Door alarms are at the foundation of just about every home security system currently in use today. They come in a wide variety of configurations, and are designed to cover many different challenges. What they all have in common is a singular goal of keeping us safe from danger. Whether that danger comes in the form a criminal with the intent of committing a robbery or home invasion, a young child that thinks he is an escape artist, or an older adult prone to dementia wandering.
Door alarms can be grouped into a few distinct categories. There are the hardwired and wireless varieties that are usually part of a larger monitored home security system. The standalone devices that sound a siren locally, and are only intended to protect a single entrance, and finally the portable units that are completely self-contained and can be used when traveling. Click here for the Top 10 Best Door Alarms.
Except for the portable models that usually employ some sort of pressure or vibration sensor, most door alarms will utilize the magnetic contact switch to detect an intrusion. While it is true that this technology has been around for a while now, it is still in use because of its simplicity, reliability, effectiveness and resistance to tampering.
Unlike other door security products such as pick resistant locks, braces, and reinforcement kits, that are designed to physically keep the bad guys out of your home, the door alarm uses the one thing that criminals fear most…loud attention-getting noise. An alarm going off at two in the morning is absolutely going to wake a sleeping homeowner, and also has the potential of attracting unwanted attention from nearby neighbors.This is a scenario that more often than not ends with an arrest, a lengthy prison sentence or worse, if the occupant is N.R.A member.
Not only useful for keeping burglars out of your home, they are an effective way of preventing young children, and adults with dementia, or Alzheimers from wandering away from home. As a parent of a young child, I know exactly how fast a clever four year can silently open a door and slip out of the house unnoticed. It just takes a few seconds of inattention, and you have the recipe for a tragic news story. With a door alarm installed, you will not only be notified when there is a break in attempt, but also when your little convict decides to make a run for it.
There are rooms, closets and cabinets within your home that are utilized to store hazardous cleaning supplies, medicines, and weapons. In these circumstances, the threat you are dealing with comes from within your own home, more specifically from inquisitive children, or guests attempting to access these items. A simple way to neutralize this problem is to secure these areas with an easy to install door alarm. That same screeching 120 decibel siren that will send a two hundred-pound career criminal running, will also have an identical effect on your little angel.
There can be no argument against the effectiveness of a properly installed door alarm, but they are just one part of a larger home security and personal safety plan that should employ other devices, such as exterior lighting, quality locks on both doors and windows, and of course a monitored alarm system. Click here for the Top 10 Best Door Alarms.
Additional Resources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_security