Do you know that for most home entry doors only about 1/2 inch of wood needs to be broken for a burglar to get in your home?  That's right.  Just a good hit near the deadbolt and voila!  (Photo 1)


This is the easiest and quickest way for a burglar to enter your home.  What should you do? 

Here are two inexpensive suggestions.  Number one; Reinforce the door jam.  As shown in photo 2, the original two plates were replaced by the one piece plate which is anchored with six 4 inch wood screws to the wall stud. 

Number two; Reinforce the door itself by adding a U-shaped piece of metal around the dead bolt.  (Photo 3)

The parts are available at home improvement stores. These improvements are not indestructible but it will certainly take a very heavy hit to break in.

If your coach lights or occupancy lights are turned on from dusk to dawn from a light sensor, your lights will burn approximately 4,000 hours a year.  One 60 watts incandescent light bulb for 4,000 hours will cost approximately $17 in energy.  If you replaced them with a CFL bulbs, the life expectancy more than doubles and your cost per year will go down to approximately $4.50.  Recently the LED light bulbs have become very popular for two good reasons. The life expectancy can be near 25,000 hour which means six years of service and the operating cost is very low.  A 60 Watt equivalent LED light bulb will cost only $2.50 in energy per year which means a $14.50 savings each year. A 60 Watt equivalent LED bulb in a dusk to dawn application pays for itself in less than a year. Go shopping. :o)

JP @ Home Watcher LV of Las Vegas.

Winter temperatures arrived very soon this year and we already beat 40 year records of low temperatures in the Las Vegas valley.  If you have not done so already, cover your spigots and vacuum breakers with insulating material.  You will avoid an expensive plumbing repair bill.

JP at Home Watcher LV