Category: Smart-Home

The FBI reports that 34% of burglaries enter through the front door.

What can you do to give your home’s main point of entry a better line of defense? Do some springtime touch-ups on its hardware and security features, or replace it with a newer, more secure model.

Here are the basic features every front door needs:

1. This should be obvious, but with so much going on in our busy lives, the simplest critical error many victims make is to leave their front door unlocked. Even the strongest deadbolt in the world won’t work if you don’t use it.
2. Invest in a great deadbolt lock for your front door. It should be made of solid metal with exposed screws and a throw bolt (that comes out of the door) that’s at LEAST 1-inch or more. If you struggle with installation, don’t mess around; get an experienced person to help you.
3. Cylinder guards (metal pieces that go around the area where you insert the key) prevent burglars from taking a hammer or crowbar to the lock.
4. Round-head carriage bolts will keep locks from being unscrewed. Many locks come with these features, but if yours doesn’t, you can purchase them separately.
5. Reinforce your doorframe with simple products to install from Lowes or Home Depot. Products like EZ Armor or StrikeMaster hinge reinforcements make it very difficult for a would-be intruder to kick in your door
6. Strike plates take a lot of wear and tear, and should be replaced regularly. A strike plate is the metal plate that surrounds the lockset, or the hole in the doorframe where the lock bolt enters. All exterior doors should have strike plates with four 3-inch screws. Make sure the screws can go all the way through to the stud and do not just attach to the doorjamb.
7. Install Peep Holes. You need to be able to see out without being seen or opening your front door. If your front door doesn’t have a peephole, install one now. Look for a wide-angle viewer, and one with a built-in cover to prevent people from looking back in with a peephole viewer device.
8. A metal plate across the bottom of a front door isn’t there just for the aesthetic image of the front door; it provides another layer of protection
9. If you have a hollow-core door, or one with lots of decorative glass, your front entry is extra-vulnerable. Replace it with a solid-core door made of fiberglass, solid wood, or a solid wood core (veneer over solid wood.) Metal doors are fine, but don’t make sure they are reinforced inside and have a lock block, or they can be bent out of the doorframe.

Of course, the best line of security is one that protects all of your home’s doors and windows. A security system monitored by EMC can keep watch over every entrance and exit, and with redundant cellular monitoring and video security, you can control the locks and who comes in or out.

Request Your Home Security Evaluation

Want to know more? Call us at 770-963-0305 to request an evaluation of your home’s security needs.

What are Smart Locks?

Keys are simple devices that have been people have used for thousands of years to open and close locks. These inexpensive and easy to use tools have always existed as popular instruments for securing locks and protecting valuables.

Although the lock mechanism has constantly evolved, only recently did it become technical enough to exist independent of keys altogether. Thanks to modern home security technology, homeowners are now able to enjoy the convenience of a keyless entry home.

What does a smart lock do?

EMC Security offers powered smart locks which provide you keyless access control from a numerical keypad. You can unlock and lock it from your couch, your car or from work.

Goodbye keys. Hellosmart locks.

Why choose an EMC Security-powered smart lock?

When installed as part of an EMC Security home security system, a smart lock gives you awareness and peace of mind. If you’re out running errands or stuck in traffic on your way from work, your kids can use the couldtoenter their home when they arrive.

It may be hard to believe but in the early 1980s the most advanced technology in smart home devices was a gadget called The Clapper, which allowed homeowners to turn their lights on and off by simply clapping their hands twice.

Fast-forward more than thirty years later and it’s easy to see how drastically things have changed.

When it comes to technology, recent advancements have enriched the way we live our lives. In many cases, those advancements have made simple tasks such as staying in touch with our friends and family much simpler but perhaps the best examples can be found among the many ways modern advances have helped us live smarter, more efficient lives at home. In fact, research shows that more than 90% of homes in the United States own a smart home device. Smart home automation transforms your home into a comprehensive system that all works together to make your home a more comfortable, convenient place to live.

1. Continuous control for people on-the-go

Having a smart home lets you access your smart devices from anywhere in the world. EMC Security allows you to conveniently control a range of smart home devices from the comfort of your mobile device, allowing you to do things like:

• Monitor outdoor visitors via doorbell camera feeds.
• Control your lights by turning them on and off.
• Unlock or lock the doors to your home.
• Control the climate of your home via our smart thermostats.

2. Integrate with your favorite tech

Contrary to popular belief, investing in a smart home system that actually works doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg. Thanks to the emergence of voice-activated speakers like Google Home and Amazon Echo, EMC Security can easily integrate with devices you may already own, giving you the ability to control smart locks, thermostats, smart lights, and your security system by simply using your voice.

3. Customized to suit your needs

Want your home to be as unique as you are? With EMC Security Home, you can customize your system allowing you to focus on all the features you find important to meet your needs.

For example, let’s say you want to design a home security system that extends itself beyond intrusion detection. You can personalize your security system by adding features like a smart doorbell, outdoor security cameras, and smart thermostats.

Just because buying a home is a major investment, it doesn’t mean updating your home with smart devices has to be costly or unaffordable. EMC smart home technology delivers hundreds of features that help make our lives more convenient while transforming your home everything you want it to be.