Layered home security is a concept that I already dealt with in another article. However, I thought I would take a slightly different perspective on physical security this time. While the prior article approached home security from the viewpoint of the owner of a detached single family house, here I will discuss townhouse, apartment and condo home security.
Layered home security is the philosophy of implementing many small, overlapping security measures to harden your residence against burglary or home invasion. This tends to be more effective than spending a large amount of money on a single monumental security precaution. But if you live in a condo or townhouse, the approach you take to layered home security has to be different than those applied to traditional, stand-alone houses.
Under normal circumstances, the first zone in a layered home security plan is the yard. This represents an issue for multi-family residences because this deterrence zone is either truncated or non-existent. However, this drawback is sometimes not much of a negative, and can be easily overcome most of the time.
First, multi-family units often have independent security measures such as limited access common areas and security cameras. These would normally be part of a good layered home security plan anyway. The fact that the building management or condo association maintains them is a clear win for condo dwellers.
However, you can always augment these preexisting security assets with your own. An example might be a sign like “protected by ABC security systems” clearly visible in a window or in a small flowerbed (if you live near the ground floor). The beauty of this strategy is that you don’t actually have to pay to have your condo or townhouse monitored by a security company, although that certainly wouldn’t hurt. A security system sign might just be a bluff, but potential criminals don’t know that!
The second zone for layered home security is the “shell” of the house itself. This can vary considerably depending on whether you live in a multi-unit high-rise condo or a semi-detached townhouse. If you are more than two floors off the ground in a multi-unit building, then you are in luck. The only opening you realistically have to reinforce is your door.
Yes, you may have heard horror stories of highly trained criminal gangs of ex-Army Ranger paratroopers rappelling into luxury high rise condos to conduct Mission Impossible style jewelry heists. But this is as rare as unicorns. It simply doesn’t happen with any regularity in the real world. So high rise condo owners can give a sigh of relief.
If you live in a townhouse, row house or “garden level” condo, on the other hand, your security precautions need to be more extensive. Shatter-resistant security film is a relatively cheap and easy way to upgrade the defensive characteristics of your existing windows. Placing bars over your windows is another, even more secure enhancement, although it comes at the price of aesthetics.
The security of your front door, however, is paramount for condo and townhouse owners. Specially fabricated security doors made of metal bars and Plexiglas inserts can be installed over existing doors to increase burglary-resistance. Although a more expensive option, an existing poor quality exterior door can be entirely replaced with a metal or solid hardwood specimen.
Once you have a good exterior door, it is necessary to reinforce the door jamb and frame. In many burglaries, the criminal gains access by simply kicking in the front door. Even robust deadbolts will simply tear away from either the door frame or door itself under extreme conditions. Therefore, installing a heavy duty door jamb reinforcement kit and strike plate is highly recommended.
The inside of the home is the third area of a layered security strategy. A burglar alarm is a great addition to this zone as it will give any intruder a very limited timeframe in which to plunder. Security cameras might also be appropriate in the entryway, depending on your personal level of paranoia. Large dogs are often great anti-burglar devices, but they typically do not get along well in the confined spaces of condos and townhouses.
While the inside of the home can be thought of as the final zone in a layered home security layout, it is possible to create another, final bastion, usually in a bedroom. This is commonly known as a safe room or panic room. A solid wood door enhanced with a high quality deadbolt lock would be a good starting point for this kind of room. This is an important distinction as many interior doors are flimsy, hollow core construction.
If you are so inclined, it would even be possible to install a full-fledged vault door in a large walk-in closet for a higher security alternative. In the end, cost is the only realistic limit to the security level you could achieve. A well-fortified safe room grants peace of mind by giving family members a place to retreat to in case of a violent home invasion.
If you are interested in protecting valuables, buying a burglary or burglary-fire safe is also a wise idea. A high quality jewelry or security safe not only provides a significant level of burglary resistance, but is also convenient to use. A safe is a great companion security feature to install in a safe room too.
One little known benefit of living in a multi-unit condo or apartment complex is that security minded residents can typically forego fire protection when shopping for a safe. This can result in a significant cost savings. It should be noted, however, that a burglary safe must always be properly bolted to the floor in order to be effective.
With a little creativity, it is possible to successfully apply the concepts of layered home security to multi-family housing situations. This can turn your condo, townhouse or apartment into a hardened, burglar-resistant home. A few simple security fixes today can help you avert the personal disaster of a burglary later.
