I act as caretaker for a family's weekend/vacation beach house. The place
is a magnet for break-ins, and I'm looking for some solutions.

The house is raised on pilings and has an exterior staircase. The stairs
along the side of the house have a high wall on the other side with a
gate - a solid wooden door - at a landing at the base of the stairs. The
door/gate has a double-key deadbolt; because it's right at the stairs, the
door swings out, and unfortunately, the landing is somewhat sheltered from
outside views - not much I can do about that. The stairs lead up to a deck
and a wall of windows that apparently are very inviting to intruders. There
is a motion-detector alarm inside the house, connected to a bell loud enough
to usually get attention of neighbors.

What's happening, on average at least once a year, is that someone comes off
the beach and puts a lot of effort into breaking down the door/gate at the
stairs. On one occasion the would-be burglar actually tore the siding off
the wall beside the stairs to gain access.

Once they get upstairs, they smash a window or (as this last time) shatter
the glass in the main door. At that point the motion-detector alarm goes
off and the intruders almost always run away at that point without even
going into the house - but the damage has been done.

What I'm looking for is ways to stop or discourage these intruders BEFORE
they break a window or door upstairs, and preferably before they tear up the
stair-landing door.

-- I think I've finally persuaded the owners to let me install a
motion-detector floodlight to illuminate the stair landing, but more than
half of the break-ins have taken place during the day, so that's a minor
deterrent.

-- Shuttering all those inviting windows facing the beach side of the house
would probably discourage a few break-ins, but I don't think the owners
would go along with the expense or the change to the appearance of the
house.

-- I beefed up the once-flimsy stair-landing gate, replacing it with a
proper door - and now they just tear up the entire door frame. I'm really
surprised at the amount of effort they put into breaking down the door
frame. Making it any more sturdy would probably mean going to steel, and
that's not practical at the seaside.

-- What I really think is needed is a motion-detector connected to the alarm
aimed at that landing. There are lots of outdoor motion-detector switches
for security lights, but I haven't seen any for alarm systems - can someone
point me to one? The location is outside, but relatively sheltered - it
won't be rained on, but will be subject to salt spray (motion detector
lights typically don't last very long around here).

Thanks.

Claymore mines?

"Robert E. Lewis" wrote in message
...

I act as caretaker for a family's weekend/vacation beach house. The place
is a magnet for break-ins, and I'm looking for some solutions.

The house is raised on pilings and has an exterior staircase. The stairs
along the side of the house have a high wall on the other side with a
gate - a solid wooden door - at a landing at the base of the stairs. The
door/gate has a double-key deadbolt; because it's right at the stairs, the
door swings out, and unfortunately, the landing is somewhat sheltered from
outside views - not much I can do about that. The stairs lead up to a
deck
and a wall of windows that apparently are very inviting to intruders.
There
is a motion-detector alarm inside the house, connected to a bell loud
enough
to usually get attention of neighbors.

What's happening, on average at least once a year, is that someone comes
off
the beach and puts a lot of effort into breaking down the door/gate at the
stairs. On one occasion the would-be burglar actually tore the siding off
the wall beside the stairs to gain access.

Once they get upstairs, they smash a window or (as this last time) shatter
the glass in the main door. At that point the motion-detector alarm goes
off and the intruders almost always run away at that point without even
going into the house - but the damage has been done.

What I'm looking for is ways to stop or discourage these intruders BEFORE
they break a window or door upstairs, and preferably before they tear up
the
stair-landing door.

-- I think I've finally persuaded the owners to let me install a
motion-detector floodlight to illuminate the stair landing, but more than
half of the break-ins have taken place during the day, so that's a minor
deterrent.

-- Shuttering all those inviting windows facing the beach side of the
house
would probably discourage a few break-ins, but I don't think the owners
would go along with the expense or the change to the appearance of the
house.

-- I beefed up the once-flimsy stair-landing gate, replacing it with a
proper door - and now they just tear up the entire door frame. I'm really
surprised at the amount of effort they put into breaking down the door
frame. Making it any more sturdy would probably mean going to steel, and
that's not practical at the seaside.

-- What I really think is needed is a motion-detector connected to the
alarm
aimed at that landing. There are lots of outdoor motion-detector switches
for security lights, but I haven't seen any for alarm systems - can
someone
point me to one? The location is outside, but relatively sheltered - it
won't be rained on, but will be subject to salt spray (motion detector
lights typically don't last very long around here).

Thanks.

There is one around that sounds like a Rottweiler, my neighbor stopped all
break-ins in the neighborhood with one of those.
"HeatMan" wrote in message
ink.net...
Claymore mines?

"Robert E. Lewis" wrote in message
...

I act as caretaker for a family's weekend/vacation beach house. The
place
is a magnet for break-ins, and I'm looking for some solutions.

The house is raised on pilings and has an exterior staircase. The
stairs
along the side of the house have a high wall on the other side with a
gate - a solid wooden door - at a landing at the base of the stairs.
The
door/gate has a double-key deadbolt; because it's right at the stairs,
the
door swings out, and unfortunately, the landing is somewhat sheltered
from
outside views - not much I can do about that. The stairs lead up to a
deck
and a wall of windows that apparently are very inviting to intruders.
There
is a motion-detector alarm inside the house, connected to a bell loud
enough
to usually get attention of neighbors.

What's happening, on average at least once a year, is that someone comes
off
the beach and puts a lot of effort into breaking down the door/gate at
the
stairs. On one occasion the would-be burglar actually tore the siding
off
the wall beside the stairs to gain access.

Once they get upstairs, they smash a window or (as this last time)
shatter
the glass in the main door. At that point the motion-detector alarm
goes
off and the intruders almost always run away at that point without even
going into the house - but the damage has been done.

What I'm looking for is ways to stop or discourage these intruders
BEFORE
they break a window or door upstairs, and preferably before they tear up
the
stair-landing door.

-- I think I've finally persuaded the owners to let me install a
motion-detector floodlight to illuminate the stair landing, but more
than
half of the break-ins have taken place during the day, so that's a minor
deterrent.

-- Shuttering all those inviting windows facing the beach side of the
house
would probably discourage a few break-ins, but I don't think the owners
would go along with the expense or the change to the appearance of the
house.

-- I beefed up the once-flimsy stair-landing gate, replacing it with a
proper door - and now they just tear up the entire door frame. I'm
really
surprised at the amount of effort they put into breaking down the door
frame. Making it any more sturdy would probably mean going to steel,
and
that's not practical at the seaside.

-- What I really think is needed is a motion-detector connected to the
alarm
aimed at that landing. There are lots of outdoor motion-detector
switches
for security lights, but I haven't seen any for alarm systems - can
someone
point me to one? The location is outside, but relatively sheltered - it
won't be rained on, but will be subject to salt spray (motion detector
lights typically don't last very long around here).

Thanks.

From: "Robert E. Lewis"


I act as caretaker for a family's weekend/vacation beach house. The place
is a magnet for break-ins, and I'm looking for some solutions.

The house is raised on pilings and has an exterior staircase. The stairs
along the side of the house have a high wall on the other side with a
gate - a solid wooden door - at a landing at the base of the stairs. The
door/gate has a double-key deadbolt; because it's right at the stairs, the
door swings out, and unfortunately, the landing is somewhat sheltered from
outside views - not much I can do about that. The stairs lead up to a deck
and a wall of windows that apparently are very inviting to intruders. There
is a motion-detector alarm inside the house, connected to a bell loud enough
to usually get attention of neighbors.

What's happening, on average at least once a year, is that someone comes off
the beach and puts a lot of effort into breaking down the door/gate at the
stairs. On one occasion the would-be burglar actually tore the siding off
the wall beside the stairs to gain access.

Once they get upstairs, they smash a window or (as this last time) shatter
the glass in the main door. At that point the motion-detector alarm goes
off and the intruders almost always run away at that point without even
going into the house - but the damage has been done.

What I'm looking for is ways to stop or discourage these intruders BEFORE
they break a window or door upstairs, and preferably before they tear up the
stair-landing door.

-- I think I've finally persuaded the owners to let me install a
motion-detector floodlight to illuminate the stair landing, but more than
half of the break-ins have taken place during the day, so that's a minor
deterrent.

-- Shuttering all those inviting windows facing the beach side of the house
would probably discourage a few break-ins, but I don't think the owners
would go along with the expense or the change to the appearance of the
house.

-- I beefed up the once-flimsy stair-landing gate, replacing it with a
proper door - and now they just tear up the entire door frame. I'm really
surprised at the amount of effort they put into breaking down the door
frame. Making it any more sturdy would probably mean going to steel, and
that's not practical at the seaside.

-- What I really think is needed is a motion-detector connected to the alarm
aimed at that landing. There are lots of outdoor motion-detector switches
for security lights, but I haven't seen any for alarm systems - can someone
point me to one? The location is outside, but relatively sheltered - it
won't be rained on, but will be subject to salt spray (motion detector
lights typically don't last very long around here).

Thanks.

You know what?
I was gonna offer a solution, but after reading through the entire post I get
the feeling the family that owns this house doesn't give a rat's ass about 1
yearly break-in, so why should you?

They obviously don't care to take the few reasonable steps other than a simple
interior alarm and someone in the area to "keep an eye on the place" so why the
hell should you be worried about it?

Having a motion detector to alarm out side will give lot of false set
offs animals , wind, etc. How do you know its daytime. You should have
alot of motion sensors and lights I have a 25x25 2 story and have 2
on each side and 2 in the driveway 1 walkway. 1 double wired. total of
20 bulbs. Get a security camera and a event recorder and perhaps X10
motion detector and exterior belll - horn . Its probably the same theif
and the house needs alot of re thinking on theft. Landmines are good
but illegal. Their alarm should be a monitored one Cameras and Fake
cameras on all sides work wonders. And a pro sign stating -
Smile your photo has just been sent by cellular transmission to a
recording monitoring site . Theft protection is all levals Call your
police dept that is their job

"m Ransley" wrote in message
...
Having a motion detector to alarm out side will give lot of false set
offs animals , wind, etc.

True. I hope that motion detectors set in the relative shelter beneath the
raised house and pointed at the even more sheltered landing will reduce that
somewhat.

How do you know its daytime.

Experience, mostly. The break-ins are most common around New Years and, like
now, during Spring Break; the winter break-ins more often happen at night,
spring during the day. I've chased off a couple of intruders and caught two
(well, the one with the pistol I let go and had the sheriff catch), but
generally in the time it takes me to respond, the intruders have fled.


You should have
alot of motion sensors and lights I have a 25x25 2 story and have 2
on each side and 2 in the driveway 1 walkway. 1 double wired. total of
20 bulbs.

I agree with that - with the general idea that if the house starts lighting
up as someone approaches, they will begin to understand that it's monitored.

Get a security camera and a event recorder and perhaps X10
motion detector and exterior belll - horn. Its probably the same theif

I think it's more a case of it being an impulse break-in by people who've
been on the beach, usually drinking - the only things taken in the time I've
looked after the place have been a couple of bottles of booze and a pair of
binoculars. There's not much of value in the place to steal, but not even
the TV or vcr have ever been taken, and as I said, the vast majority of
times whoever it is flees the instant the alarm bell connected to the
interior motion detector goes off.


and the house needs alot of re thinking on theft. Landmines are good
but illegal.

A neighbor has had fairly good luck with a sign just warning about all the
rattlesnakes in the dunes around the place.


Their alarm should be a monitored one Cameras and Fake
cameras on all sides work wonders. And a pro sign stating -
Smile your photo has just been sent by cellular transmission to a
recording monitoring site . Theft protection is all levals Call your
police dept that is their job

I might be able to get the homeowners to swing for a camera and some fake
cameras. Since we're less concerned with preventing theft from the property
than in preventing the expense caused by the actual breaking and entering,
deterrence is the goal.

Thanks.

If its deterence you could wire at least 4 detectors 1 for each side
to something that generates sound interior and exterior and light,
just so they know theyve been spotted , mine turn on an indoor radio set
to a rap station as it indicates a certain type of person is living
there , the ones that may have a gun. And my exterior motion detectors
turn on interior lights Motion detectors can do alot with x 10
acessories , A sound generator of a strange noise will scare them, let
your imagination go . But as another said why give a **** the lazy
ass owner doesnt , Does he pay you enough to confront a theif with a
gun ,, I dont think so, how about insurance and a disability guarntee
if you get shot . Try buzzers on exterior sensors that will scare
anyone, and get a raise.

"Robert E. Lewis" wrote in message
...

I act as caretaker for a family's weekend/vacation beach house. The place
is a magnet for break-ins, and I'm looking for some solutions.

The house is raised on pilings and has an exterior staircase. The stairs
along the side of the house have a high wall on the other side with a
gate - a solid wooden door - at a landing at the base of the stairs. The
door/gate has a double-key deadbolt; because it's right at the stairs, the
door swings out, and unfortunately, the landing is somewhat sheltered from
outside views - not much I can do about that. The stairs lead up to a
deck
and a wall of windows that apparently are very inviting to intruders.
There
is a motion-detector alarm inside the house, connected to a bell loud
enough
to usually get attention of neighbors.

What's happening, on average at least once a year, is that someone comes
off
the beach and puts a lot of effort into breaking down the door/gate at the
stairs. On one occasion the would-be burglar actually tore the siding off
the wall beside the stairs to gain access.

Once they get upstairs, they smash a window or (as this last time) shatter
the glass in the main door. At that point the motion-detector alarm goes
off and the intruders almost always run away at that point without even
going into the house - but the damage has been done.

What I'm looking for is ways to stop or discourage these intruders BEFORE
they break a window or door upstairs, and preferably before they tear up
the
stair-landing door.

-- I think I've finally persuaded the owners to let me install a
motion-detector floodlight to illuminate the stair landing, but more than
half of the break-ins have taken place during the day, so that's a minor
deterrent.

-- Shuttering all those inviting windows facing the beach side of the
house
would probably discourage a few break-ins, but I don't think the owners
would go along with the expense or the change to the appearance of the
house.

-- I beefed up the once-flimsy stair-landing gate, replacing it with a
proper door - and now they just tear up the entire door frame. I'm really
surprised at the amount of effort they put into breaking down the door
frame. Making it any more sturdy would probably mean going to steel, and
that's not practical at the seaside.

-- What I really think is needed is a motion-detector connected to the
alarm
aimed at that landing. There are lots of outdoor motion-detector switches
for security lights, but I haven't seen any for alarm systems - can
someone
point me to one? The location is outside, but relatively sheltered - it
won't be rained on, but will be subject to salt spray (motion detector
lights typically don't last very long around here).

Thanks.

I have a friend that has a pre alarm system around his home. The motion
sensors were pricey, around $200 each. They are connected to a solenoid for
sprinklers that point straight down, pretty much a deluge. Look for the wet
people, triggers and interior alarm for his wife to call when she is at home
and calls the police when they are not. Contact a pro in the area and ask
them for a quote. Then you will have something that will work.

Dummy cameras are pretty cheap now days. A vid system would go a long way in
containing the trash.

"Robert E. Lewis" wrote in message
...
What I really think is needed is a motion-detector connected to the alarm
aimed at that landing. There are lots of outdoor motion-detector switches
for security lights, but I haven't seen any for alarm systems - can
someone point me to one? The location is outside, but relatively sheltered - it
won't be rained on, but will be subject to salt spray (motion detector
lights typically don't last very long around here).

Consider this system http://www.voicealert.com You can search the web or it, or buy it from
norcoalarms.com for about $130 http://www.norcoalarms.com/voice.htm . Good thing is it is all
portable, so you can take it with you if you move. An unadvertised feature of these motion detectors
(at least the newer ones), is that they also have a contact closure input. So you could have the
motion detector and/or a pressure mat or other switch connected to this one sensor. If you went all
out, you could have multiple detectors as they get up the stairs. Since there can be 6 different
"zones", Zone 1 could say "this house is being monitored". Zone 2 could be a recording of a shotgun
being cycled. Zone 3 could ...you get the point.

The base unit has good range, the sensors are supervised for low batteries (it will tell you when
you need to replace one), and the base unit has relay switch contacts for the first 4 zones so you
could trigger lights or sirens or your alarm or other things. The base unit also has audio output
screws, so you can feed that voice to an amplifier and have an outside speaker if you want.

Finally, the motion detectors have masks that you can place in them to narrow the field of view.
When I first set mine up, it only detected people and not animals. However, it wouldn't detect cars
which is what I was trying to detect. In order to detect cars, it also detects the cat.

--
Mark
Kent, WA

There are all sorts of outdoor fence and gate sensors/alarms. These are
mainly installed for industrial and government sites where they want to
know if someone is entering the site through a fence or gate.

A larger U.L. Grade A alarm company would know about such sensors. A less
expensive alternative might be a swimming pool gate alarm.

Also be sure to mount "Protected by Security System" signs everywhere. A
"beware of dog" sign on the gate might help too.

The best security would be a steel gate/fence, bars on windows/doors, etc.

One type of fence sensor/alarm...
http://www.govsupply.com/Products/Sensors/Fence.cfm

I act as caretaker for a family's weekend/vacation beach house. The place
is a magnet for break-ins, and I'm looking for some solutions.

From dealing with a similar setup, the easiest method I've found is to
leave the place unlocked with no valuables or electronics. Stock the
cabinets with some canned food and juice, no alcohol, and leave a note
on the door that welcomes visitors in need and asks them to please
leave the place tidy when they're done.

After thirty years, no damage in a set of lakeside cabins where I know
this is done. The food is always gone, the places are always neat and
sometimes there's a thank you note.

Jeff

Noise is the best deterrent. Get a motion detector setup to turn on a radio
with the volume up loud enough to be heard from the outside. There are also
recordings of loud dog barking--Team up a *beware of the dog sign* and a
motion detector set to trigger if there any action from the gate or steps.
These are relatively inexpensive ideas.
MLD
"Robert E. Lewis" wrote in message
...

I act as caretaker for a family's weekend/vacation beach house. The place
is a magnet for break-ins, and I'm looking for some solutions.

The house is raised on pilings and has an exterior staircase. The stairs
along the side of the house have a high wall on the other side with a
gate - a solid wooden door - at a landing at the base of the stairs. The
door/gate has a double-key deadbolt; because it's right at the stairs, the
door swings out, and unfortunately, the landing is somewhat sheltered from
outside views - not much I can do about that. The stairs lead up to a
deck
and a wall of windows that apparently are very inviting to intruders.
There
is a motion-detector alarm inside the house, connected to a bell loud
enough
to usually get attention of neighbors.

What's happening, on average at least once a year, is that someone comes
off
the beach and puts a lot of effort into breaking down the door/gate at the
stairs. On one occasion the would-be burglar actually tore the siding off
the wall beside the stairs to gain access.

Once they get upstairs, they smash a window or (as this last time) shatter
the glass in the main door. At that point the motion-detector alarm goes
off and the intruders almost always run away at that point without even
going into the house - but the damage has been done.

What I'm looking for is ways to stop or discourage these intruders BEFORE
they break a window or door upstairs, and preferably before they tear up
the
stair-landing door.

-- I think I've finally persuaded the owners to let me install a
motion-detector floodlight to illuminate the stair landing, but more than
half of the break-ins have taken place during the day, so that's a minor
deterrent.

-- Shuttering all those inviting windows facing the beach side of the
house
would probably discourage a few break-ins, but I don't think the owners
would go along with the expense or the change to the appearance of the
house.

-- I beefed up the once-flimsy stair-landing gate, replacing it with a
proper door - and now they just tear up the entire door frame. I'm really
surprised at the amount of effort they put into breaking down the door
frame. Making it any more sturdy would probably mean going to steel, and
that's not practical at the seaside.

-- What I really think is needed is a motion-detector connected to the
alarm
aimed at that landing. There are lots of outdoor motion-detector switches
for security lights, but I haven't seen any for alarm systems - can
someone
point me to one? The location is outside, but relatively sheltered - it
won't be rained on, but will be subject to salt spray (motion detector
lights typically don't last very long around here).

Thanks.

"barry martin" wrote in message
news:1901435597.3820.09.3103026.1553187102.RIMEGat ...
Robert:

RE I act as caretaker for a family's weekend/vacation beach house. The
place
RE is a magnet for break-ins, and I'm looking for some solutions.
snip
RE -- What I really think is needed is a motion-detector connected to the
alar

RE aimed at that landing. There are lots of outdoor motion-detector
switches
RE for security lights, but I haven't seen any for alarm systems - can
someone
RE point me to one? The location is outside, but relatively sheltered -
it
RE won't be rained on, but will be subject to salt spray (motion detector
RE lights typically don't last very long around here).

A few half-baked thoughts come to mind. A others have indicated,
motion detectors can be activated with false triggers such as animals,
debris blowing by, and even shrubbery/tree branches blowing in the
breeze. If a motion detector would work, you could put a socket
adapter in where the bulb normally goes, plug in an extension cord to
an X-10-type device which uses a 120v input. The X-10 would then
'trip' the house alarm.

Another option would be to use a door/window sensor on the door frame
-- perhaps several in series to arm for various break-in methods.

Not sure how to take care of the salt spray corrosion problem -- may
just have to replace the sensor devices annually?

-
¯ barry.martinþATþthesafebbs.zeppole.com ®

* Amish bumper sticker: Caution! Do not step in exhaust!
---
þ RoseReader 2.52á P003186
þ The Safe BBS þ Bettendorf, IA 563-359-1971
---
þ RIMEGate(tm)/RGXMod V1.13 at BBSWORLD *

three words .......... black ......... parachute ........ cord ...........

Strung at various heights. Works good. You can tie one end to a metal
garbage can for effect. Or a stack of something.

Steve