You might have taken home insurance to protect the place you call your own, but insurance does not guarantee safety. Experts point out different aspects such as glass, wires and lighting can be crucial areas that need as much tending to as other things.

Mukul Goyal, product designer and director of Mukul Goyal and Tattva Art Hardware believes locks, lighting, doors, windows and alarms are some of the most important aspects that should be taken care of, if one were to call his/her home 'safe.' “No lock, regardless of its quality, can be truly effective. Key-in dead bolt locks provide minimum security. Ask a locksmith for advice on your situation. Change locks immediately if your keys are lost or stolen. When moving into a new home, have all locks changed,” says Goyal.

When it comes to the safety of the periphery of your house, here are a few things you should keep in mind. One, have adequate exterior lighting. Two, a motion-sensitive lighting is recommended for backyards. Three, keep the perimetre of your home well-lit. Four, install low voltage outdoor lighting, which is a cost-effective way to discourage intruders.

But equally important are doors and windows. Says Goyal: “Make sure your door hinges are on the inside. Secure sliding glass doors. Place a metal rod or piece of plywood in the track and install vertical bolts. These will help prevent burglars from forcing the door open or lifting it off the track. Always lock the door of an attached garage. Don't rely on your automatic garage door opener for security. Most windows can be pinned for security. Drill a hole on a slight downward slant through the inside window frame and halfway into the outside frame — place a nail in the hole to secure the window."

Wiring is an essential area that is often neglected. Altho-ugh it is known wiring is important for the safety of the house, at times this aspect is merely ‘brushed under a carpet’ even while we pay considerable time choosing that perfect accessories and attractive switches.

Anil Gupta, chairman and managing director of KEI Industries says: “As most wiring is concealed beyond the walls they are ignored until there is a mishap. But ensuring quality wiring during construction is of utmost importance.” Gupta points out that, home or office, one needs to be extra careful while selecting appropriate wires. “With the increasing awareness about them, even companies are making conscious efforts to introduce products that are efficient, offering greater functionality as well as ensuring safety with guarantee.” For instance, KEI Industries has forayed into house wire segment with a launch of multi-strand flexible house wires with fire-resistant properties.

Glass windows could add to the charms of your home but they could be an unsafe option as well: Unless you choose extra safe glasses for windows. Asahi Glass India (AIS), for instance, has a special glass product — what it terms ‘burglar resistant glass’ — called AIS Securityglas. This laminated glass has specialised plastic inter layers to provide high level of intrusion resistance from burglar attacks. You don’t have to install grills or shutters alongside.

According to Aditya Bhutani, chief operating officer of Glasxperts (AIS), while choosing glass for windows, which, for one, allows maximum daylight into houses, one should not compromise on safety. One should remember that the technology has advanced so well that people, if they explore the choices, could find safer options that also put an end to feeling caged in their own homes.

“There are many types of security: Earthquake-resistant, bullet-resistant, bomb blast-resistant, fire-resistant, to name a few. Various combinations and types of interlayers and glasses produce different effects. Sev-eral layers of glass and vinyl (PVB) combined together offer greater protection. The thickness of the glass deter-mines the security of the laminated unit. In case of breakage, this glass creates a soft web like structure and glass fragments sticks to PVB interlayer and the chances of injury is low.”

kumarsroy@mydigitalfc.com