How to Reinforce Anti-Theft Doors

Breaking into your home is always something that many homeowners worry about. But what is the optimal way to ensure the safety of your home? You probably already have an alarm system installed (if you haven’t already, do so), and you probably even have a dog to watch over the house. Statistics show that most intruders break into homes through the front or back doors. Therefore, you need to make sure these doors are securely locked and reinforced. Here are some suggestions.

Table of Contents

Is your door suitable?

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Install the correct door type. If the front or back door is a hollow door, you need to replace it immediately. How do you know it’s an empty door? Just knock on the door. The hollow door will be just a sheet of plywood wrapped around a cardboard core. All doors leading to the outside must be strong and made of the following materials:

Glass fiber
Hard wood
Hardwood core (with plywood outside the hard core)
Metal (Note: make sure metal doors are internally reinforced and have a lock. Otherwise, they can be bent from the door frame with a car jack)

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If installing or replacing a new door and frame, consider using a fiberglass door with the door opening outwards rather than inwards (and don’t forget to attach the hinges securely). Doors that open in this way can help resist any push in.

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Replace all glassed doors with windows without panes. For maximum safety, all doors need to be of the glass-free type, and you should also not install windows near the door so thieves can break through the windows and open the door from the outside. inside.

However, if your door is a sliding, glazed door or near a window, you can either mount the safety grating on the outside of the glass panels or use a clear and shatter-resistant ppycarbonate sheet to fit the inside.

Lock the door

A large percentage of break-ins occur because the perpetrator enters the victim’s home through unlocked doors. Even the strongest locks in the world are useless if you don’t use them! Lock the door whenever you leave the house – even if you are only going for a few minutes.

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Install the door latch. With the exception of sliding doors, every door to your home should have a recessed latch mounted in the door handle. Door latches should be of high quality (type 1 or 2, hard metal with no floating screws on the outside), with a release lock (type with a latch that sticks out from the door) at least 2.5 cm long. The door lock must be properly attached. Many homes use low-quality door latches or bolt-on locks shorter than 2.5 cm. These door latches need to be replaced.

Strengthening the entrance to the house

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Attach a protective shaft around the lock core (the part where you insert the key into the lock). Intruders can sometimes remove or break the lock core by smashing, twisting, or prying. Protect this part with metal plates or protective rings on both sides of the door. Attach the guards with round-headed wood bolts to prevent them from coming out. The freely rotating rings around the lock core will prevent thieves from using the wrench to turn the lock core. Many locks already have these guards in place, but if you don’t have one, you should buy one.

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Replace the fragile latch cover. The latch cover is the metal plate that surrounds the latch hole (the hole in the door frame where the latch locks in). All exterior doors should have a sturdy metal dowel cover, secured with four 7.5 cm long screws. Many homes are only fitted with low-quality latch covers or are attached with short screws, which attach only to the wooden slats in the door frame rather than to the hard core inside.

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External hinge reinforcement. The hinge should be mounted inside the door. If your door has an external hinge, you may need to reattach the door or secure the hinge with a non-removable latch. You can do this by removing at least 2 screws in the center of the hinge (on each side) and replacing it with a non-removable pin (available at a hardware store) or a double mason nail. head. Even hinges that are not exposed should be secured to the door frame with 7.5 cm screws.

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Reinforce the door frame. Even if your door is sturdy, high-quality, and properly locked, thieves can break into your home by breaking or prying the door frame. Most door frames are simply attached to the wall, so a crowbar is enough for a thief to pry the frame off the wall with ease. You should secure the door frame to the wall by mounting several 7.5 cm long screws along the door frame and door stopper. The screw needs to get to the core.

Observation holes on the door

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Attach the observation holes. Observation holes, also called magic eyes , allow you to see people outside. Install wide-angle and eye-level viewing holes on all doors. If you have to open the door to see out, the locks won’t help much either. Look for an observation hole that doesn’t allow outsiders to look inside.

Advice

Doors and door hardware require occasional maintenance, and poorly maintained doors make it easier for thieves to enter your home. In particular, you need to make sure the sliding door tracks are in good condition and that the door fits into the slide.
You can purchase metal doors that mount to the outside of your doors for an extra layer of protection.
Watch your neighbor’s house and remember that professional thieves will choose the easiest targets first. Try to always make your house less attractive than the neighbor’s house.
Don’t turn your house into a fortress. Firefighters often use hand-operated tools to enter homes during an emergency call or fire. No matter how skilled they are, sometimes they will have to find another emergency way to enter the house like the front window.
Do not “hide” your keys under carpets, in trees, or in similar places. No matter how well you hide it, thieves can still find the key. If you absolutely must leave your keys outside, put them in a box with a good lock that’s properly attached and hidden.
The majority of “simple” thefts reported are day thefts. For safety at night, the door reinforcement instructions above are very effective. Leaving the lights on at night is also a very good thing to do.
Install security cameras. Just 1-2 cameras can deter those who intend to steal. You can record and transmit through your computer or phone. Uniden brand is quite good without being too expensive.
If you want to change the door, you can consider using the Bandit Latch door. This type of door is more secure.
Always hook the chain key inside the door. You certainly don’t want thieves to break the lock. Make sure the chain lock hook is in place. This can make it more difficult for thieves, taking more time and effort to try to unlock it.
Garage doors are notoriously easy to break in, so you need to put in place the same security measures for the door between the house and the garage as the front door. In addition, you need to lock the car when left in the garage and do not leave the house keys in it.

Warning

Don’t be too obsessive about safety. Of course you want to take all reasonable steps to protect yourself, your family and your property, but don’t turn your home into a prison. No matter how careful you are, you can still be the victim of a crime at some point. You have a life to live – don’t let fear stop you from enjoying life.
Even the strongest door lock system is useless if the surrounding door frame is weak. You need to make sure the door frame is as strong and secure as the lock.
If you’re not used to locking your door, and if your door can be locked without a key, remember to bring your key with you every time you leave the house. It’s likely you’ll lock yourself out once or twice despite your best efforts, but you’ll quickly form a habit. Ask a neighbor to keep a spare key, or agree to hide the key somewhere on their side of the house instead of using a key-hiding device next to the door.
Dual-core locks, while more secure, can be dangerous in the event of a fire, as you have to find the key, and then have to use the key to open it, even when opening from the inside. Some places in the US have regulations prohibiting the use of this type of lock in residential areas. You should consider its risks before installation.
Opening a lock is quite easy if you know how to operate it correctly, even for a latch lock. Anti-bump key lock is also a type you should consider. Medeco locks, although expensive, have the best ability to resist unlocking.

Things you need

Solid wood or metal door
Type 1 or 2 latch lock
Durable latch cover
Wood screwdrivers and bolts
Drill

Steps