Home security systems are designed primarily to prevent burglary. Throw in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and you have added protection against two potentially deadly hazards. But is there more you can do with a security system? Absolutely. By adding certain types of equipment, you can extend your system’s capability way beyond preventing burglary.
Vivint Smart Home is a nationwide provider of professionally installed home security systems. They can also integrate home automation and security into a single package. They recommend the following three extended uses of home security and automation devices:
1. Staying in Touch with the Kids
There is no getting around the fact that busy schedules require parents to leave their kids home alone at certain times during the day. Those few hours between the end of school and mom and dad getting home from work are a perfect example. But leaving the kids home alone does not mean being completely out of touch when you have a home security system.
Strategically placed interior cameras let parents monitor their kids remotely. As a parent, you can check video feeds to make sure the kids are behaving. You can monitor them doing their homework, watching TV, or even preparing a snack in the kitchen.
Cameras with built-in audio systems allow for two-way communication as well. Not only can you see what your kids are doing, but you can actually converse with them. You are no longer so far away.
2. Keeping an Eye on Contractors
The same principle that keeps you in touch with the kids can also allow you to keep an eye on any contractors you have on your property. Those interior cameras give you immediate access to the housekeeper who shows up twice a week to clean. You can watch the contractor who is supposed to be remodeling your kitchen.
Outside your home, exterior video cameras give you a clear view of the front and back yards. You will know whether the lawn care contractor is taking care of your yard the way he promised. You will know if he is fertilizing, weeding the garden, etc. Out back, an exterior camera shows you exactly how the pool contractor does his job. If the pool looks unusually dirty, checking video feeds will reveal whether he actually showed up.
3. Making Life Simpler
You can even use your home security system to make your life simpler. To do that, you may have to integrate a few smart home devices. For example, combining an exterior video camera with smart lighting and locks creates the possibility of automating your home to respond to you pulling in the driveway.
With a capable mobile app or smart home control hub, you can program a sequence of events that are triggered as you arrive home from work. An exterior camera with a view of the driveway will be triggered by the motion of your car. A command can then be sent to turn on the first-floor lights. That action can trigger yet another command to unlock the front door.
You will have the pleasure of entering a well-lit home without having to fumble with your keys. Your life has suddenly been made simpler, especially if you have a bunch of things to carry into the house.
Home security is a great tool for preventing burglary. But given the state of modern technology, there is no need to stop there. State-of-the-art home automation and security devices do so much more. With the right devices installed, you can extend the capabilities of your system well beyond burglary prevention.
