Fire extinguishers can help to put out small fires, but should not be relied on to put out fires that have already become large. Most home fires begin in the kitchen, so I recommend maintaining a larger capacity fire extinguisher there. The workshop or garage is another good location for a larger capacity extinguisher. In addition, there should be at least one larger extinguisher on every floor of your house. In the US, these larger extinguishers might be labeled 2-A:10-B:C. Smaller capacity fire extinguishers can be maintained in other rooms to ensure that you are never more than forty feet […]

Floor safes have several advantages over other home safe designs.  In combination, these advantages often make floor safes the best option for protection of your valuables. However, there are also some disadvantages to consider. Advantages Concealment Flood safes are very easy to conceal, mostly because few people look for floor safes.  A large stand-alone safe is obvious.  A small safe hidden under a bed or in a closet will show up in any routine search.  Even wall safes will be revealed after most searches — because people are accustomed to looking for wall safes. A floor safe can be hidden […]

A home alarm system can be part of a complete home protection system, but it is important to view an alarm as just one component of a larger strategy. An alarm system won’t protect your home from a flash flood, a drive-by shooting, or a no-knock BATF raid executed at the wrong address. Alarm Types Home alarm systems typically report using one or more of these methods: A loud bell or siren Bright and/or flashing lights A landline or cell phone call to you A landline or cell phone call to an alarm service company A landline or cell phone […]

Barbed wire is both inexpensive and durable, but it’s security value is often overrated. Traditional barbed wire may be cut with small wire cutters, or breached by throwing a carpet or board over the wire. More determined attackers may place a ladder or truck next to the fence and jump over — or may simply drive a truck through the fence. Nevertheless, barbed wire and related products can play a useful role in a complete security strategy. Improving Barbed Wire Barbed Tape is a steel tape punched into a barbed shape.  It is more difficult to cut through than regular […]

Second only to air, water is one of our most basic human needs.  Nonetheless, most people who have grown up and lived in the Western world have come to take clean water for granted.  They open the faucet and clean water comes pouring out as if by magic. At the same time, 3.575 million people die each year from water-related diseases.  Most of these people live in places where there is no tap water or the tap water cannot be trusted to be clean. Ask yourself two questions: Should I trust my tap water now? Will I be able to […]