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Must Read Articles > Things you can do to Secure you Home for Free By JR Girskis

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Home security is of the utmost importance to any renter or owner. And why wouldn’t it be? There are many aspects of home ownership that are rarely insured or never insured, so it’s to your enormous benefit to take every precaution (on a budget) that you can. Why is the benefit so enormous, because many of the tips offered here are cheap, easy, and quick to institute.

LandscapingA cheap, and beautiful way to secure your home is with proper landscaping. Keep your scrubs and trees maintained so there are not easy hiding places for potential thieves. Also, consider planting thorny bushes or flowers near your windows, to deter criminals from sliding in through your windows.

Engage Video Security A more serious home security device – a video security system – can be purchased for as little as $10 a month. Services vary from vendor to vendor, but AT&T currently offers a service that beams video to your cell phone from an at-home camera. Other companies offer small, but serious home monitoring system for a reasonable initial investment of a few hundred dollars an no monthly subscription fee.

Be Aware of you Trash Identity thieves and burglars often root through a person’s trash. They might be looking for old bills with your social security number and other personal information. Or, they might be looking for clues as to when you will be on vacation, what your regular day-to-day schedule is, and therefore determine the most opportune time to burglarize your residence. Rip up all credit card offers, receipts and correspondence before throwing them away, and keep garbage stored in locked containers or in your garage. Do not set it out the night before, but rather early in the morning.

Motion SensorsInstall motion-sensitive lights outside your home – especially in vulnerable areas like your back porch or side windows. Many intruders prefer to break and enter in the darkness, and the sudden glare of a motion-sensitive light is often enough to deter them. Look for solar-powered models so that your home remains protected in a power outage, and you don’t see an increase in your electricity bill. Also, don’t install them near your bedroom window, as wandering pets or waving branches could turn the light on and wake you.

Secure your Wireless NetworkOne of the most common ways people’s homes are infiltrated is impossible to see with the naked eye (unless that eye is looking at a computer screen). An unsecured wireless network allows a savvy person to peak into your computer and see anything in it they want. Any phone numbers, passwords, addresses, or any other sensitive information are vulnerable. To protect yourself, always use a password-protected wireless network.

Leave a Light OnLeave your lights or TV on. Or, if you’re going away on extended vacation, consider taking a trip to the local hardware store and inquiring about timers for interior lights. Seeing lights or the blue light of a television flickering from inside a home is usually reason enough for a thief to move on to a house that looks dark and uninhabited.

Hide Your WealthMake your home seem less luxurious or costly than it might be. If you have a nice car, park it in the garage. Don’t leave any mountain bikes, lawnmowers, or other costly equipment visible when you go to sleep or go away on vacation. This means moving things away from sightlines through windows. If a burglar sees your house lights have been out for four days, then sees a $500 pair of skis on the other side of a thin window pane, there’s a good chance you won’t see those skis on your return.

Hire a House SitterAlmost any high school or college-age kid is more than happy to stay at your home or check in once a day if you’re going to be out of town for an extended period of time. This is one of the safer and cheaper ways (often they’ll stay for free – just to be free of their parents) of protecting your home. The largest risk, of course, comes with an untrustworthy house sitter throwing loud parties or spilling red wine on your white carpet.

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Iowa Illinois Home Improvement Contractors Disclaimer: The replacement vinyl window, roofing contractor and vinyl and steel siding installation information presented within this website is for informational purposes only. Please contact us or see our huge showroom to discuss your particular vinyl window, sunroom or siding needs. Specialists of quality replacement windows, siding, sunrooms, roofing, gutter cap, heater cap, entry doors, storm doors and estimates are always free. Who is Suburban Construction? Brian Girskis launched Suburban Construction in 1985 and the family-owned and operated company is growing strong some 25 years and two generations later. His son, J.R. Girskis, is the company president and the third generation was born a few months ago. The Davenport-based company supplies and installs windows, siding and doors for the residential market. In 25 years, Suburban has completed more than 24,000 jobs. “We are always focused on the customer,” said general manager Darin Wilson. “Without the customer, we don’t have a business.” The company was honored as a 2007 Dealer of the Year by Associated Materials Inc., or AMI. “Suburban Construction is a company that definitely goes over and above servicing their customers,” Wayne Fredrick, executive vice president of AMI Sales, said. Working with a large customer base allows Suburban to purchase and buy goods for substantially less then its competitors, Wilson said. “We’re one of the only companies in the nation that offers a lifetime warranty on the product after we install it,” he said. The company doesn’t make money if things go wrong after the installation so crews make sure the job is done properly, he said. With energy conservation such a huge concern, products offered have the Energy Star rating so homeowners see savings on their energy bills. “With today’s home market being so inconsistent, it’s easier to have someone come in and give you a new home on top of your current home rather than having to pack up all your stuff,” he said. For example, by installing new insulated siding, Wilson added, an older home can essentially be turned into a new residence. Founder Brian Girskis still keeps a hand in the business. He was in the manufacturing and wholesale end of the industry in the 1970s and 1980s and distributed material to companies similar to Suburban. “I saw they weren’t generating any repeat business. I learned what not to do from those other people,” Girskis said. “Most of our business is referral business and that’s what we want to keep.” The office and showroom originally were based in downtown Bettendorf. Girskis relocated the company to Davenport in 1995. His decision to specialize in windows, siding and doors was based on two factors: getting better buying power that is passed onto the consumer and building something of value, Girskis said. “We try to do a Cadillac for the price of a Chevy. I’m very satisfied but we’re always looking to do better,” he said. Products Suburban Construction specializes in: Replacement Windows from AMI – Suburban Construction and quality windows by Associated Materials Incorporated, set the standard by which other replacement windows are measured. Innovation has resulted in a collection of windows that are designed and engineered to provide beauty, performance, ease of operation, virtually no maintenance, and increased energy-efficiency. You want a fair price. Don’t be misled by others offering replacement windows for a cheap price. Often times, this is a low-end window you might use for a garage, not your home. Usually, this cheap price doesn’t include measuring charges, custom sizing, replacing rotten wood, insulating inside weight cavities and around perimeters, or covering the outside window trim with maintenance-free aluminum and sealant. At Suburban, you always get a complete installation without any hidden costs. Gutter Cap is a must for the bitter midwest winters! Ice and snow build up in gutters, causing gutter seams to break! In addition, the weight of heavy snow causes gutters to loosen while the back up of ice behind gutters causes moisture damage to fascia. · The Gutter Cap combines surface tension with “capillary action!” This patented design allows rainwater to adhere to the dome of the cap while leaves and debris blow OFF the roof. · Your existing gutter is a free flowing drainage system with Gutter Cap. · Gutter Cap saves you the time, hassle & DANGER of cleaning Gutters…plus saves you upwards of thousands of dollars in damage each year! Some vinyl siding has a reputation for being flimsy, which not only make is awkard to handle and install, but caused problems with sagging and uneven walls long after installation. The Freedom Vinyl Siding from Suburban Construction is designed to help eliminate wavy lines and uneven walls. This leads to the production of a superior finished quality that really lasts. The Freedom Viny Collection is Designed with optimal performance and outstanding beauty. Loaded with premium features, Freedom Premium Vinyl Siding boasts a premium thickness. Freedom Premium Vinyl Siding from Suburban is the best investment you can make in your home and is perfect for every siding project. Wood doors aren't very energy efficient. They also crack, swell, warp and rot, leading to frequent maintenace. Steel doors are more durable, but they easily dent, ding and rust. And if a door's parts aren't designed as a system, they won't work well together or stand the test of time. A fiberglass door simply outperforms wood and steel doors. It won't crack, swell, rot, dent, ding or rust - so it's virtually maintenance free. And only Therma-Tru fiberglass entryways offer full door systems designed, built and tested to the industry's highest standards. You may consider the addition of storm doors to be an unnecessary expense, and may even believe that adding storm doors will decrease the beauty of your home or bring down its market value. Many realtors agree, however, that the addition of storm doors can actually improve your home’s market value, as storm doors will help, in general, to improve your home’s energy efficiency. Energy zoning with triple pane freedom maxx 10 windows can help save you great money. Sun Clean Glass® is a new self cleaning glass technology created by PPG industries. It uses a durable transparent coating that is fused to the surface of the glass with high temperatures during the production of the glass. This glass is available in almost all Suburban Construction replacement windows with one goal in mind, that you spend less time cleaning your windows and more time doing the things you love.

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