How to protect home from invaders
Question No. 1
Hi Robert, my name is Ellen R. I live in Canyon Country and I sit on the Board of Directors at the association I live in. We have two entries at our building, both of which have tile on the walkway area, they go up the stairs and onto the landing at the door. We’ve had incidences of slip and fall injuries and the insurance company is having is remove this problematic tile. Underneath the tile we are told is concrete and we are trying to figure out what we can do decoratively but not get another product that will cause similar slip and fall hazards. One suggestion was a concrete overlay and we’d like your opinion on this option. Will something like this last, will it look nice and most importantly will it be safe?
--Ellen R.
Answer No. 1
Ellen, based on what I see in the photos, I’d stay away from an overlay system.
I see that you have grass on either side of these walkways and adjacent to the stairs, and with the daily irrigation you’ll have this overlay system “pop” on you. This means that it will prematurely wear and it will begin lifting pretty quickly.
Those overlay systems are not designed to endure daily moisture like that, so what you may want to do is to go with a company that can stain the concrete for you. I can share the name of a reputable company here in town, just let me know if you’d appreciate that referral. They’ll come in and diamond grind the surface and they’ll use a decorative stain with color, if that is what you are looking for. If this option doesn’t appeal to you then you’ll likely need to go with an outdoor tile that is rated for skid resistance. Be certain that you confirm this skid-resistance rating, or you’ll be in the same predicament.
Good luck to you.
Question No. 2
Hi Robert, Dave C. here in Santa Clarita. I have some commercial property here in the Industrial Center of Santa Clarita and we were broken into recently. I had high priced items that were stolen and now I am ready to spend what it takes to secure this area better than I’ve had. I have always just had the standard locks/safety measures that came with the building, but I’m a believer now and need your guidance. I am told that the thieves picked my locks so this is where I’m starting and want to know what advice you can give to me. I’m sick over this, now I need your help. Any input coming from you would be greatly appreciated, thank you in advance.
--Dave C.
Answer No. 2
Dave, what I prefer to use is the Medeco system.
The only way for these to be tampered with is with a drill motor or a fire axe. No one is able to pick their locks, their design makes it impossible to rake the pins. I’ve used Medeco for over 25 years on my commercial property and as I’m seeing your photos I see that you’ll want to put a dead bolt in and also use a latch guard, which goes onto the exterior of the building so that they cannot get to the latch.
Cameras are a good deterrent, but of course not a guarantee. There is the new Ring Video Doorbell system that you can put up if you aren’t in the position to install a full alarm/security system. Those are a huge deterrent, as I’m sure you’ve seen in the news people are being recorded left and right, at people’s homes. These are all things that usually will deter, as it takes too much time to try and get past them, or the thieves know they’re being recorded. The alarm system and service is probably the best yet the most costly option, but I recommend it if you are able to do that. These are tied to a monitoring company that can call 911 if the property is breached, you have a better shot at recovering your items or stopping the robbery all together, if they hear an alarm.
Good luck to you.