Door alarms and crime prevention equipment are thought of in the same mental breath today. They certainly compose the simplest component of the poor man's home security. I installed my "do it yourself" door opening alarm system some years ago. The cost for all of the necessary components was around $328. This included security contacts for two doors and twelve windows, an alert panel used to activate both the front and back doors and window alarms, an alarm siren, which used the "Polizei" and air raid type siren sounds, a power circuit panel with 12-volt backup and 10,000 feet of electrical wire.
SOME PROBLEM AREAS IN SELF-HELP AND ALARM SYSTEM INSTALLATION
Window and door alarms require attention to detail when installing the circuit contacts. It is extremely easy to install the two screws for each opening's contact when you drill a pilot hole. Using a small six-inch square, mark the length of each contact on the door and doorframe. Open the door exposing its edge, near the door lock mechanism, perhaps parallel to it, mark the width and length of one part of the contact, which will eventually be screwed into the door. Take a chisel, either a half-inch or inch wood chisel, and cut a square box. Do the same on the door jam edge of the doorway; ensure that both boxes are exactly inline. This is vital for the closed and open circuit nature of door and window alarms to work properly.
If you have fiberglass windows and metal doors with metal frames, your installation can take a more complicated turn. Metal doors and frames will require that you develop a high degree of skill with a saber saw. Fiberglass window frames and jams will most likely require that you use a high grade of resin epoxy to glue the contacts onto the frames and adjoining jam. A final admonition take your time, ask questions of your local hardware store and be careful when you start installing the electrical component to this system.
After all the circuit contacts have been installed, start the installation of the electrical alarm wire. The smartest thing to do is to prepare a wiring diagram of how all the windows and doors will be connected to the alarm alert panel. If you have access to your attic, perhaps you might wish to run the alarm wire through existing cable runs through the attic and down from there to your panel. Another method would be to run the wires along the wall molding to the alarm panel, taking care to staple them unobtrusively to the molding edge. If however this sounds too much like work, you might wish to use a new series of door opening alarms.
A NEW SERIES OF DOOR OPENING ALARMS
There is a new series of door opening alarms, which are individual portable door alarms. These are battery-powered alarms, which operate by the same contact circuit technology as the regular alarm systems. They can be wireless security door alarms by contact separation or by infrared sensor. These are a reliable and economical alternative for door alarms for child safety.
Door alarms require attention to detail when installing the circuit contacts