Securing Your Home with a Fence and Other Measures

One of the biggest reasons people shop at Fence Center is to provide a viable and affordable way to secure their homes.  Although burglaries are down from the 1970s when 110 homes out of 1,000 were burglarized in some fashion, home burglaries are still a threat that you must consider to your family’s holdings. In 2012, the average amount of goods stolen per burglary equated to $1,675. In such a tight economy, this could be a devastating amount of money. However, there are ways to secure your home to deter burglars from entering it. Here are several musts. ·        

 Install a fence: We might be biased with this one because we sell them, but a fence is a great first step in securing your home. A fence not only acts as a physical barrier that forces a burglar to climb over it in order to access your home; they also limit visibility. A vinyl fence prevents the burglar from seeing what‘s on the other side. By not knowing, the burglar is less likely to take a chance. ·          

Get a guard dog: Did you know that 63% of all burglaries take place between the hours of 8 AM-6 PM – the hours most people are at work. Buying or adopting a dependable guard dog will let the burglar know that there is a presence at your home, even if you aren’t there. No burglar wants to bring attention to themselves due to a barking dog. Plus, a dog is a welcome, loyal addition to any family. ·          

Be mindful of your doors: Close to a third of all home burglars go through the front door. To combat this, make sure to invest in steel reinforcement or a very good deadbolt as a regular lock won’t be enough.  And remember to check your doors before you leave to make sure you remembered to lock them.

How to be a Good Neighbor When Constructing a Fence for your Home

Now that it’s May and flowers are in full bloom, you might be tempted to take care of some projects that you put by the wayside all winter. One of those projects that will certainly add value to your home as well as protect your pets and children is constructing a fence. Before you even start thinking about the type of fence, however, there are a few things that you should keep in mind to maintain good relations with your neighbor and town.  We’ve all heard the phrase from Frost, “Good fences make good neighbors.” Well proper manners and consideration make happy neighbors as well. Here are some things to consider:

Talk to your neighbor: Yes, it might be your property, but it’s always a good idea to talk with your neighbors before constructing a fence. If you have an eyesore of a fence constructed, don’t expect to be invited to many block parties. It’s just good manners as you would want them to talk to you about it too.

Review your local building code: Every town is different when it comes to height restrictions and easements, so it’s a good idea to know of these before you construct the fence. If you construct a fence that is too high and your neighbor reports you, you might have to take it down. 

Make sure your property lines are correct: One of the biggest reasons people purchase and build fences is to set up property demarcations. However, in order to set up property demarcations, you need the right property lines. Otherwise, your neighbor might think you’re trying to invade his property, or at the very least, ask you to move your fence back.