Home Security

[Nigel]

Hi

Background

We are fortunate in that our site is surrounded by a continuous sandstone wall, at least eight feet high but higher in places. To the rear we have an inner walled garden (lawns/flowerbeds) and then the outer walled garden (overgrown jungle, as we have focused on restoring the house first). The outer garden is largely hidden from view from the house by the inner wall and trees. To the left we have a block of retirement apartments, to the right neighbours and to the rear more retirement flats, but with the car park immediately behind our wall. You can't get down either side of the house as the wall joins the house on both sides and access is via locked doors.

The Issue

On Monday night someone entered the back garden kicked over a few decorative stone balls on stands, right at the back of the outer garden (snapped them off at the stem - would have required a good kick) and used a stick to break five windows in the rear most outhouse. Based on the location of the damage I would assume they climbed over the rear wall. All in all very annoying but probably not unusual in the scheme of vandalism, with the overgrown garden probably having a curiousity factor.


What to do

We intend to advise the police although I doubt they can do much (will the stick reveal fingerprints? - I deliberately have not touched it).

Presumably if we advise the police we need to tell the insurance company?

I now probably need to mount a motion sensitive light. Not preferred as the house is Grade A listed but it can be done sensitively and unobtrusivley on the side of the potting outhouse.

A couple of the outhouses don't have working locks - I will need to fit locks now.


The question for this forum

What I would like to do is discourage the vandals from entering in the first place, concentrating on the rear wall, which I think is about 100 feet in length. Options would seem to be:-

1) Fix some of those plastic spikes you see advertised to the top off the wall - this will probably be expensive for 100 feet

2) In the old days people used to cememt (oops sorry: lime mortar) on bits of sharp glass but I understand this is illegal now and you could be sued if the poor wee souls cut themselves

3) I remember seeing a gate at an old house once coated in a very thick and dirty grease. Is there such a product, bearing in kind my walls are capped by semi circular coping stones, meaning the rain may wash the product away.

4) We could plant a suitably thorny bush the whole length of the wall but it may not look great and it might take years to become high and thick enough?

5) I don't know what the law is for razor/barbed wire - it would be ugly and probably needs planning permission (Grade A listing covers everything).



Strictly speaking not really a period property query I know but suggestions gratefully received - I am keen to do something in case they get the urge to return.

Thanks


N

 

[CHRIS]

I know that you have to be careful when using barbed wire next to the public highway or any right of way, it is not illegal but you have to show a duty of care to anyone who enters your property either legally or illegally, I think the best way is to create a natural very nasty bush and get it trained and laid in the traditional manner - looks cool as well. The other way is to get a massive dog and scare the s*&^ out of the first little chav that gets over the wall - news will travel fast and you will be left alone.

http://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/reduction/saferhomes/homesecurity/helaw.htm

 

[arl]

since its probably just kids messing around in what they perhaps thought a vacant property a security light would probably put most of them off.
for longer term security how about planting a few rambler type roses. They are extremely vigorous once established and can easily grow 50 feet or more and more importantly are hideously thorny. Try a rambling rector or kiftsgate. Both are pretty resistant to neglect and will even tolerate a north facing site.

they got mentioned on another post on this site

http://www.periodpropertyshop.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=5827&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

 

[MdB]

Anti climb paint might be worth considering. It is horrible stuff, won't do your wall any good and needs replacing every couple of years but it is effective.

 

[Lime]

A pyracantha hedge is what I'd use.
They are fast growing, evergreen, tough plants that have long sharp pointed thorns on them several inches long, particularly at the top of the plant.
They have white blossom in spring, orange or red berries in autumn (most birds love them), can be trained to any shape and pruned any time of year.
I have a hedge over 12 feet high next to my house and birds love them for nesting in.
It reached 10 foot after the second year and spread out on the third.
Use some support in early years but watch out for the thorns!

 

[Nigel]

Thanks everyone

Looks like security light and anti slip paint as a short term measure, with a thorny hedge in due course.

Along the wall is a line of mature trees, sycamore, oak, poplar - is there any particular hedge that will perform better in this area, overshadowed by these trees. It is also challenged by being North facing so the hedge will effectively get no direcct sun whatsoever.

Dogs are a no-no due to our two cats; I just hope the cats quickly recognise the anti slip paint is to be avoided.

Finally we will get the local crime prevention officer around; he/she can guide us on the need for warning signs if we use the paint.

Regards

N

 

[MdB]

Anti climb paint will wreck the top of the wall. Don't do it if you care for this part of the wall at all.

 

[skier-hughes]

Dogs are a no-no due to our two cats; I just hope the cats quickly recognise the anti slip paint is to be avoided.

Finally we will get the local crime prevention officer around; he/she can guide us on the need for warning signs if we use the paint.

Regards

N

We have two dogs, came after our two cats. One cat is the pack leader, and if I could control the dogs like she does I'd be well chuffed.

I'd get LCP in before doing anything, and I wouldn't be applying paint.

 

[ljn]

The thorny plant is a good idea. Takes time, but also will look beautiful.

A dog is a real deterrent (not a Chihuahua). That also takes time as you'd have to get a puppy to grow up with the cat.

Light sensors are a good idea, although the experienced chav won't be too boved. I installed one and it seems to go on and off randomly, so I disconnected is as I thought the 250 bulb on all the time might trigger a global warming surge.

I'd avoid the anti-climb paint. I used some on a modern first floor appartment that had an accesible balcony. They climbed up, smashed the window and cleand their feet on the carpets and their hands on the walls. Nasty stuff.

 

[worms]

You could consider a security camera. A neighbour of mine has two which have completely altered the pattern of local activity. I don't know if they are actually connected to anything but they seem to work!

 

[skier-hughes]

A dog is a real deterrent (not a Chihuahua). That also takes time as you'd have to get a puppy to grow up with the cat.

Not so, our two dogs were both from rescue, one was 4/5 and the other nearly 3 when we had them. The cats were 14 and 13 when we had the first dog and we had the second dog a year later.

It all depends on how much time and effort you put in, and if you're not prepared to put that in, then really you don't want a dog.

 

[Cloudscape]

External security lights, with motion sensors, are great in some ways. But everyone know you can buy lights like these. They won't convince anyone your place is occupied. They might deter people who don't want to be spotlit - to have attention drawn to them.

Cats and wind-blown shrubs can set the lights off and this can mean that people cease to pay any attention when the lights come on. I wonder sometimes if the lights actually help vandals and burglars, because it helps them see what they are doing. :wink:

If you do go for motion activated lights - make sure that they cannot be reached from the ground. There have been cases of lights found with buckets, binbags or sacks thrown over them.

Timed internal lights won't fool everyone, but can give the impression that the house is occupied - obviously they should be timed go on and off realistically.

Overgrown gardens are a classic way to let everyone know the house might be empty.

Security plants and hedges are really effective. Some pyracanthas grow quite quickly, sending out long straight shoots in all directions. Keep the plants fed to speed things up. You can also try berberis, holly, dense conifer hedges...

have a look here for more advice http://www.met.police.uk/crimeprevention/garden.htm , and at similar advice online.

http://www.doctorgreenfingers.co.uk/Gardening_Records_Archives/Garden_security.html

http://www.buckingham-nurseries.co.uk/acatalog/securityhedging.html

Anti-climb paint is pretty yucky stuff - like bitumen paint that never dries. It's thick and greasy, gets everywhere (the cats will get it stuck on their feet and tread it indoors).

You can be liable for any damage people do to themselves on spikes - that's not a reason not to get a blacksmith to make you some runs of iron strap with spikes fixed at intervals (it can look quite good). :wink: My local police said spikes must be over 6ft from the ground. That's probably out of date now, but worth checking.

If you don't live in the house, you could consider removeable internal security grilles or shutters for vulnerable windows?

There are alarms that will dial a phone number, if they are set off.

But make sure trusted neighbours also have your number - or are willing to deal with the alarm for you (especially if you live miles away from the empty house).

 

[Flyfisher]

You can be liable for any damage people do to themselves on spikes

I guess that means a bear-trap is also out of the question then :wink:

I recently had a couple of electricity poles removed after re-routing the supply underground. The poles had yellow "Danger of Death" signs on them with some yellow tape stuck over some additional words. I asked the chap from EDF what the tape was covering and he said "Do Not Climb" but they subsequently received an edict from HQ that this wording was no longer 'allowed' so new signs were made and the old ones were taped over. Apparently, a warning is acceptable but a direct order is not. Madness :roll:

 

[skier-hughes]

When I ran a charity fishing match I made some DANGER signs to go behind the anglers, as people could walk along behind them, but was told by the council that if I said it was a danger and somebody got hurt I should have protected them from it, whereas if I said WARNING, then the public had to look out for any danger........

 

[Gareth Hughes]

When I ran a charity fishing match I made some DANGER signs to go behind the anglers, as people could walk along behind them, but was told by the council that if I said it was a danger and somebody got hurt I should have protected them from it, whereas if I said WARNING, then the public had to look out for any danger........

very handy bit of information, that, and for once I can see the logic.

 

[charlie-ia]

anyone read 'Dr. No'? some handy gardening tips in there, should be right up your street. so much more informative than the film.
bet there's a good number of his recommended plants to be found in the RHS Plantfinder.

 

[DaveBrigg]

Blackberry bushes grow like wildfire and have the obvious advantage of bearing fruit. Ours seem to attract stinging nettles too.