Did you know that less than 20% of American households have a home camera security system installed?
And most Americans don’t see a dire need to install a home security system.
If you are a homeowner, an indoor and outdoor security camera system is a must. Video cameras can deter criminals, aid the police and protect your family. If you are worried about aesthetics or tricking criminals, here are several creative ways to hide an outdoor security camera system.
TriStar Security Services is the best home and commercial security firm in Austin, Texas. Contact us today for a consultation.
Related: What Are The Different Types of Perimeter Security
Birdhouse
Everyone notices a birdhouse. But then again, no one sees a birdhouse, do they?
A birdhouse is a miniature structure that most people expect to see in the front or back yard. But after you take notice of it, you stop thinking about it.
And burglars and trespassers are also more than likely to overlook a birdhouse. And they definitely won’t mistake it as the hub of your home’s security camera system.
The lenses of modern security cameras can be as tiny as the tip of a writing pen. So, they can be easily hidden or made to look like a part of the aesthetic structure of a birdhouse.
However, sticking a security camera in a birdhouse may not solve all of your problems. Your birdhouse needs to be strategically placed to have a wide vision field that offers optimum security coverage.
A birdhouse with a security camera in it may become more aesthetically noticeable when it is placed in obvious spots to get the best view. And you may need more than one birdhouse to gain full security coverage for your home.
Additionally, your security cameras will always be at the mercy of the elements. The camera and birdhouse must be placed in a way where birds, wildlife, rain, snow, and inclement weather won’t interfere with or obscure the camera’s vision.
Fake Rock
A fake rock can also be a creative location to hide an outdoor security camera.
No one notices rocks.
And you can put the rock almost anywhere.
But that convenience can be a problem as well.
If you put a camera inside a fake rock, where do you place the rock? If you place it on the ground, you may not get the best recording clarity or perspective in a video.
And Murphy’s Law (whatever can go wrong can and will) always plays its part in situations like this. Dumb luck could strike you, and a neighborhood kid could try to pick up. Or a dog might try to use it for a bathroom.
Additionally, you need to strategically place a fake rock around your home that aesthetically blends in with the naturally existing decor. A wrongly colored or weirdly placed rock becomes very noticeable to people who are not looking for it.
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Eaves and Soffits
Eaves and soffits are the structures that hang above the sides of a home and act as the ends of a roof. Soffits are materials used to fill in and cover up the hollow overhang of the eaves.
The gutters that collect rainwater on the roof are connected to the eaves, soffits, and the house’s side.
Since modern security cameras are so small and can be colored to match their surroundings, it is easy to place one, or several, in the eaves and soffits of your house.
Additionally, placing a security camera in your house’s eaves and soffits is a strategically smart place to put them. Your security camera will cover a wide surveillance area to protect your property.
However, you will need professional security specialists to place, install, and maintain the system as needed.
Bushes and Trees
You can place a mini camera in a bush or tree. But that can present you with a plethora of problems as well.
Your security camera’s field of vision will always be at the mercy of the weather, elements, and wildlife relative to its placement in a tree or bush. Your security camera must be placed in a tree or bush so as not to be noticed but also not have leaves, branches, or foliage block its field of view.
If your tree or bush sheds leaves or changes colors during harsh winters or extreme heat, your security camera will stick out.
Behind a Window
You could place a mini camera that is small enough to go unnoticed behind your home’s windows.
However, you will have to trade off the ability to use motion-detection security cameras if you place them behind glass.
To compensate for this failure, you can use security cameras with software-based motion detection. You can also install external night vision or infrared lighting to augment the security viability of your behind-the-glass security camera.
How Not to Hide a Security Camera
You have every right to protect your home, especially with a security system setup.
But you should consult the help of experienced and professional security specialists when installing a security camera system in and outside your home.
Putting security cameras in the wrong places or obvious disguises makes their deceptive placement a moot issue.
You could color your security camera in camouflage tones so that it could blend in with your trees or bushes. But then go outside and look at its placement at dawn, noontime, and dusk. The way that natural sunlight hits the trees could make the camouflage security camera stand out.
Placing a security camera in a fake plant, garbage bin, book on a window sill, PVC pipe, and so on could compromise the full field-of-vision viability the security camera needs.
In other words, you need to know where to place the security camera so that it offers the best field of vision to protect your home.
Disguising your security cameras and creatively hiding them for their own sake may not offer the best protection for your home; this is especially true if you don’t know what you’re doing when creatively hiding them.
Visible Security Cameras
You may want to consider placing your security cameras out in the open where anyone can see them. Banks and retail stores place their cameras out in the open for a reason.
Video cameras make burglars and criminals nervous. They will scope out a home before attacking. And they want to see the safest route in and out before entering. If they see a security camera, they are likelier to try the next house.
How To Creatively Hide Outdoor Security Systems for Optimum Effect?
Contact TriStar Security Services today for a consultation.
TriStar has decades of experience offering professional security services to the homeowners and businesses of Austin, Texas. A TriStar professional will tell you where to strategically hide outdoor security cameras for maximum security effect and not just hide them for their own sake.
TriStar Security Services, headquartered in Austin, Texas, always prioritizes installing your security systems according to your needs.