by Jessica Groach
Home Security Solutions Columnist

You open your front door and the burglar alarm sounds. You frantically push buttons, trying to remember the code to disarm it. "This alarm is more trouble than it's worth," you think.

Having a home security system is useless if it's not convenient. If it feels like work, you won't use it. So how do you choose the right alarm system?



There are as many options as there are burglars. Here are your basic choices:

• Simple Security: These low-tech options have fewer bells and whistles
  1. Security cameras. Check out strange noises via closed circuit TV.
  2. Motion sensors, sound detectors, and photocells turn on lights when triggered by movement, sound, or light (respectively).
  3. Timers turn on lights or electronics at a programmed time, creating the illusion that someone's home.
  4. Individual window alarms are activated by vibration, which can discourage burglars.
  5. Do-it-yourself wireless systems are less expensive to buy, don't require monthly fees, and are easy to install yourself.

Alarm companies may offer the following choices:

• Perimeter Alarms encircle the home in a circuit. Any perimeter violation rings a bell or siren, and will scare most burglars away.
• Interior Alarms monitor intrusions inside the home. They may combine several of the following:
  1. Pressure mats, or flat switches triggered by footsteps;
  2. Photoelectric beams, or beams of light that trigger the alarm when interrupted;
  3. Motion sensors;
  4. Noise detection;
  5. Panic switches, which sound the alarm at the touch of a button.

The best system combines perimeter and interior protection, and automatically notifies the police when triggered. The warning sticker provided by the alarm company may be enough to ward off burglars.

When it comes to your property and safety, don't pinch pennies. Choose the best solution for your home, and it will always pay off.

About the Author

Jessica Groach, a new homeowner herself, is a freelance writer and writing instructor at the University of Nevada, Reno. Her work has appeared in various lifestyle and business publications, including a Warner Business Book, and she has seven years' experience in advertising and television production.