tat Look for smart new security systems to protect homes UNTIL RECENTLY, there were distinct differences between pro- fessional and do-it-yourself home alarms. A professional system was reli- able and hard for burglars to defeat, and while do-it-yourself models were cheaper and easier to * When iit comes to _ ‘ paint...you get what ‘you pay for. . Don't risk disappointment. Choose PRATT &-LAMBERT . PAINTS with a long-standing . feputation for quality and a _ Buarantee ‘of satisfaction. "PLUS « wee ° > pomnarkable durability ¢ Unsurpassed adhesion _ SUMMER WALLCOVERING SALE “. Select Book Orders LOCAL COLOUR “1747 BOUNDARY RD.. 298-1616 By By Bill Phillips Contributing Writer install, they often produced false alarms and sometimes failed to detect intruders, These days, do-it-yourself systems are not only simple to in- stall, they’re aiso effective and re- liable, 1f you know what to look for, you may find a do-it-yourself model a better buy than a com- parable professionally installed model. There can be a lot of confusion about the differences between do-it-yourself systems and pro- fessionally installed systems, and .for good reason. Some people think systems sold by professional installers are bet- ter than those sold to home owners, or that only professionals are capable of installing a system that can really thwart burglars. Few professional installers are able to buy home alarms in large enough volumes to compete pricewise with major retailers. So they tend to sell lesser known — but more expensive — brands. While this may give the impres- sion that their systems are better than those available cisewhere, that’s not necessarily the case. A higher price tag doesn't automatically mean a_ better system. To clear up the issues of home- ovner-installed versus profes- sional security systems, these are the important differences between them. Look for the right features. The hard-wired alarm has always been the system of choice among most professional in- stallers. In a hard-wired system, you run wire from the control panel to each sensor and to the siren or alarm bell. Hard-wiring provides maximum reliability, and it allows you to find and stop false alarms quickly. But installing a hard-wired alarm system in a finished house can be tricky and time consuming, which is why few hard-wired models are marketed to do-it-yourselfers. = VENETIAN BLINDS 45% re | — FANTASTIC SAVINGS ON .. DUETTE © SILHOUETTES Custom Draperies, Bedspreads plus a great selection of samples to choase from. Draperies, Hardware, Parts & Installations. After checking & comparing, make Lonsdal Draperies your last stop. 922-1709 | Renovation projects 3 a ¢ i | SAVE i Builder s/Homeowners: DO-I=a NOW S PARTICIPAL: oh ® But there are some exceptions. Like systems that are sold by pro- fessional installers, some do-it- yourself equipment meets stand- ards for effectiveness and safety. They can use magnetic switches, window foil, motion detectors, smoke detectors and virtually any other type of sensor that a pro hard-wired alarm can use. There’s one big difference be- tween these and professional systems: professional systems typ- ically offer from 64 to hundreds of zones, while do-it-yourself systems offer fewer zones. Zones allow you to separate sensors into distinct groups so that each proup can be armed and disarmed individually. You might have all exterior doors on one zone, for example, and all indoor motion detectors on another. That way, you could arm only the doors while you’re asleep, so you won’t mistakenly activate the motion detectors if you wake up and walk into the kitchen cor the bathroom. Wireless systems are generally easy to install and have always been popular among do-it- yourselfers. Since they rely on radio waves instead of wire for communication between the control panel and sensors, a wireless alarm can be installed with nothing more than a. screwdriver in some cases. Until recently, the biggest prob- Jem with do-it-yourself. wireless alarms was that they weren't supervised, a feature that was generally only found in expensive high-tech models. A supervised alarm regularly checks its sensors to be -sure they’re communicating properly with the control panel... That. way, you'll know immediately if. a sen- sor is broken, if the alarm’s bat- tery is low or if a protected door or window has been left open. Today many manufacturers of home alarms use the advance- ments in low-cost computer tech- nology to create supervised models. Some do-it-yourself models can also be connected to a 24-hour central monitoring station. A monitoring station is staffed by operators who respond to an INSTA-FLAME Hain CF M The Leador i in Gas Fireplace Technology HESO High Eficleney Gas Fireplace Insert $4500 ofr emcee, | : ue = é Units burning on display Tues.-Fri, 10-4pm,: Sat. 10-3pm Complete line of log sets, custom doors and mantels SBARBECUES us about our new NOW. <0 YEAR WARRANTY Coveri AVAILABLE Licensed Gas Contractor parts & labour on insta: lame Firepiaces | FREE EST IMATES 1500 Pemberton: AVE., North Vancouver. *"986-7055 alarm by first trying to reach you by phone to verify that it wasn’t accidental. Because each type: of sensor sends a different signal, the sta- tion will know whether to call the police, fire department or am- bulance. If you want a monitoring scr- vice for a do-it-yourself alarm, make sure the manufacturer offers it, because independent monitor- ing stations may deal only with professional installers. As the name implies, a self- contained alarm is a single unit — usually shaped like a_ video cassette recorder — with a built-in siren, motion detector and sen- sors. Position the unit on a sturdy table or shelf in a way that allows the unit to protect a selected area, then plug it into a nearby elec- trical outlet. The unit will sound an alarm if someone: enters the protected arza. Self-contained units have at least two advantages over other types of home alarms. They are easier to install and, because they are portable, you. can take them with you when you move. Self-contained: alarms, however, usually protect only.one area ai a time. Some types can accept hard-wire add-ons: like. door and window sensors, :glass-break sen- sors and external horns, giving you the. flexibility to expand a self-contained unit into a hard- wired system whenever you want. A basic self-contained unit, for example, may be all you need in a hotel room or ‘small apartment. But if you move to a larger. home, ° you may want to protect - more areas. . A seasoned ’ professional can creatively install an alarm: system so it can thwart even the most sophisticated burglars. - Most manufacturers - of : do-it- yourself alarms try to make it easy for you to custom-install’ their systems by providing heavily il- lustrated installation manuals, free . installation videos: and: technical - advice by telephone. : Some companies have: toll-free numbers, solely for providing in- stallation and operating guidance. Reprinted. with- permission: of Times ‘Mirror Magazines. | - Distributed ‘by: the | Los ‘Angeles a Time Syndicate. Great Selection of:: ° ACCENT: LIGHTING: ” © PATH/SPREAD LIGHTING | _| © SPOT LIGHTING | * IN-GROUND LIGHTING | _* TREE LIGHTING © - © DECK LIGHTING.