, a simple 1 second beep if beam is broken. This may give him additional warning of anything dodgy but might also just confuse him. Hence I am turning away from this idea.
To end this, I am looking into autodiallers for the alarm system. Hence if the alarm is set off it is connected to the phone line and will call up to 5 selected numbers. The "system" would be then that one of the people called would call his mobile phone to confirm whether or not he is ok, this is useful for if he is taken ill also and hasn't the ability to do anything but press the panic alarm.
So in summary I know mainly what I need but lack:
Cheers for any comments that follow.
Basically I am going to do a plan for my Grandad to improve his current security. The reasons are that he lives in a fairly bad area, he's usually alone and very venerable. I care about him too much for the possibility of anything happening if it can be prevent. Of course.
Firstly I want to attack the possibility of fire:
He has 2 smoke alarms, one downstairs in the hall and one at the top of the stairs. Since he blew himself up his hearing has gone from bad to worse - to the point I had to once drive over at 11:30pm in heavy snow and enter his house, he couldn't hear the phone or the doorbell. Hence the smoke alarms IMO are useless, especially if he is asleep. I want to put a siren in his bedroom that will sound if the smoke alarm sounds. He is covered for CO2 downstairs so I am not worried about that.
Security:
I intend to ask him to totally reprotect the internal perimetre of the house, this includes a new yale lock on the inside front door (external is a good PVC door but I don't believe his internal door is one that you can lock and prevent the lock from being opened by smashing the glass), a bolt on the back "conservatory" door, which is more of his workshop. A second bolt on the door between his internal carport to back up the current lock on that door. This means that although it is feasible people can get into his garage/second workshop area from the garden or drive, the internal part of the house is well protected. His car/tools etc. are irrelevant.
I intend to ask him to refit a lock to his bedroom door and use a quality lock. I will instruct him to ONLY use this in the event that he knows somebody is in his house and shouldn't be. You hear many stories these days and all I would want him to do is lock the door and protect himself.
He already has a colour CCTV system at the front of the house with dedicated TV and long play video recorder. This however is covert so I am considering a dummy CCTV box to support this - a more visible deterent. Front and back are covered by numerous PIR security lights, 60metres up his garden is a PIR security light which once set off, sets off the light there and most importantly a buzzer in the house and a bright red bulb in the conservatory. IMO, if you entered through the garden, you would see this large red light and turn back since you would be worried what else is to follow!
I intend to fit 3 x panic alarm switches connected to one zone on his alarm. One next to the door if somebody attempts to force entry despite him knowing NOT to open the door (hence CCTV). One in bedroom (if he wakes to some noises) and one in the living room. This is since the living room puts him most venerable because if he is in here and hears something, somebody is probably already in the house.
I am hoping to fit a pressure sensitive mat underneath the carpet at the top of the stairs since there is a venerable PVC window here which probably wouldn't be in the PIR range of the alarm. Both front and rear main entry doors are PVC, double glazed and door contacted already.
I am considering a simple beam break for the drive, a simple 1 second beep if beam is broken. This may give him additional warning of anything dodgy but might also just confuse him. Hence I am turning away from this idea.
To end this, I am looking into autodiallers for the alarm system. Hence if the alarm is set off it is connected to the phone line and will call up to 5 selected numbers. The "system" would be then that one of the people called would call his mobile phone to confirm whether or not he is ok, this is useful for if he is taken ill also and hasn't the ability to do anything but press the panic alarm.
So in summary I know mainly what I need but lack:
- fire alarm/smoke alarm system to alert him in his room
Cheers for any comments that follow.