Did You Know That Smart Homes Are Also More Secure? 2 Interesting Ways Of Using Home Automation

Home automation systems make your life more convenient, but did you know that they can also improve your home's security? You're given the ability to control your door locks and your lighting from anywhere in the world with your smartphone. This has some interesting applications for home security that you may not have thought about. Here are two ways that turning your home into a smart home also turns it into a secure home.

1. Doorbell Cameras and Smart Lock Systems Let You See Who's Knocking

It's important to know who's knocking at your door before you open it. Peepholes in doors are often cloudy and difficult to see through — uniforms are easy to recognize, but facial features aren't. A doorbell camera with high-resolution video gives you much greater clarity. These cameras activate when someone rings your doorbell, and the video from the camera is streamed to your smartphone or tablet. You don't even have to go up to the door to see who's knocking.

You can combine a doorbell camera system with a smart lock in order to open your door from anywhere in the world. If you've ever given a copy of your front door key to a friend or family member so that they could access your home temporarily, you can see the usefulness of this feature. Giving copies of your house key to other people is always a risk — they may lose it, or they may use it to gain entry to your home when you're not expecting it and steal valuables. Using a doorbell camera and a smart lock system allows you to open the door when your friend or family member knocks, even if you're not home. Since you don't have to give other people your house keys, this makes your home more secure.

2. Make Your Home Look Occupied by Turning Your Lights On and Off While on Vacation

An old trick for homeowners who go on vacation is to leave their lights on while they're gone. Leaving your lights on makes your home appear to be occupied, even when you're on vacation. However, burglars know about this trick and take it into account when they're looking for homes to rob. If your lights are always on or always off, they assume that the house is unoccupied. Leaving your lights on all the time just wastes electricity and doesn't deter burglars.

However, what if there was a way to dynamically turn your lights on and off from anywhere in the world? A smart lighting system allows you to do just that — when you're on vacation, you can turn your home's lights on in the evening and then turn them off at night when your family normally sleeps. When you dynamically adjust the lights according to the time of day, your house appears to be occupied. Some smart lighting systems even feature a vacation mode that automatically adjusts lights based on the time of day, freeing you from manually turning your lights off and on.

As you can see, home automation systems aren't just for convenience — they can also improve your home's security. Of course, these are not the only ways that automation helps to secure your home. Thinking outside of the box with automation allows your convenience improvements to become security upgrades. If you'd like to secure your home by turning it into a smart home, contact a home automation professional for help selecting and installing products.

For more information, contact your local home automation services.

Share