3 Steps to Better Backyard Security

If you’re a homeowner, you know the importance of protecting your investment. You’ve probably taken steps to put protection in place to keep your house secure and your family safe. But your home doesn’t end at your back door. There’s a lot of property—and assets—in your backyard that could use some protection too. We’re talking about free-standing structures like garages, pools, or sheds, expensive equipment and tools, and definitely all the spots where your family loves to hang out and make memories, like your patio. If you don’t have a backyard security system, you’ll leave your home and valuables vulnerable to the 22% of break-ins that happen through the back door.

1. Protect the perimeter

Strong fences

When you think of an obvious deterrent to would-be burglars, a fence probably comes to mind. Creating a physical barrier that is easy to see and hard to scale is a first step in protecting your property. Make sure it’s tall enough to prevent climbers—the people and the wild animal kind. If you’re wondering, “What can I put on my fence to stop burglars?” Installing spires or sharp stakes on the top of the fence can deter even skilled climbers, plus, any fence you install should also have a solid gate that locks.

Perimeter Guard^TM & Video Analytics

Upgrade your backyard fence security with a home security system that includes smart video cameras and AI-driven analytics to keep a watchful eye across your entire property. You can also set up an automatic deterrent system with our proactive Perimeter Guard feature to sound an alarm when an unexpected visitor steps across your property line.

During the warmer months of the year, your backyard might become a bit busier. Video analytics can tell the difference between people, animals, and vehicles, allowing you to be notified when nighttime critters, such as a bear, might try to take your car out for a test drive. Luckily, installing home security doesn’t mean you need to get pinged every time a squirrel stops by. Customize your notifications allows your security system to learn what’s worth alerting you about and what’s just a harmless passerby (person or with paws).

2. Sharpen your senses

Protect bigger assets

Free-standing structures like mowers, ATVs, and RVs are vulnerable on larger pieces of property, especially when your field of vision is not wide enough to keep them in sight. Our Flex IO^TM outdoor contact sensors are battery-operated and work across LTE instead of Wi-Fi ensuring that they are always on and alert.

Attaching them to outdoor items allows you to keep an eye on anything across your property even outside the range of your home security system. Customized alerts will keep you aware of any unexpected movements so you can react right away.

Keep it locked down

Your backyard probably contains a lot of valuable property and assets, but that doesn’t mean you should advertise that to everyone who walks by. Make sure you keep expensive tools and equipment out of sight and secured safely—whether it’s in a shed or locked outdoor storage container, you can rely on Flex IO to keep it safe. Always pack up your loose patio gear after you’re done using it for the day and make sure larger items like umbrellas or grills are secured.

Always be aware

You may be busy sometimes and can’t be home to greet your kids and participate in backyard fun when they get home from school. With smart video cameras, you can keep watch over your kids in the backyard, even when you can’t be there. Ensure that they are playing safely and not participating in any dangerous or off-limits activities.

3. Activate alerts

Shed some light

Staying aware of what’s going on in your backyard becomes more challenging after the sun sets. Here’s a bright idea: Setting up motion-sensor lights around your property will reveal visitors—including unwanted ones—right away. Make sure you position lights to spot any potential traffic to any of your entranceways and keep areas like your patio and pool covered to enhance your yard security systems too.

Catch it on camera

Need more backyard security ideas? Kick your outdoor surveillance up a notch with smart video cameras that capture every coming and going in your great outdoors. Customize alerts so you’re notified of intruders, you can keep a closer watch over specific parts of your property, and see anyone approaching your door, day or night. Video Analytics act like security guards, appropriately responding to different situations as they are analyzed and categorized. That means flooding the outdoor lights when a potential burglar appears and keeping it on the low when a racoon strolls by.

Get notified and keep watch over your kids when they are playing in the backyard after they get home from school. With smart video cameras, you can give yourself peace of mind that your kids are playing safe and following the rules even if you’re away.

Keep it all connected

A home security system that connects your smart protection across your entire home—inside and outside—means an easier and streamlined way to stay in control no matter what. From customized alerts that notify you in emergencies to automated responses in case of danger to professionally monitored protection that keeps everything you value safe – all controlled by your smartphone. Connected home security is the best investment for your backyard, your front yard, and everywhere in between.