Apartment security has become a major concern in the country, especially in urban India. NCRB has stated that there has been a drastic rise in robbery and burglary cases in the past few years in Indian cities. Keeping this in mind, nowadays, many people have beefed up the security systems at their house.
Without having a robust security system in place, your house becomes an easy target for criminals. This article will guide you on why and how to choose some of the modern day security equipment.
Access Control Systems
This is the most common type of security system one would come across. Access control includes doors, gates, windows, fences and common area lighting. Due to the presence of 24 x 7 security officers, access control barriers are what residents prefer when it comes to apartment security.
Card Access Systems
Considered as one of the best security measures, Card Access Systems provide the best technology to access locked doors and gates. If your residential apartment is a part of a newly constructed building, then opting for this type of security is the better than any traditional security measure. This is because it offers top notch security management, without burning a hole in your pocket.
Access cards use specially programmed software to record date, time, and location of every entryway. For instance, access cards can store information of residents and visitors who enter and exit the building, spa, gym or parking lot. All these features make card access systems worth installing.
Advanced Key Control System
If you install Key Control System at your residence, it will not only be an efficient guardian to your home, but will also prove to be a pocket friendly deal. The best feature of key control systems is that if the access card is damaged, lost, or the resident moves out, the card details can be deleted from the server just with a few keystrokes.
Owners of multi-storied residential properties will prefer this system more. This is because advanced key control systems can safely store the codes of each and every person using it, and can be password protected on all floors.
Apart from using a safety system, you can also make use of Gatekeeper, a simple app that allows you to monitor visitors and store their information. It is easy to use, which means your security guards will have a more efficient system of maintaining security.
The requirements of apartment security are based on two factors: properties at risk and threats to those properties. If we look at India’s apartment security system of the past few decades, it was largely constituted of security guards manning residential apartments, colonies, and localities. But with the advent of modern technology, things have grown by leaps and bounds.
In this article, we’ll take a look at the evolution of apartment security over the years and how it developed into an advanced system that we witness today.
How It All Began?
In the early 1700s, English inventor Tildesley created the first-ever ‘calling bell’. This device was equipped with set of chimes that were mechanically connected to the door lock. So whenever someone tried to open the door, the alarm rang and alerted the residents. Shortly after this invention, came in the ‘level tumbler lock system’ aka the modern day lock and key system.
Home security systems kept on advancing and evolving throughout the 18th and the 19th century. Many inventions and innovations pertaining to home security were carried out throughout this period. But after the advent of the computer and the Internet, things took a drastic turn for good.
Let’s take a look at the revolutionary advancements made in this field, especially post-1990.
From 1990s To Present Day
By the 90s, the cost of apartment security systems went down and they became more affordable. The burglar alarm system evolved to a whole new level during this era. Also, the motion sensor technology was improved in the 90s, and used infrared technology to avoid false positives. Besides, there were professional security companies that installed these safety measures in homes.
But after the year 2000, with modern and powerful computers being used to control home security systems, things never remained the same. Wireless technology acted as a catalyst to this.
Presently, people can monitor their homes through smartphones and can receive alerts on it. There are many apps like the Gatekeeper app, which can be used to track visitors entering apartment complexes.
Just like humans have evolved over the years, home security has too. And you will be spoilt for choice when you go about looking for a home security system. However, you must choose one that is efficient and meets your personal security requirements.
With the rise in robbery and burglary cases in urban India, protecting homes from being attacked has become a priority for city dwellers. Since the police is finding it tough to keep these incidents at bay, it has somehow become the responsibility of the citizens to protect their homes, or install an apartment security system.
Recently, in Bangalore, a group of robbers barged into an elderly woman’s house at wee hours and not only stole all the valuables present in the house, but also brutally killed her. This horrific incident took place in the first week of June 2016 and the police are yet to find the culprits.
To counter this, the markets these days are flooded with modern and hi-tech security devices. You’ll come across many types of equipment like burglar alarm systems, access control systems, and surveillance cameras.
This article will guide you on how to choose a security system for your house, if you’re a novice in this field.
Understand The Differences Between Devices
An apartment security system protects your house against external threats through the use of technology. There are many parts in a security system but one thing that is standard among all equipment is the keypad. This keypad helps in activating and deactivating the system. They are also available in different styles as per your requirements like touch screen and keyless.
Other than the keypad, you’ll also be required to consider sensors and motion detectors. Many of the security systems come with the facility of strategically placing these sensors and detectors at doors, windows and common rooms. Once turned on, these sophisticated devices can easily detect activities and movements of unauthorised people entering the house.
Understand Your Needs
As modern technology is advancing, you’ll be required to consider many factors before you zero in on a security system for your house, and a lot of it depends on your requirements (why you’d like to have a security cover installed). Prepare a list of priorities, assess them and see which equipment fits your need. Also, ensure the systems are working fine and you aren’t facing any technical hassles while utilising.
What You Should Know
Before you decide to have a security system installed at your home, it is important to check the reputation of the company that is manufacturing the product. If the product is damaged, the company should have a robust service team and a backup facility. After-Sales Services from a company are highly useful. A security app like Gatekeeper is a great idea. This app has already been successfully adopted by security guards in 100 apartment complexes all across India and is expected to reach out even further.
Investing in a security system that doesn’t address your needs is a waste of money and resources. Therefore, make sure that the system you buy satisfies all your requirements.
If you live in a home or an apartment that’s commodious enough for one or two people, but still feel like you could use the space better if you knew how to, these are the home decor tips you should be reading. Today, we show you how to make your home look captivating no matter what the size.
Seamlessness is key –
A major piece of wisdom that I’ve gained over time, reading various pieces on apartment décor, is that ‘seamlessness is key’. You want to make your rooms look bigger and you can do that by reducing the breakages in colour and hues on the walls. This technique can be applied to fixtures and conversation pieces as well.
Utilising corners effectively –
Place an oversized chair or accent chair in the nook for a comfy look.
Stacking books on corner shelves is a smart way to use that part of a room.
Lighter shades of paint and flooring –
Using lighter shades on the walls and floors will make the room look bigger and brighter.
Select furniture that makes the room look sizable –
Avoid making your rooms look cramped by taking advantage of compact and undersized furniture pieces.
Floating shelves –
Floating shelves are a wonderful alternative to chests and drawers. They offer great storage space while not looking bulky and colossal inside a smaller room.
Curtain tints –
Buy curtains that create a fusion with the walls with their hue. This improves on the ‘seamlessness’ aspect mentioned earlier.
Hang a proportionally sized mirror –
A mirror in the room will make it come alive and reflect light inside it.
The bigger the mirror, the larger the room looks.
Mirrors can be hung horizontally or vertically to make the room look wider or higher.
Use transparent movables –
Pellucid movables make for a more spacious setting than wood or metallic furniture.
Furniture that doubles up as storage space –
Storing regularly used objects beneath that coffee table is a clever approach to getting things out of the way.
Foldable/Collapsible furniture –
Purchase foldable tables or chairs that maximise space inside the house when they aren’t being used.
Some of these pieces can double-up as ironing boards or other useful surfaces around the house.
In-built shelves –
Built-in shelves save up space inside a room like no other. No protrusions jutting out at odd places and no jamming your little toe into the legs of an awkward table anymore.
Convertible pieces –
This revolves around the same logic as foldable furniture.
Convertible armchair-beds, sofa-bunk beds or collapsible coffee tables are examples of reusable pieces in the living room and in bedrooms.
Matryoshka furniture –
This is the kind of furniture you’ve seen pictures of but don’t really know what they are called.
Matryoshka furniture is named after the Russian doll or Babushka doll that has figurines of a similar shape and smaller sizes inside it.
An extremely useful space saver, Matryoshka furniture can be arranged back into its original shape after being used.
It reduces the amount of space that is permanently utilised for seating, as the seats can be organised to your liking.
Extra décor ideas –
Vinyl wall art –
You can’t go wrong with vinyl wall stickers. They are one of the cheapest and quickest ways to transform any room and make it come alive.
Accommodating greenery in your humble abode –
Vertical garden displays are not the norm yet, but are a great way of making your house seem less like a concrete box. They bring more of a balanced look and make it a ‘living’ room.
This idea is definitely worth a shot, in our opinion. No harm done with extra oxygen around the house, right?
Wall photo collage –
Instead of using frames and bulking down the room, creating a collage of pictures in a particular shape would be more practical and fun to look at.
Decorating the walls with wall tape and foil tape –
Using washi tape (decorative wall tape) is another way of revamping a dull wall.
Foil tape can be used to create designs on a wall, and if done correctly, it can lift the ambience of the room to a point that the room would be unrecognisable.
It is the ultimate DIY activity that can be done by anyone from scratch. Pick a design and start taping.
String art –
String art is an easy and fun pastime and you can create any kind of pattern by practising it a little bit.
Once you’ve made a design that you think looks like the initial idea you had, put it up on a wall that needs some TLC.
Your hard work will surely pay off with all the compliments and admiration coming your way.
Having a smaller space to live in can be very interesting if you make it that way. Rooms, no matter what size, can be altered by the furnishings and embellishments one places in them. Smaller homes can be a challenge to decorate but it is a very enjoyable experience. If you know what you’re doing and you know you’re doing it the right way, the end result is bound to leave you more than just satisfied. Try these suggestions to visually expand room sizes and you won’t be let down. In fact, your home will undoubtedly look as fresh as paint.
The perpetual debate of whether pets must be allowed in apartment complexes, or not, has made us realise that the need for a clear understanding of the situation is at an all-time high (especially before we jump to conclusions about the rights and wrongs).
The idea of breeding pets in apartments is welcomed by a lot of people. Animal lovers will do anything for their furry friends. But they are also considered a hindrance by many. Pet related activities are disapproved, and even opposed. Often, there is no second thought given to the fact that species other than humans need a place to live as well. And considering we’ve occupied most of the area a domestic animal needs to reside in, we humans need to be a bit more open-minded about such sensitive decisions.
As a lot of us know, local authorities are popping up rules and regulations, in the form of circulars regarding pet animals. These circulars contain over-hyped ‘vital’ information about whether or not they can be allowed to live with their human caretakers. But some pet enthusiasts don’t realise that as per the Parliament, or any State Legislature, there is no law enacted that bans animal friends. The most any of these groups can do is insist on registration and licencing of pets. They, often than not, are torn between choosing from among the home and their beloved animal companion. This should not be the case. It violates the fundamental freedom of being a citizen of this country.
Following are the issues faced by pet owners:
Banning pets on society premises.
‘Dog barking’ being cited as a valid reason to impose a ban.
Prohibiting homeowners from using parks, lifts and other facilities if they are accompanied by pets. Also, being charged for the same.
Being charged ‘pet rent’.
Forced usage of muzzles and leashes (on calm pets).
Discrimination as per the size and breed of pets allowed in the housing society.
Being asked for a pet resume before being given the flat on rent (A pet resume contains the pet’s basic details, previous rental experience, health, behaviour, references, etc.)
To make matters clear:
No bans can be imposed on usage of facilities (like lifts and parks) by pets. RWAs cannot impose any extra charges for this, as well.
Pets and resident owners of the pets not violating any Municipal Sanitary Bye-Laws or Regulations are permissible to stay in the society or community.
Size of pets cannot be a valid reason to ban them from society premises.
Rules like these result in service quality of the society’s provisions turning low. But, it must be kept in mind that these objections have risen due to certain behaviours of pet animals that have inconvenienced people in some way or another in the past.
So, to make things fair:
The pet owners must make sure that there is no nuisance caused in the society due to their furry pals.
When out of the house and in the premises of the complex, the pets must be accompanied by their owners or anyone who has them under careful observation.
Since there is no central law regarding cleaning pet excreta, RWA can request pet owners to do the same.
Training must be provided to the pets in apartments on identifying people walking in and out of the apartment wing. This will help prevent them from getting provoked when neighbours and children are around.
The animals should be taken to an obedience class/training class as well. A certificate is generally provided once the animal recognises behaviour signals.
Crate/kennel training is another way of training the pet to stay in one place as it provides a feeling of security to the animal.
The pets must also be trained, through positive reinforcement, to not get aggressive around other animals and prevent matters from going downhill.
Pets must undergo regular vaccinations and medications required to stay healthy.
The owners should take responsibility for their pets.
Children and residents must be asked to not provoke or tease the animals.
Pet owners must come forward and offer to adhere to simple, implicit rules and mannerisms by themselves. This won’t even let the problem of notices and circulars arise in the first place. It is eventually the landlord/society’s job to rightly recognise responsible pet people.
In conclusion, to get rid of these issues in a sure-shot way, the society representatives and pet owners, both parties, must organise regular meetings and address the issues each of them face, and meet each other halfway. Non-pet owners must be sympathetic and flexible towards pets and their owners, and the latter must take precautions to ensure that there are no discrepancies regarding their co-ordination with approved and disapproved behaviours.
(The Governing Body in India Concerning Animal Welfare- The Animal Welfare Board of India, 1962, was the first of its kind to be set up in the world, by any Government. It was established as a part of the Ministry of Environments and Forests, Government of India, in accordance with Section 4 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960 (No.59 of 1960). It has a list of bye-laws for pets, and was created to advise the Government on matters concerning animal welfare and preventing infliction of pain on animals.)
Now that we’ve given you a solution to this problem, let’s check out what the pets themselves have to say:
I’m tired of the fights. Let’s just talk it out, please.
Are the rains slowing down your city every year? Is everything always at a standstill? Breeze through life with these tips to prepare yourself for the rainy days.
It’s that time of the year again when the rain gods decide that it’s their turn to rain on your parade. The rainy season, paradoxically, is one of the most loved and detested seasons from among the rest. The increase in water content everywhere you look, and being forced into living with it, is what makes it difficult to like. But that’s also the foremost reason why people look forward to the rains; to look outside their window and sip on a hot beverage or to take in the petrichor emanating from the ground.
You surely want to enjoy that in the best possible surrounding. So why let anything under your control ruin something so idyllic? Simple observation skills are all you need. Here are some pointers to implement around your humble abode and garden area to keep them safe from the rains.
EXTERNAL PREPARATION –
Roof –
Inspect the roof from ground level and check for any leakages, damages, ageing and cracks.
Check whether the tiling is in place and whether there are any cracks in the chimney. Loose tiling and cracks are congruent to direct exposure to intense weather conditions.
Look for damp patches in your loft that will help you prevent extreme leakages once the rains begin.
Make sure your television satellite dish is secured tightly to the roof.
Inspections of the roof must be done at least twice a year.
Outside light penetrating the roof shows that there is most probably an orifice that shouldn’t exist.
Gutters –
Gutters are meant to clear out water from the area. A clear gutter is the only way it is functional.
Keep the gutters clear from debris, dead leaves and other blockages by cleaning them weekly to avoid clogging.
Tight-fitting wire mesh traps leaves and dirt while allowing water through.
Garden space –
Trim any low hanging trees and creepers.
Clear out dead branches to prevent them from falling during the rains.
Garden equipment, tools and furniture can get extremely damaged in wet weather. Create suitable conditions to keep the furniture dry by keeping it inside or under a roof. You can also apply a waterproofing treatment to wooden garden furniture.
INTERNAL PREPARATION –
Doors & windows –
Study your doors and windows and make sure they have secure sealing, and check if any repairs are required.
Fireplaces, skylights and other orifices or vents need to be scrutinised.
Ceiling and walls –
Check for leakages and damp patches. They will most definitely reoccur and expand if they aren’t dealt with immediately.
Dark spots on the walls and ceilings could be moulds or condensation, and the underlying cause or leakage must be catered to.
Draught proofing –
Door and window seals (brush, rubber etc.) help seal them against draught, light, smoke, odours, insects and dust.
They help retain heat inside the house too.
Emergency kit –
Always keep an emergency kit well-stocked at home. Your kit should be easily accessible and should include:
Essential medication.
Flashlights and extra batteries.
Candles/oil lamps/battery operated lamps and plenty of matchboxes or a lighter.
Non-perishable, dry food and drinking water.
A list of useful phone numbers.
A battery-operated radio.
A first aid kit and a disinfectant.
Blankets.
MISCELLANEOUS PREP –
Switch off your sprinkler system, if you have one.
Treat damp patches before they spread.
If you live on the ground floor, plan on accommodating most of your furniture to the highest space in the house, in the event of a flood.
Also, sandbags can be used during extreme flooding conditions. They act as a barrier by preventing water from entering for short periods of time. Using them along with plastic sheeting improves their utility.
Avoid using ladders during adverse weather conditions as it could prove to be fatal.
Keep valuables and documents safe in waterproof bags and store them in higher places inside the house.
Inspect your basement and check whether resealing is required in case there is water seeping in.
Buy tarpaulin to protect heavy household items that are difficult to move, like sofas and beds.
An emergency plan – Pre-plan what you would do at the time of an emergency.
Some important lessons to keep in mind before the rain hits us all –
But don’t let your house become one.
Just make sure your furniture is here to stay.
…Or else you might end up saying this to your doors and windows.
A penny for your thoughts on this one –
Anyway, the most important message that we get from the rain is that –
…Or at least successfully preparing yourself to face its wrath.
Keep in mind that extreme weather conditions can cause serious damages on the insides, as well as the outsides, of your house. This, in turn, would increase unexpected costs and become troublesome to deal with. Follow the above-mentioned steps to avoid most issues arising from the rains, and try to stay as happy as this little guy.
