Ways to Add Safety and Security to Your Home With Driveway Alerts
Having a driveway alert is just one of many things that a homeowner can do to add safety and security to their home. By having some type of driveway alert or alarm, you can be notified that you have company – whether friend or foe – before they ever reach your front door.
Driveway alerts function in conjunction with driveway sensors: the latter discovers the presence of a person or vehicle, and the former alerts you to that presence. As such, they are often sold together. You should not, however, consider these a one-size-fits-all, as there are various drive alert functions and methods, and choosing the one that is right for you requires some research.
In this Driveway Guides article we will discuss the different types of driveway alerts, how they work, and which may be the best for your home.
Basic Driveway Alert
These are usually an audible alert: a sensor is tripped, and in response a chime or alarm goes off inside your house. The exact noise – whether a chime or alarm bell, for example – as well as the volume of the noise – discrete, audible or deafening – are entirely in your control. For most people, merely hearing a light chime or bell is sufficient to alert them to the presence of a visitor; others, however, might wish to have a more significant noise, especially if their property is gated and the sensor is tripped at night, when the residents are likely to be asleep.
Alarm or Chime
The driveway alarm or chime is only one of many possible driveway alerts. Instead of a noise, for example, the tripping of the sensor might trigger a floodlight to turn on, illuminating the driveway and making it easier to notice that something isn’t quite right. This is a particularly attractive option for many people, as the light is sufficient to scare off most thieves and burglars without disturbing the residents of the house or their neighbors. Additionally, if it is you returning to your home late at night, the additional light provides security and peace of mind upon your return, and will allow you to see slippery patches of ice in the wintertime that might otherwise have been invisible to you.
Sensor
Finally, the driveway sensor, when tripped, can trigger a nearby security camera to focus on the point where the sensor was tripped. The security camera will then begin recording and will allow you to see what exactly set off your driveway alert system to begin with. For those people who require increased peace of mind, who travel often, or find themselves outside the confines of their household walls, driveway alerts can even be transmitted wirelessly. This is done by transmitting either to a receiver or to your smartphone, allowing you to monitor your home security even while abroad.
It is very important to watch after the safety and security of your home whether you are locked inside at night or out of town for a week. A professional driveway contractor will most likely need to be involved to make sure that the electrical and security cameras are set up correctly.
By adding a driveway alert, you can feel safe that your home is being “watched” all the time!