Suburban perimeter security

headednorth

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Not sure if this is the right place for this but here it goes. Im in a decent town but close to the downtown area. Dozens of multi family houses and small apartment building within 3 or 4 blocks of me, along with a couple of highways for easy access/egress. Over the last 3 or 4 years Ive noticed an uptick of shady characters just kind of walking around. Currently there is nothing stopping someone from walking up to the house and around the back. Ive been thinking of some kind of masonry structure along the front where my lawn abuts the sidewalk with some thorn bushes in front to deter climbing it. Maybe half masonry with some sort of metal fence above it, bushes in front or behind. Sliding gate for the driveway.

Just looking for ideas and ballpark numbers at this point. Anyone have anything similar? Decent neighborhood so I dont want 6 foot chain link or a cinderblock wall. PVC can be kicked in by a 10 year old or driven through. Same with wood plus I dont want the maintenance issues of wood. I guess ideally Id like reinforced concrete with some sort of a decent looking masonry facade and decorative metal fence on top. Something that will slow down or stop people on foot or vehicles without looking like a biker clubhouse or a third world hellhole.
 
Cameras I have. Not ideal but something. My lighting shit the bed a while back and I have to get that up and running again.
 
A little bit difficult to recommend something in the blind. Like, how big is your area? How close are your neighbors? Would you ever have need of having people HAVE access to the rear of your property for valid purposes?

@Sparkey made a first good step. (oops! you made your second post while I was typing mine)

Also, be careful of doing something that would draw unwanted attention to your place.
 
Took a few years to grow in, but I planted Blackthorn from field starts along one side of my yard. It is considered invasive, but it grows so slowly it is not hard to keep in check.

It looks like a nice hedge and the birds like berries, or you can pick them if you want to make your own Sloe Gin.

The thorns would definately deter someone from coming through.
 
Move to the Balkans, where everyone has their own little walled compound. That's pretty much what you're describing, but it would look out of place here.

I'm thinking a hedge might get you there, truthfully. Walls are easy (and tempting!) to climb over, hedges not so much.
 
Concrete wall. Stick upside-down beer bottles into the top before it hardens and then break off the bottles.

Very popular in Caracas. [wink]
When I had to travel to China, every apartment complex had electrified fence at the top. Bars on windows even 28 floors up because criminals would scale the building or repel from the roof.
 
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First step for me would be cameras and high quality motion lighting if you don't have it. Then maybe a moat :D
^^ This.
In the past few years, our area has increased in crime and break-ins, and general lawlessness. I installed 4 cameras, each corner of the house. and added 'No Trespassing' signs.
I met with the town police chief, since I knew him personally, and he surprisingly suggested the signs, since they add legality to any self defense action you may need to take.
 
What's your budget? What will your town let you get away with?

I'd start with looking at ways to control vehicles, both in terms of going after the garage door (push-in attack) and also keeping them from just coming up over the lawn. Corporate properties do this will various types of "bollard" (usually built on top of a concrete-filled steel column buried deep), but in the suburbs you can often get the same results with carefully-spaced boulders.
 
Before you go spending thousands on stone walls and barbed wire on the outer perimeter, have you strengthened the actual entry points to your house yet? IE reinforced steel framed doors, some kind of window access denial security measures, spot lights and things like that to deter and or buy you time to arm yourself and alert authorities. I know I know. f*** the police. But legally speaking this would help to strengthen your court case if you shwack some Viking coming over your 10’ $30K walls.
 
I went thru a training program many years ago for maintaining security abroad and the first recommendation was always … find a place with a hedge row/fencing and exterior lighting. The random bad actors want to do their work in darkness and without any physical impediment. As with all things security you can only slow down the truly determined. That’s were multiple layers of security play a role. The final layer is a giant bomb that levels half the neighborhood.
 
I have buckthorn all over my property. It is pretty invasive but as a hedge its not any harder to maintain than any other hedge. And it hurts like hell to push through.
The driveway is the weak point. Stone columns and a gate? Hard to design without a plot plan.
How far back is your house from the street? I'm back 150' so it's easy for me to create a barrier from the street rif raf.
 
The house is close to the street. Probably 15 feet or so from the curb to the first step. Lot I'm guessing is only 60-70 feet wide on the street side. 10 or so feet of that is the driveway.

I'm trying to find a halfway point between nothing and favela tier security. Good points regarding improving what's there now before embarking on the great wall project. I have a couple of doors that are original to the house. Very nice looking but anyone could boot them in. I like the raspberry idea as well. Kill two birds with one stone.
 
There's even a product for this urban pest control situation! Your lawn sprinklers can have multiple uses!

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSwRDlkdoCs

Just pick your chemical of choice, like
Setup the remote control, crack a six pack, and watch your camera's [popcorn]
Don't even think about injecting gasoline and adding a sparker! [devil2]
 
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The house is close to the street. Probably 15 feet or so from the curb to the first step. Lot I'm guessing is only 60-70 feet wide on the street side. 10 or so feet of that is the driveway.

I'm trying to find a halfway point between nothing and favela tier security. Good points regarding improving what's there now before embarking on the great wall project. I have a couple of doors that are original to the house. Very nice looking but anyone could boot them in. I like the raspberry idea as well. Kill two birds with one stone.
15' isn't a lot to work with. The thorny hedge may be your best option for keeping the honest people honest.
Personally, my first option would be to move out of the suburbs. I know, life is never that simple, bur weigh the pros and cons and assess real vs perceived threats and benefits.
 
Get it while you can!
 
There's even a product for this urban pest control situation! Your lawn sprinklers can have multiple uses!

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSwRDlkdoCs

Just pick your chemical of choice, like
Setup the remote control, crack a six pack, and watch your camera's [popcorn]
Don't even think about injecting gasoline and adding a sparker! [devil2]

I wonder if they have a pepper spray option..
 
pl18718305-3v_folds_welded_wire_mesh_fence_for_sale.jpg

concrete knee wall as a vehicular barrier or bollards spaced off the face of the fence for the same effect without the visual barrier.
 
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