Attractively defending the perimeter of your home doesn’t have to mean compromising its functionality; here are some options that keep it looking chic while deterring intruders:
Planting dense and thorny shrubs around your property serves as a natural deterrent against break-ins, or you could install anti-climb fence spikes to make it harder for intruders to climb over boundaries fences and walls.
1. Bollards
Bollards play a multidimensional role in physical security. From being designed to blend seamlessly into their surroundings to accentuating or protecting certain architectural details – bollards have many uses when it comes to physical security. They can act as support mechanisms for larger architectural gestures.
Many types of bollards can blend seamlessly into both traditional and contemporary architectural styles, often favoring visual simplicity. Iron designs often include decorative finials while aluminum castings tend to favor more modern aesthetics and may come coated in various powder finishes for additional color, branding or wayfinding purposes.
Crash-rated bollards are an effective solution for locations with greater security concerns, serving to physically block vehicle incursion and deter ram-raid invasions. Protective plastic sleeves often cover these metal posts for extra wear-and-tear resistance; in some instances they are even painted to blend in seamlessly with the surroundings.
2. Motion-Activated Lights
Motion sensor lights make life simpler by turning on automatically when someone approaches your property, then switching off after a predetermined amount of time, eliminating energy waste and cutting down electricity bills.
These lights use microwave sensors to measure their distance from their surroundings and detect if their waves return faster than when first sent out, activating lights until someone or something enters their range.
Many models can be upgraded for smart home integration. Some, like our best with camera pick, even record video footage and connect to the internet to provide full functionality. Though such integrated gadgets require an upfront investment that may seem substantial, they offer the most comprehensive way to incorporate motion sensors into an overall security strategy.
3. Planters
Planters make an eye-catching statement in any residential garden or yard, adding an aesthetic element that makes guests feel welcome before even reaching your doorstep! Long trough planters create an impressive green landscape which is sure to leave an impression before visitors have even reached your doorbell!
Planters (also referred to as flower pots or planterettes) are decorative containers used for growing flowers and ornamental plants. Planters tend to be much larger in size than their counterparts and can house multiple plants within it.
Planters offer an effective means of commercial security when used to define outdoor dining areas and protect both pedestrians and diners. When placed parallel to vehicular traffic, planters provide protection as well as providing access control granularly.
4. Hedgerows
Hedgerows may seem like rustic fences, but in truth they’re living barriers made from an assortment of plants which create a living boundary. Hedgerows provide numerous advantages including improved soil quality and reduced need for watering as well as protecting crops.
Thickets in hedgerows provide shelter for birds and mammals as well as safe places for nesting, while protecting rodents from being caught and killed by predators.
Designing a multifunctional hedgerow requires taking into account site conditions and plant diversity, including tolerance to drought, heat, cold, salt and pollution as well as allelopathy (plants that inhibit nearby plant growth). Hedgerows that are at least 20 feet wide with two rows of shrubs flanking one row of trees offer maximum wildlife and ecosystem services benefits.
5. Safes
Homeowners and businesses alike take great pride in protecting and guarding their properties; it represents pride of ownership as well as security concerns.
Numerous attractive perimeter solutions provide the ability to detect unauthorised access attempts while maintaining an aesthetically pleasing appearance, including vibration or disturbance sensors, buried or cabled sensors and fence-mounted CCTV systems. These are designed to delay any unauthorized entry as long as possible allowing security patrols time to respond effectively.
Anti-climb fence spikes or wall toppers can also help keep people from climbing your boundaries, including attractive plastic spikes like Prikka Strip that are much safer than metal alternatives.
