Home Security Solutions – Door Security
Let me ask you a question. How did you move into your home? Did you carry your items through the front door or the garage door? Most people do and burglars like to get in and out of a house the same way – by the door. If you think about it, it makes sense because it’s the easiest way for them to take off with your valuables. Here are a few things that you can do to improve your door security at home:
Keep your keys safe
This may sound simple but you would be surprised at the number of people that think it is a good idea to give a spare key to a family member or friend in case they get locked out. Some people will even give those people that are doing work in their home a key so that they can come and go as needed. You may think that the people you give a key to are completely trustworthy but you have no control of where that key may end up. I’m not saying that you can’t trust people but it is important that you think about who you are giving your keys to. If it is someone doing work on your home that you trust, that may be fine but do you trust their helpers? Be sure to consider not only who you are giving the key to but also the people around them.
Another thing about keys is to make sure that if you have a hide-away key that you like to keep in a secret place outside your home that you hide that key a fair distance from your door. A burglar will always look in the usual hiding places for a key. So putting your key under the front doormat, under the flower pot, or any place near your front door could turn out to be a big mistake.
Check your door locks
Is the door lock to your home the one that the builder installed? Is it one of those locks that have the lock and the handle in one unit? If so check out this video, you will be amazed at how easy it is to break in.
If you have a deadbolt, be sure to use it. Get into the habit now and make sure that everyone in the family does the same. Another thing that you should do with your door locks is to check the strike plate. A door strike plate is the metal plate that is installed in the door jamb. It’s the part that receives the latch from the lock when the door is closed. Most strike plates are being held in with ¾ inch screws. These small screws make it very easy for someone to kick in the door. At the very minimum, I suggest that you replace the short screws with 3 inch screws but more additional security, replace the entire strike plate with a longer one that has more than two screws that are offset and the screw length is at least 3 inches. The reason you want such long screws is so that they will penetrate the stud near the door opening.
The door itself
Even if you have installed a good lock and strike plate, it is only as good as the door itself. If you door is a hollow wood door, you have a weak spot in your door security. You want your exterior doors to be of a strong material such as fiber glass, metal, or solid wood. If you do have a metal door, make sure that it is reinforced inside and has what is called a lock block.
Another thing that you can easily do yourself to improve your door security is to fortify the door frame itself. Most door frames aren’t strongly secured into the wall so that a good strong kick or something like a crowbar can separate the door frame from the wall itself. You can easily remedy this by installing several 3 inch screws along the door frame.
One final note on doors, it’s more secure to have a door that does have a window in it or a window close enough to it so that a burglar could break the window and unlock the door. If you do happen to have that situation, you may want to consider replacing the door or reinforcing the glass with a security film.
That’s it on doors. Be sure to check all the exterior doors to your home. There are also some interior doors that deserve a check as well. The door from the garage into the house for example, as well as any other door that a burglar can use to get into the main area of the home.
