With increasing levels of property vandalism and theft, securing our homes against potential threats is on our minds more than ever. If you have decided to take extra precautions securing your home using outdoor security cameras, you may now wonder how to conceal them outside. Nothing is worse than spending a lot of time and money researching and purchasing a security system for it to be damaged and rendered ineffective.
With vandals able to damage and destroy even the most securely installed cameras, how can you ensure your cameras record footage whilst staying intact? We have put together a handy guide to positioning your outdoor security cameras, giving you an effective at-home security system that passes under vandals' radar.
Concealing Outdoor Cameras in foliage
A security camera attached to the outside of a building is very obvious to potential thieves, who will undoubtedly be surveying the parameters of your home looking for security cameras or deterrents. Whilst visible security cameras can put off a potential criminal with a weaker stomach, it only takes one person to damage a camera, rendering it useless. With the good aim and a hefty object like a brick or stone, an unhidden security camera can be broken, giving a thief the peace they need to do their damage.
Obscuring a security camera avoids this, allowing the camera to capture vital footage which could identify the attacker. Concealing a camera within the foliage, through tree branches or within a bush means the camera is almost undetectable, especially at night when most crimes are committed.
Being mindful of wires
A dead giveaway of a security camera being present is wires running up and down the side of a home or along fencing. Scanning along the location of visible wires, an attacker can easily find your camera and cut the power cable. Concealing your wires under gravel, in long grass, or with paint can help keep them out of view. If you are concerned about visible wires, consider purchasing wireless security cameras.
Using wireless outdoor cameras eliminates wiring issues, as they use rechargeable battery packs instead of mains electricity. As they are more compact and less obvious, wireless security cameras are much easier to hide and move around the perimeter of your home for the best view.
Using reflections to your advantage
Another clever way to conceal an outdoor camera is to place it inside on a window sill. The glare from the window helps obscure the camera lens, making it harder to spot, especially on a crowded window sill or in the dark. Placing the camera inside also prevents it from being tampered with by wind or rain, which could knock it over, or by someone who doesn’t wish to be caught on camera.
One important thing to remember is that certain night-vision cameras will not work if placed inside, as the LED lights night vision requires will bounce off the window, meaning no image is created.