Whether you’re away on holiday, out for the night, or even just at the office, arriving home to find your home has been invaded can be truly devastating.

It’s not just the material loss that takes its toll on victims of burglary. The psychological and emotional effects of such a personal intrusion can stay with you for a long time.

Homeowners and burglars are in a constant arms race, perpetually trying to outwit one another. Here at IDS Security Systems, we have years of experience helping homeowners to stay ahead of the threat of burglary—so here are some expert tips to give you the edge over any would-be intruders.

Lock your doors and windows.

It seems obvious, but a securely-locked home should always be your first line of defence.

The fresh air may be very welcome when you're hanging out at home (especially during the hot summer months) but leaving the windows open when you go out leaves your home vulnerable to opportunistic burglars. The same goes for failing to lock the door behind you.

It’s important to check and lock any potential access points to your home—including any external buildings you may have on your property, like sheds and garages—before leaving your property unattended.

Be discreet—don’t advertise your absence.

Another major deterrent to burglars is the presence of the homeowners. Knowing that a homeowner will be away from their property for a certain length of time gives burglars a known window of opportunity.

For this reason, we recommend that you...

• Stay silent on social media. Avoid posting about your upcoming holiday or trip online. We understand: you're excited, and you want to share that excitement with your friends on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, etc. But information can easily spread once it's on the Internet, and the details of your holiday (during which your home will be unoccupied) could easily fall into the wrong hands.
  
  
• Vary your schedule. This one can be a bit more more difficult depending on your personal circumstances, especially if you have a regular work schedule. But if possible, try not to be too predictable—leaving your house and arriving home at different times from one day to the next will throw off anyone who might be carrying out surveillance of your neighbourhood or street.
  
  
• Get a lockable box for parcels and letters. Stashing your deliveries in a locked container kills two birds with one stone: it keeps packages safe from opportunistic thieves AND makes it harder for anyone to notice if your mail is building up (indicating your absence from the property).

Eliminate potential hiding places.

Burglars like to be as invisible as possible. The ability to quickly conceal oneself—or better yet, avoid detection altogether—is an essential skill in the burglary trade. The thieves will want to remain hidden while carrying out pre-burglary surveillance on your property, and they may also need places to hide while they're actually carrying out the job.

You can slash their ability to do both of these things by reducing the number of available hiding places on your property. The following steps can help:

• Stay on top of the gardening. That way, anyone who's monitoring your property won't be able to take cover in long grass or overgrown hedges.
  
  
• Keep outbuildings, sheds and garages locked. This will prevent them being used as hiding places, plus it will protect any expensive equipment stored within.
  
  
• Ensure your exterior lights are in good working order. Remember, you want to remove any possibility for burglars to hide in shadows!

Install motion-sensitive deterrents.

Closely related to the above, motion sensors can be used to activate systems that reduce a burglar’s ability to hide (and deter them from even trying in the first place).

• Add lighting with motion sensors that will reveal anyone trying to hide on your property. Motion-sensitive floodlights can be particularly off-putting to trespassers due to the attention they draw.
  
  
• Install CCTV security cameras with motion sensors and night vision. These will act as both a deterrent and a source of video evidence in the event of a break-in.
  
  
• Use a smart doorbell—like a surveillance camera, this can both deter thieves and capture evidence, even if you’re away from home.
  
  
• Burglar alarms also work by sensing motion. Even the most determined burglar won’t want to risk setting off an intruder alarm and drawing loud attention to their illegal activities.

As you can see, a number of elements must be combined to effectively protect your home from burglars.

Rather than separately implementing all of the steps listed above, we at IDS Security can make things simple with our bespoke home security systems. Our approach is tailored to your specific needs—contact us now to arrange a free home survey and discuss your home security options.

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Here in the UK, the weather can change at any given time, so it's important that your home security system is designed to withstand the pressure of harsh and wet weather conditions. CCTV cameras that are positioned around the exterior of your home are generally exposed to the elements. We are often asked whether rain affects CCTV cameras and the footage they record. If this is a question you'd like to find the answer to, just keep reading...

Will CCTV cameras be damaged by the rain?

When it comes to electricals and water, the two don't mix very well. In fact, it's best to keep electricals as far away from water as possible! 

Prolonged exposure to rainwater could cause your CCTV system to malfunction or stop working altogether. If water encroaches into the CCTV camera itself, it can cause damage that's very hard to repair. Once water has seeped into your CCTV camera, it's not very easy to get it back out, so prevention of water ingress is key.

When water gets inside the lens of your CCTV camera, it distorts the image and makes it very difficult to see what your camera is capturing. This can be a real problem if a criminal decides to target your property on a rainy day.

What can you do to prevent water damage?

There are a few different things you can do to make sure that rain doesn't affect your CCTV cameras. If you're planning on installing a CCTV system in the near future, we recommend talking to your security company about weather-proofing your system beforehand. Here are a few steps you can take to keep your CCTV system working in all weathers.

1. Install your CCTV cameras in sheltered areas

Ensuring that each of your CCTV cameras has some protection from the elements is a great way to prevent water damage. Something as simple as moving the cameras into a slight inlet can prevent complications later down the line. Again, we recommend you talk to your security company about the positioning of your cameras because it's vital you find a balance between rain cover and coverage of vulnerable access points. 

2. Install multiple CCTV cameras

If you live in an area that's known to get a lot of rain, it might be worth installing multiple cameras around your property. This gives you an added level of protection if one of your cameras is damaged or distorted by the rain.

3. Check your CCTV cameras regularly

While taking precautions should help to prevent your CCTV cameras from being water damaged, you can never be 100% sure. The best way to maintain a functioning CCTV system is to check it regularly. If you notice any signs of water ingress, you should contact your security system provider and seek advice.

CCTV Systems from IDS Security

While water can cause problems for your CCTV system, that shouldn't deter you from installing one! CCTV systems that you buy online and install yourself are generally more prone to water damage because they're made of cheaper materials and arent' always installed correctly. If you want to reduce the chances of your CCTV system being damaged by water, then we recommend you get in touch with our team here at IDS. We have decades of experience installing CCTV systems and we use top of the line cameras that are good at coping with harsh weather conditions. 

It's very unlikely that the rain will cause enough damage to leave your home or business premises vulnerable, but if the worst should happen, the IDS Security team will be on hand to help you. All of our security systems are tailor-made to suit the requirements of your property. This means you get ample coverage of all the vulnerable areas and we can also take into account shelter for your cameras if water ingress is a potential problem. 

We hope that you'll choose IDS security for your CCTV system and other security system needs. We provide a personal service that ensures you receive the highest level of protection and reassurance. If you have any questions, you can get in touch with our team by filling in the enquiry form on our contact page.

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When you own a property or a piece of land, you may want to provide an added layer of protection by installing an access control system on your gate. This technology can be used to control the flow of people and will ensure that you don't encounter any unwanted visitors. If you've been wondering when you can buy access control systems for gates, you're in the right place. The IDS Security team has a wealth of experience installing access control systems in a variety of settings. Contact us now to find out more!

What are my options?

There are a lot of different access control systems that are compatible with gates. It really depends on your requirements and the level of security you need. Let's take a look at some of the most popular access control systems for gates...

Keypads

Keypads are a great access control system for gates because they can be used to grant access to anyone who has the passcode. You often see gates with keypad access at the entrances to apartment buildings and shared housing. All of the residents know the passcode meaning they can gain access to the car park at any time. They can also pass the code on to trusted friends and family members so that they can easily find a parking space when they come to visit. 

Remote controlled

Remote controlled gates are generally installed for personal use. For example, if you live on a property with a long driveway or a private access road, you might install a remote-controlled gate and carry the remote in the car with you at all times. Remote controlled gates are a brilliant upgrade if you've previously had to get out of your car to open and close the gate as you travel through it. Generally, gates like these are left unlocked so that all of the family members can easily make their way home. This leaves your property very vulnerable. Remote control gates will not only save you time, but they'll also make your property more secure too.

Intercom

Adding an intercom to a gate system can be really useful, especially if you own a business where you constantly have new clients visiting. The intercom gives you the ability to speak to the person approaching your property before allowing them access on-site. This type of access control system for gates is more personal than the previously discussed keypads or remote controls because it provides a point of contact between you and your visitors.

Security barriers

Security barriers are a great alternative to access control systems for existing gates. These barriers are designed to provide excellent security by only granting access to specific people (usually paying customers). We're all familiar with the safety barriers at public car parks. You take a ticket, enjoy your day perusing the shops, then pay for the duration of your stay and exit without a hitch! The same kinds of barriers can be installed on your property to grant access to a range of visitors.

So there you have it, a few different access control systems for gates for you to consider. Here at IDS Security, we tailor all of our security systems to suit our client's needs, so if you're looking for a specific access control system for your gate then do let us know.

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Read More: 5 Benefits of Access Control Systems

A recent news story tells how a thief was caught stealing parcels thanks to a homeowner's CCTV system. The parcels in question were delivered to Christopher Powell in Caernarfon but, despite receiving proof of delivery, they were nowhere to be found.

Thanks to his CCTV system, Mr Powell was able to identify that one of his neighbours had stolen the parcels. The neighbour, a Mr Oulten, had taken the parcels and placed them into the recycling bin, returning a few hours later with a child and a carrier bag to take the goods. Mr Oulten was taken to court over the matter and was ordered to pay a £120 fine for his crime.

Should you get a home CCTV system?

As this story shows, installing a CCTV system around the perimeter of your home can be beneficial in the event of a theft or break-in. Sadly, our homes are most vulnerable when we're out at work, visiting family, or asleep at night. In an ideal world, we wouldn't have to worry about people stealing goods from our doorstep, but unfortunately, we don't live in an ideal world and even our own neighbours can steal from us.

Installing a CCTV system is a great deterrent for crimes because it lets criminals know that they're being watched. Placing CCTV cameras in prominent places around your home can make burglars think twice when they're choosing which home to target. In addition, the CCTV footage can be used as evidence in court to prove the identity of the perpetrators. 

Read More: Can CCTV Footage Be Used as Evidence?

Home CCTV Systems from IDS

There are a lot of home CCTV systems that can be bought online and in stores, most of which are fitted by you and seem to be a good, cost-effective option... but are they really that good? Time and time again, we've seen people coming to us because they've purchased a DIY CCTV system and encountered some problems. These problems vary but tend to include, people who are unsure how or where to install the system or people who are unable to get help when something goes wrong with their CCTV system.

There are lots of benefits if you choose to have a CCTV system installed by our team here at IDS. For example:

• We'll assess your property and show you the perfect places to install your cameras
• We'll design a bespoke system that will cover all vulnerable areas of your home
• Our technicians will install the system for you, making the whole process stress-free
• Our experts will be on hand to help with any queries, questions or problems that arise

So, if you'd like to speak to us about installing a CCTV system in your home, we'd love to hear from you. You can request a quote by filling in our enquiry form below, or you can give us a call on 029 20 753 251.

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Christmas is a wonderful time of year when the family gets together, but unfortunately, it's also a time where we see an increased risk of fires in the home. With Christmas lights hung from the tree, a cosy fire in the hearth and a Christmas dinner cooking in the kitchen, there are a lot of opportunities for an accidental fire to start... especially if you've had a few drinks! Here are some harrowing statistics from the National Accident Helpline that put things into perspective:

• More than 500,000 people have had a fire-related accident in the home
• Roughly 1,000 people are injured by their Christmas tree every year
• Christmas tree lights injure nearly 350 people annually
• 50% of fire-related deaths occur over Christmas
• 16.7% of fire deaths in 2010 occurred in December
• 26 people died between 1997 and 2010 in the UK of electrocution while watering their Christmas tree with the lights on

As you can see, there is a real risk of house fires during the Christmas period, so it's important that you take precautions to keep your family safe. Here are a few things you can do to prevent a house fire in your home this Christmas.

1. Switch unattended Christmas lights off

2. Don't use Christmas lights with frayed or damaged cables

3. Move candles away from the Christmas tree, presents, wrapping paper & soft furnishings

4. Keep an eye on children, especially if they're near the fire, candles or the Christmas tree

5. Never hang decorations off lights, radiators or other heat sources

6. Don't be tempted to overload electrical sockets

7. Check that the cooker is switched off after you cook your Christmas dinner

Most importantly, ensure your fire alarm is working!

If there's one thing you take away from this blog, we implore you to check that your fire alarm is working this Christmas period. Your fire alarm should be checked year-round to ensure it's operating properly, otherwise, you could find yourself in a sticky situation if a fire occurred.

If you don't already have a fire alarm system in your home, we can help you. We build, install and maintain fire alarm systems in both residential and commercial properties. Find out more about our fire alarms below.

Fire Alarms from IDS Security >

Read More: Fire Safety During the COVID-19 Pandemic