The holiday season is a busy one for burglars as families gather to celebrate and leave their home-sweet-homes to fend for themselves.

With a burglary committed almost once every 15 seconds, according to the FBI, it's a good idea to protect your house and belongings with simple, security-enhancing improvements.

Here are some suggestions, many of them courtesy of Lowe's.

* Avoid the "nobody's home" look by maintaining the exterior. If you'll be gone for more than a couple of days, arrange to have sidewalks and the drive cleared of snow and mail or newspapers either stopped or picked up daily by a neighbor.

* Create a "lived-in" look by putting a few indoor lamps - and maybe the stereo - on timers so they'll go on and off in different rooms at various times throughout the evening.

* Do the same thing with exterior lighting, especially spots that light up areas around windows and doors. Consider installing fixtures with built-in sensors that turn them on at dusk and off at dawn.

* Give your front door a security boost by installing a heavy-duty dead bolt. When installing one, be sure you drive long screws through the jamb and into the framing behind it.

* Disconnect your automatic garage door opener by switching its interior control off. For added peace of mind, pull that cord that dangles from it to disengage the opener completely. Then throw the locking bolts. Remember, when you return, you'll have to enter through the "people" door.

* If you have an attached garage, be sure its door into the house is as secure as the front door. Arguably, it should be even more secure: If someone managed to break into the garage, he'd have all your tools at his disposal, as well as an out-of-sight location in which to work.

* Simple bolts that lock together both closed sashes of double-hung windows offer a lot more security than common sash locks, which really aren't locks at all. Those are designed to seal the sashes together against drafts, not burglars.

* The sashes of sliding windows and sliding-glass doors can be "locked" by dropping old broom handles or other heavy wooden rods into the tracks.

* Ordinary basement windows are a security nightmare. Their locks frequently are flimsy and the wood they're attached to often has deteriorated. Overall updating - perhaps replacement -is a good idea. Failing that, consider having bars mounted over them. Really, how often do you open your basement windows anyway?

* Alert trusted neighbors that you'll be absent so they can keep an eye peeled for interlopers - or rising smoke. Be sure they have phone numbers for where they can reach you if something does come up.

* Speaking of smoke, unplug anything that won't need electricity while you're away. Also, close the valves and disconnect the fill hoses on your clothes washer.

* Finally, if you'll be away from home for a week or more, consider a housesitter, who certainly not only can keep the houseplants watered but will give your home that "lived-in" look.

Send your questions to: HouseWorks, P.O. Box 81609, Lincoln, NE 68501, or e-mail: houseworks@journalstar.com.