Browse Forums Safer Living 1 Jun 13, 2009 10:40 pm Hi All! My partner and I are first time builders (single storey) and so we are at the stage where we need to decide on our home security system. Our builder is including a 'basic' package (3 PIRs, indoor + outdoor siren, keypad), but we've met with the security company and can add/upgrade to our choosing. Think they will be installing a Hills product. I know cost will depend on how eleboarate your system is, but through reading the posts here it would seem the avg price people are paying is roughly $1000-~$2000. Now my partner and I enquired about having a 'perimeter' system, so that we could arm the house at night and go to sleep, but still have the freedom to get up and move around without tripping the system (good for when we have guests staying also). We got a slight shock when the security consultant told us a ballpark figure, roughly around $5000-$6000. Wow, that is a big difference, but then again there are a lot more sensor things (reed switches i think, on all windows/doors = ~14 points). So I guess what I am trying to find out from the good forum people here is: 1) Are perimeter setups popular? 2) Is the ballpark price we were given 'reasonable'? Or would this be considered quite expensive for such a system? 3) Whether we are wasting our time (and money) with such a system, and should just go with a setup using motion sensors, etc. Thank you all in advance! Re: Home Security: Perimeter System = recommended? 2Jun 13, 2009 10:56 pm RedIsotope Hi All! My partner and I are first time builders (single storey) and so we are at the stage where we need to decide on our home security system. Our builder is including a 'basic' package (3 PIRs, indoor + outdoor siren, keypad), but we've met with the security company and can add/upgrade to our choosing. Think they will be installing a Hills product. I know cost will depend on how eleboarate your system is, but through reading the posts here it would seem the avg price people are paying is roughly $1000-~$2000. Now my partner and I enquired about having a 'perimeter' system, so that we could arm the house at night and go to sleep, but still have the freedom to get up and move around without tripping the system (good for when we have guests staying also). We got a slight shock when the security consultant told us a ballpark figure, roughly around $5000-$6000. Wow, that is a big difference, but then again there are a lot more sensor things (reed switches i think, on all windows/doors = ~14 points). So I guess what I am trying to find out from the good forum people here is: 1) Are perimeter setups popular? 2) Is the ballpark price we were given 'reasonable'? Or would this be considered quite expensive for such a system? 3) Whether we are wasting our time (and money) with such a system, and should just go with a setup using motion sensors, etc. Thank you all in advance! Not sure about Perth, but in Melbourne, the security guy who did the installation for our first house say, if i am intending on breaking in, i will just drive around until i find a house which does not have security system. He mentioned that as i asked , what about coming through from the roof / manhole (aka Santa claus style from the chimney ). The recent guy who did the installation for our 2nd house say, the reed sensor for windows is useless as they won't detect broken windows , only windows that has been forced open and the thief would more probably throw a brick / stone to break the windows then force open it. At the end of the day, the security system is more a deterrent and hopeful the guy will just move on upon seeing your external siren. Cheers Re: Home Security: Perimeter System = recommended? 3Jun 14, 2009 12:35 am Hi hysterical! Thanks for your input. Yah if someone came in like you said 'santa claus style' and back out the same way then our perimeter setup would be beaten! As for the reed switches on the windows, I had the same thought as your security guy (eg. what if they smashed a hole and went in and out through that?)....but apparently we will be getting something called 'shatterpoints' - which are a combo reed switch and glass break detector. If they do indeed do their job, then I think we are covered. Maybe I should include 1 or 2 PIRs just to be safe.....ummm..safe-er Re: Home Security: Perimeter System = recommended? 4Jun 16, 2009 1:54 am Hi good forum people! Thought I'd post my list of sensors that I think I will need. Hopefully someone has something similar and can tell me roughly how much I should be expecting to pay for this. Currently the company who I am still awaiting a quote from gave me a ball-park figure that made my wallet have a heart-attack. Here it is: For a perimeter setup: - default system components such as security panel + 1 x keypad - 1 x internal screamer + 1 x external siren/strobe - 1 x front-door reed sensor - 4 x glass break sensors - 3 x PIRs - 8 x window reed sensors (shatterpoints maybe?) - 1 x garage door reed + 1 x roller door reed - plus something for the double sliding-glass-door for alfresco and a laundry sliding glass-door. - 2 x remote fobs Overkill? If so someone please tell me! Thanks in advance. Re: Home Security: Perimeter System = recommended? 5Jun 16, 2009 2:22 am RedIsotope Hi good forum people! Thought I'd post my list of sensors that I think I will need. Hopefully someone has something similar and can tell me roughly how much I should be expecting to pay for this. Currently the company who I am still awaiting a quote from gave me a ball-park figure that made my wallet have a heart-attack. Here it is: For a perimeter setup: - default system components such as security panel + 1 x keypad - 1 x internal screamer + 1 x external siren/strobe - 1 x front-door reed sensor - 5 x PIRs - 1 x garage door reed + 1 x roller door reed - plus something for the double sliding-glass-door for alfresco and a laundry sliding glass-door. - 2 x remote fobs Overkill? If so someone please tell me! Thanks in advance. PIRs ftw... about the only thing you need inside... also back to base monitoring.... with call outs apon alarm triggering Kodiak Data Cabling onFaceBook Consult*, Design and Installation Data, TV, Home Theatre/ AV Cabling, Multi Room Audio, IP CCTV and Door Intercoms Ask for a Quote. *DIY DATA Cabling Is Ilegal Re: Home Security: Perimeter System = recommended? 6Jun 17, 2009 5:00 pm Hi Pugs! Thanks for your advice. Unfortunately I want the option of being able to arm the house while my family is at home. More for when we are going to sleep, but having the freedom of getting up to get a drink or something, while at the same time feeling safe that no one can breach the perimeter without me knowing (hopefully). Why you might ask? I've had the scary experience of someone breaking into the place I was staying at WHILE me and my partner were asleep in one of the rooms. We never heard them and only discovered we had been burgled when we got up in the morning to find all living area drawers open. Even more frightening is some of the empty bedrooms also had their drawers open!...meaning they must have went into every room in the house and just skipped ours because it was locked. What's worse is I am a very light sleeper! So yah, once bitten, twice shy. It's either this or a very LARGE dog...but we both work so don't have the time. Re: Home Security: Perimeter System = recommended? 7Jun 17, 2009 6:19 pm ah fair enough.. Kodiak Data Cabling onFaceBook Consult*, Design and Installation Data, TV, Home Theatre/ AV Cabling, Multi Room Audio, IP CCTV and Door Intercoms Ask for a Quote. *DIY DATA Cabling Is Ilegal Re: Home Security: Perimeter System = recommended? 8Oct 21, 2009 3:37 pm Strongly agree with the opinions above r.e. Going over the top with your security system. Having worked in the industry for a number of years, I've seen a large number of people over-spending on security systems. My personal philosophy: You don't need to be faster than the lion. You just need to be faster than the person next to you. i.e. You don't need to lock down your house like Fort Knox, you just need any potential crim to get the impression that there are easier houses to break into than yours. Building Masterton Overture Re: Home Security: Perimeter System = recommended? 9Oct 23, 2009 11:41 am I personally believe that alarms are a waste of time. Either a crim isn't going to care whether you have an alarm or not (because they know they've got plenty of time before someone will respond) or they'll move on when they see you've got one in which case you might as well just put the dummy alarm box out the front and be done with it. The proposed perimeter alarm to protect you when you're at home is similar - it won't necessarily deter anyone from trying to break in, and, well, by the time the alarm alerts you the brick is already through the window and the guy is climbing in and now you have a p!ssed off burglar to contend with. A more effective proactive option is to make your house difficult to enter in the first place. Sensor lights outside; internal lights and TV on timers when you're not home; alu mesh on vulnerable windows; remove shrubbery that provides cover; don't leave tools and ladders and whatnot unsecured (you'd be surprised how many people lock their house up but leave a handy ladder in the unlocked shed); decent locks and solid doors on all external entries; locks on all windows; if you've got a gate then make sure it is locked; etc etc etc. While all of these things can be defeated the point is that they *do* have to be defeated and are just one more barrier that makes your house an unattractive target. An alarm however provides no barrier at all. Re: Home Security: Perimeter System = recommended? 10Oct 25, 2009 10:56 am I will keep this simple because i agree with the last couple of posts. Reed switches are a waste of time and money. I would put a garage door reed on or put a PIR in the garage. I prefer just putting PIR's in rooms that you will have valuable stuff that is easy to move. Generally this means 4-5 Pir's. Than just buy some security lights to go around the house. Yes, unless you are in a low intensity rainfall area or the area is protected from rain. Do you have access to NCC Part 2 or can you download it? I can email you a copy… 10 10353 i had the my concreters concrete right up to the fence. I have pits all along my path, so the water tends to drain away from the house and into the pits. There's only one… 7 9682 It's all about wireless, self install now. The cost/benefit of wired setups for the house are no longer what they used to be. Lots of wireless options. Eufy, Arlo and… 2 6796 |