I have always concentrated on cost -effective additions to security at home to keep burglars from getting in. In view of the prices for scrap metal and other valuable house materials in recent decades, however, it is worth aware of the outer elements that can be tempting for thieves.
I spoke to two experts to prevent crime about the things that they may not see that they are attractive to theft and what measures they can take to alleviate their losses.
Copper channel
Copper channel is aesthetically appealing and durable – it is also one of the most valuable home materials on this list. “Thieves can earn more money to sell a copper downspout than take the entire aluminum side from a house,” says the professional of criminal judiciary, Dr. Ben stickle.
The market price of copper has increased by almost 500 percent in the past two decades. In 2000, the price per pound was less than $ 1; From March 2025 it costs over $ 5. Stickle explains that a copper channel also appeals to scrap thieves because it is easily identifiable and not difficult to remove.
If you want to keep or install noble copper channels, Stickle suggests replacing the slightly accessible lower deductions with a cheaper metal. Some professional copper thieves may watch their property and are waiting for the opportunity to remove the gutter. However, Stickle explains that many thieves are lazy opportunists. “If it takes more work to steal it, it is less likely to do it,” he says. “Often they simply pull off what they can get and go away quickly.”
If you only remove a lower values, it is less impractical and expensive for you.
Air conditioning units
If you come home in a hot day to discover that cool air does not circulate around your rooms, this can be because thieves have taken their outer climate system unit or remove the valuable parts. “To cool the air, water flows through a number of condensed tubes, and these are generally copper,” explains Stickle. While some thieves leave the frame if they are only looking for copper, others take the entire unit for convenience or sell the other cheaper metal parts for scrap.
The defense lawyer Jeffrey Reisman warns that the cabling and hoses of the copper climate system are easy to extract, this has led to theft of units while the houses are occupied. “This includes cases of thieves that pretend to be a service technician who advertise for a special,” he says.
“Some of the newer air conditioning systems have deliberately installed fewer copper,” says Stickle. “But I don't know that a thief would know until it got into it and already stimulates the damage.” He recommends mounting the HLK unit higher on a wall. If the device is more difficult to reach and remove, it is less attractive for thieves.
Aluminum parking track
Aluminum is not nearly as valuable as copper per pound, and the attempt to remove the siding of an entire house is time -consuming and conspicuous. However, one of the professionals of aluminum cladding is that it is easy and that large amounts of professional metal thieves can still be attractive. “Aluminum parking track theft is probably a problem in houses that are empty or not easy to see,” says Stickle.
Stickle does not have much confidence in surveillance cameras to prevent thieves from stealing valuable house materials. However, he says that some studies indicate that only one sign with a burglar alarm prevents more burglaries than an actual alarm. “So it is conceivable that if you have a sign that you have video surveillance, this may prevent someone from approaching your house,” he says.
It can be reassuring to know that if you own a dog, you are less likely to be targeted. “Generally, thieves hate dogs,” says Stickle. “You are obviously afraid of being bitten and you feel like dogs neighbors that something is wrong.”
Loose wood
Reisman says that he has worked with property owners who have experienced additional costs and delays from new house construction or restoration projects due to wood theft.
“Frame materials, plywood and deck board [unaware] DIY enthusiasts, ”he says.
In order to stay in the budget when building a new house, Reisman recommends things such as the installation of movement sensor or heavy locks to secure materials and look at their insurance cover. “Mark valuable house materials with unique identifiers, such as the engraving of a serial number or the use of a UV-visible safety marker, affects the resale potential and the persecution of stolen objects by persecution of stolen objects,” he says.
Catalyst converter
Catalyst converters do not strictly fall into the category of valuable house materials. However, the experts believe that they are expanding the list because vehicles that sit outside their house are common goals for thieves.
“Catalysatists contain a small amount of three precious metals – palladium, platinum and rhodium,” explains Stickle. “They are more valuable in the same family as gold and silver and very valuable – more valuable than gold than gold.”
While the thieves do not extract the metal itself, they will sell it to a specialist who can. According to stickle, stolen catalysts can sell between 75 and 300 US dollars in a scrap place.
If you have a vehicle that sits higher in the ground, Stickle says that this is a more tempting goal for thieves, as it is easier and faster to push under the catalyst and access the catalyst. He recommends installing movement sensor -lights that indicate your car as a helpful deterrent.
About the experts
- Jeffrey Reisman is a defense lawyer in Toronto with over 25 years of experience in areas such as theft and ownership crimes. E -mail interview, March 6, 2025
- Dr. Ben Stickle, specialist and author of criminal justice, conducts research and consults police work and crime prevention. He is a professor of criminal justice administration at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee and author of the book “Metal Scrapper and Thieves: Scaving for Survival and Profit”; Video interview, March 8, 2025.