When attempting to secure your home from zombies, you should consider three things: alert systems, limiting access points and defensive fire positions.

Alert Systems

While you may not consider a burglar alarm an effective deterrent to a zombie invasion, you should not discount the effect of an early warning system that will alert you to their presence. It is true during an outbreak that responding to burglar alarms will be the first thing to go out the window for the police. Still if you are set up correctly you can monitor your own situation electronically, and keep ahead of the game. Components for alarm systems have come down in price in recent years and for a relatively small investment, you can build your own system that when monitored would keep out the Oceans Eleven crew.

Access Points – Doors and Windows

Doors are an essential part of entering and exiting your home. You will want to keep at least two still functioning for emergency use. Solid core or steel doors are a must along with good robust locks that can take a pounding. A lockable metal grate on the outside acts as a portcullis that prevents the zombies from attacking your door directly.

Windows can be a real problem if they are low enough to allow access from the ground. Zombies aren’t real quick on the uptake, so you really won’t have to worry about them getting in your shed and pulling out your extension ladder to reach windows or even the roof. What you will have to worry about though is (forgive the carnage) piles of zombies bodies stacking up high enough to be crawled up to gain access to your windows.

Here again lockable iron bars (like seen in many inner cities) on the lower floor windows will stop problems before they start. Lockable shutters mounted on the inside of the house will allow you access to air circulation when opened or they may be closed to provide a solid wall of protection.

Nailing boards over your doors and windows is an act of desperation, if you must use boards, at least use screws to mount them so they can’t be knocked off with one good blow.

Defensive Fire Positions

Once you have your home securely buttoned up you will want to take the fight to the zombies. To do this you will need “fire ports” to shoot out of. A fire port is just an opening in your wall, window, door etc. that you can fire a weapon out of. If you plan on using a crazy weapon like a flame thrower you must make sure your house is absolutely fire proof.

Depending on how far you want to take your defenses you can build fall back positions inside your home. These would be used in case your outer perimeter is breached. If this is your plan, you must get rid of any hollow core doors in your home and put locks on each of them.

You will also want to build an “Alamo.” This will be your final fall back spot. In reality, it will be the place you defend to the death. It should be built like a safe room, fire proof with food, water, power, etc., make it as comfortable as possible since this is where you will die if you don’t win.