The last thing you want while lounging in your living room or while asleep is an unannounced guest. At the very least, you want to know who or what is entering your property. This is especially important if your driveway is a bit of a stretch from your house such that anyone can come in without you noticing, especially if the visitor happens to be an intruder who is up to no good.
You want to feel safe, don’t you? Of course, you don’t want an unannounced visitor showing up at your door with such flimsy excuses as “I was in the neighbourhood and I ….” or “the gate was open, so I let myself in.”
If uninvited visitors are of concern to you; and they should be, then you should consider installing a driveway alarm system, which alerts you anytime a person, a vehicle, or anything else enters your compound.
There are driveway alarms for every kind of property you can think of. There are driveway alarms for commercial, residential, and even industrial premises.
To avoid getting caught unaware by unwelcome or unannounced visitors, you should seriously consider installing a driveway alarm on your premises. There are different types of driveway alarm systems. Below are six of the most effective options to consider.
1. Wireless Driveway Alarms
Wireless driveway alarm systems alert you of a potential intruder by sending a signal to a portable receiver. Installation is quick and easy and they cover an area of over 2,000 feet. Anyone or anything coming into this range sets off the alarm.
Batteries for wireless driveway alarms have a long lifespan, some even lasting for a whole year. The majority of these alarm systems are pre-programmed. All you need to do is insert your batteries in the driveway sensor and insert the chime inside. Your alarm system will be on instantaneously.
2. Hard-Wired Driveway Alarms
With hard-wired driveway alarms, you don’t need to worry about wireless signals being obstructed or having to change batteries. When you install magnetic, hard-wired driveway alarm systems, you can be sure of their reliability and invisibility since all components are covered. They’re also battery-free, so you don’t have to worry about changing them.
Most of the industry-standard driveway alarms are the hard-wired type, and for good reason—they are extremely effective.
3. Infra-red Motion Driveway Alarms
These are some of the most popular driveway alarms. They are not only extremely good value for your money, but they also detect cars and people. They have extended battery life and an expansive wireless range. Besides being easy to install, their motion sensors are built-in together with the battery holder and the wireless transmitter in the same casing.
4. Magnetic Driveway Alarms
Magnetic driveway sensors are recommended for those concerned only with vehicles entering and leaving their laneways. They are built to detect moving and not stationary metal objects. The faster and larger a moving metal object is, the easier it is to set off the alarm. The sensitivity of the alarm system can be adjusted to a customer’s convenience.
5. Rubber Hose Driveway Sensors
This type of alarm has been in use for many years, especially at gas stations. One simply lays an air hose across a driveway, and should a car pass over it, the exerted pressure pushes air through the hose, triggering the alarm. It’s a no-brainer to install and can be moved around. They are highly convenient for temporary driveway alarm situations.
6. Solar-Powered Driveway Alarms
To completely forget about changing batteries, solar-powered driveway alarms are the solution. Besides, as solar technology continues to improve, it’s no longer necessary to have the solar panels directly facing the sun to function. It requires only a few hours daily to recharge the batteries and ensure continued functioning.