Family Room:
Here we have two large slider windows, and a sliding glass door. We would need to add surface window contacts for the windows, and a surface door contact for the sliding glass door. If the windows were casement or didn't open at all, we would add a ceiling or wall mounted glassbreak sensor, or a "bug" glassbreak detector on each window.
Kitchen:
The kitchen has 3 windows, one of which (the middle) does not open, and 2 of which are casement. We would add a ceiling or wall mounted glass break sensor, or "bug" glassbreak on each casement window. If the windows were the slider type, we would add a surface window contact to each of them.
"Mud" or Laundry Room:
We would need to add a "bug" glassbreak to the casement window, and a surface door contact to the door leading into the garage. If you choose not to protect the garage (not recommended), a contact on this door is especially important. If the window in this room was a slider type, we would protect it with a surface window contact.
Living Room:
This room has 2 large picture windows, easily protected with 2 "bug" glassbreaks, or one ceiling or wall mounted glassbreak. If these windows were sliders, we would use 2 surface window contacts.
Foyer:
This is a very important strategic area for detecting intruders. First of all, we would protect the front door with a recessed door contact. We would then add a wide angle motion sensor at the south east corner of the room. Why? Intruders generally begin at the basement or first floor, and then proceed to second floor, usually to the master bedroom to look for jewellery, money, etc. Adding a motion at this spot catches any intruders coming from the basement, or from anywhere else on the first floor as the intruder attempts to access the second floor. This motion sensor is a "fail safe", increasing the effectiveness of your alarm. (If you have pets, use a pet motion sensor).
Dining Room:
This room's picture window is easily protected with a "bug" glassbreak sensor. A ceiling or wall mounted glassbreak is generally more expensive than a "bug" sensor, and would only be neccessary if the room had 2 or more windows. Again, if this window is a slider type, we would use a surface window contact.
Garage:
It is recommended to protect your garage and its contents, especially if you store tools in this location. There have been instances where an intruder has used the homeowner's own tools to break in to his/her house! If your garage roll up door does not have a garage door opener installed, you may want to consider a garage door contact. In addition, a surface door contact would be used for the outside door, and a "bug" glassbreak detector for the window.
Here we have two large slider windows, and a sliding glass door. We would need to add surface window contacts for the windows, and a surface door contact for the sliding glass door. If the windows were casement or didn't open at all, we would add a ceiling or wall mounted glassbreak sensor, or a "bug" glassbreak detector on each window.
Kitchen:
The kitchen has 3 windows, one of which (the middle) does not open, and 2 of which are casement. We would add a ceiling or wall mounted glass break sensor, or "bug" glassbreak on each casement window. If the windows were the slider type, we would add a surface window contact to each of them.
"Mud" or Laundry Room:
We would need to add a "bug" glassbreak to the casement window, and a surface door contact to the door leading into the garage. If you choose not to protect the garage (not recommended), a contact on this door is especially important. If the window in this room was a slider type, we would protect it with a surface window contact.
Living Room:
This room has 2 large picture windows, easily protected with 2 "bug" glassbreaks, or one ceiling or wall mounted glassbreak. If these windows were sliders, we would use 2 surface window contacts.
Foyer:
This is a very important strategic area for detecting intruders. First of all, we would protect the front door with a recessed door contact. We would then add a wide angle motion sensor at the south east corner of the room. Why? Intruders generally begin at the basement or first floor, and then proceed to second floor, usually to the master bedroom to look for jewellery, money, etc. Adding a motion at this spot catches any intruders coming from the basement, or from anywhere else on the first floor as the intruder attempts to access the second floor. This motion sensor is a "fail safe", increasing the effectiveness of your alarm. (If you have pets, use a pet motion sensor).
Dining Room:
This room's picture window is easily protected with a "bug" glassbreak sensor. A ceiling or wall mounted glassbreak is generally more expensive than a "bug" sensor, and would only be neccessary if the room had 2 or more windows. Again, if this window is a slider type, we would use a surface window contact.
Garage:
It is recommended to protect your garage and its contents, especially if you store tools in this location. There have been instances where an intruder has used the homeowner's own tools to break in to his/her house! If your garage roll up door does not have a garage door opener installed, you may want to consider a garage door contact. In addition, a surface door contact would be used for the outside door, and a "bug" glassbreak detector for the window.
Now that we've covered the basement, welcome to the first floor in our example. Take a few moments to familiarize yourself with layout of our house by examining the diagram below. Click on each red dot, and you will see the approximate view from that point.
<Back To Basement First Floor Second Floor>
Designing A Perimeter Alarm System: First Floor
Now, let's move on to the second floor of your perimeter alarm system.
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We need to cover any possible entry points on this floor. We use hardwired devices in this example, but we can easily substitute the wireless equivalent. Here is what would be required for each room, and why:
