Many of these systems use PIR (Passive InfaRed) motion detectors as the base or even all of there system. PIR motion detection uses sensors that can pick up the difference between a persons body temperature and the background temperature of the surrounding area. You can buy PIR motion detectors in both wired an wireless configurations. They can be used outdoors as well as indoors and function well as driveway alarms, swimming pool alarms and for monitoring spaces inside the home. If you are going to use these for a home security system, for maximum protection, they sould be combined with window and door alarms.



Door and window alarms come in a wide variety also. There are fixed and wireless which range in price from expensive to inexpensive. Most of these units work by creating an electrical circuit that, when interrupted, triggers a siren. Some manufacturers also make a glass breakage alarm. If anyone hits or breaks the window the motion detector senses the movement and sets off the alarm. Fixed window and door alarms are, by nature, not particularly flexible. They can only be used where they are installed. On the other hand the portable units are quite versatile. They can be moved from place to place and serve many different functions such as a travel alarm or an office alarm. Some of them are even dual purpose and work as a personal alarm too.

Now let's take a look at some home protection devices. The first line of defense in your home are your doors. A door brace can make it almost impossible for anyone to open your door,it installs easily, and is very affordable. Let's face it, if you're using one of the systems above and it's going off, someone's already inside your house. This device extends from the knob to the floor and blocks the door from opening. Many can also be used on sliding doors. If you do nothing else to improve the security of your home I would recommend that you get a door security brace for all of the exterior doors of your house.

Another vulnerable area of a house are the windows. The above systems will not detect the window being broken, they only alert you when it is opened. For this there is a glass breakage alarm. Years ago they used a thin wire applied to the glass with a metalic looking film. Today there are small units that stick to the window and detect motion so when anyone breaks or even hits the window it's sensed. They also work well on sliding doors.

Another home protection device is an electronic dog. When these units first came out they where not very realistic but today some of them sound like the real thing even changing volume, pitch and intensity as the intruder comes closer. They work by radar wave technology and can sense someone approaching up to 21 feet away even through doors and walls.

Only you can know your comfort level and budget but I would suggest using a combination of several of these home burglar systems and home protection devices to achieve the maximum protection for you and your family. If money's tight you can make your home much more secure for about what you would pay one of the big monitoring companies for just a month or two.