house drapes open or closed while away?

[anon125]

I don't know if this is the correct forum...
while we are away for the winter...
if we leave the drapes open and the timer lights are on in the evening then it is obvious we are away.
if we leave the drapes closed all day that looks odd too!
we live on a street full of houses.
so far it is a low crime area.
thanks all

[Dakzuki]

Get a neighbor to keep their regular driver car in your driveway so there is a vehicle coming and going.

[anon125]

thanks all

[CavemanCharlie]

I wonder if a recording of people talking or a dog barking that comes on at random times would do any good? Along with the TV and lights on a timer that changes the time of the day they come on. As for the drapes I would say closed. If there open at night it would be too easy to see in at night and tell that no one is home. I've heard of electric drapes. If you added something like hose you could put them on a timer too. Open during the day and closed at night.

[ol_Bombero-JC]

.
Choose the option you like - or flip a coin.

If your home is burglarized - switch to the other one...:R

In addition to the "lived in" devices......

For peace of mind - go with a security camera system that allows you to *remotely* (from anywhere) monitor/check the interior/exterior of your home.

Available everywhere - and prices are reasonable..:C

~

[darsben]

This thread has me thinking. When we are home we should keep the house on the same schedule as when we are away.
For example keep the front drapes closed all the time, If you leave an outside light on when you are home leave it on when away. Leave the lights on a timer.
While not entirely the same the bad guys will have a harder time figuring out when you have left if most things stay the same.

[3_dog_nights]

I use the outdoor holiday timers. It turns on when the available light gets low and stays on for a predetermined time. (2-4-6-8 hrs) That way the lights come on when you would normally turn them on and go off later, but the time will fluctuate so then can't really tell it's a timer.

[rockhillmanor]

Mandalay Parr wrote:
Leave the drapes closed and the TV on.

Drapes definitely closed. TV off.

They make a small electronic battery operated box that emits the same flickering type of light you see inside a home at night with the TV on!

Saw it on the news the other day. Didn't catch the name of the manufacture but it was real slick and inexpensive.
Here's one I found google sarch.
http://www.faketv.com/

The other item they showed was a simple timer plugged in and you plug a light into that and that detected motion and turned on the lamp and/or turned it on regularly by the timer.

Lots of real cheap items on the market now to make it look like there is activity in a empty house.

[obgraham]

I just buy insurance. Life's too short to obsess about the house when I'm off enjoying myself.

[Gene_Ginny]

We leave ours open a couple of inches. That is the look people get day or night when we are home.

Timers and webcams help too.

[Turtle_n_Peeps]

Get an inside motion activated camera system that emails you pictures when it detects any movement. Then you can leave the drapes in any position you want.

[wbwood]

Closed...with them open they can tell if anyone is inside. If they are left open at night, that will look odd. Leave them closed and let them wonder. Having a timer that can work at different times is great. Leaving front porch light on all night is not a good idea either.

[rhagfo]

Here are a couple thoughts.

#1. A project site superintendent& DW I have worked with has a house cleaner come in once a week. She does light cleaning,gathers mail, and sends to them on the road. Noticeable activity at the house, she also checks for any issues.

#2 The TV on a timer, not on all day and night.

[camperpaul]

Drapes open or closed - it helps to have a timer with a random program.

These Intermatic Night Sentry® timers will do the job very nicely:

In wall:



Table top:



Disclaimer:
I was the Chief Test Equipment Engineer at Intermatic when we acquired the Night Sentry Division from Dynascan® in the early 1980s.

[Mandalay_Parr]

Leave the drapes closed and the TV on.