Driveway Alarms | Inexpensive Way to Provide Home Security

Driveway alarms are a cheap means of providing you with peace of mind and protection by notifying you when cars, or even people, approach your home. They come in various different designs, and use different mechanisms to detect intruders, and it is therefore worth while to do some research before making a decision about which driveway alarm is right for you.

The first thing to consider is the desired mechanism, as this will influence the information the alarm conveys to you. For example, some driveway alarms place a hose or pressure-sensitive device underneath the driveway material; when a car or vehicle heavy enough to trigger the alarm passes over the driveway, a signal is sent to a monitor which then triggers an alert, of your choosing, within your home. These specific alarms require a heavy weight, like that of an automobile, to trip them; as a result, pedestrians or pets will not trip the alarm.

On the other hand, many alarms use an infrared sensor which, when tripped, triggers the alarm. These are infinitely more sensitive than pressure-based systems, but their sensitivity comes at a price: pedestrians, bicyclists, pets and small animals could all potentially trip the sensor. The infrared sensor, however, is a much cheaper means of covering large areas: rather than having a pressure sensitive device installed under a large driveway, which can be incredibly costly, an infrared sensor can cover a large area at little to no additional cost. Part of the price of the sensor will be determined by its cost: the cheaper ones will have a limited range, whereas the more expensive ones can cover distances over a mile in length. Any hills or trees, however, can distort the sensor, thereby rendering it ineffective.

Finally, you can control how the alarm functions: it can make a noise, most commonly a chime, within the household; it can silently register on a computer, allowing you to look at a log the next day; or it can turn on an outdoor light, illuminating the driveway. This is a particularly attractive option for many people: the light will scare off intruders and would-be thieves but, when you return late at night, it will illuminate your driveway, offering you a light to see by and the safety of a well-lit driveway.

Driveway alarms are an intelligent means of securing your family and giving you increased peace of mind, and are incredibly cost effective, ranging in price from $50 to $500, depending on the factors mentioned above.