When we get home and lock our doors, we want to feel secure that our family and our belongings are safe. If you don’t feel your doors provide adequate protection, read this post to learn how to improve the security of your doors.
No Need to Sacrifice Beauty
If you carefully chose your front door to beautify your home, boost your curb appeal, and reflect your personal style, don’t worry that you’ll have to detract from the attractiveness or uniqueness of your door to make it secure.
There are many modern options to enhance a door’s security without taking away from its style.
Assess The Door’s Security
If your door is new, then you can be sure it is in good shape. Old doors may need to be replaced, such as metal security doors that have begun to rust. When they rust on the edges, they may also be rusted and hollow inside. Wooden doors may be warped or cracked. These old doors are more vulnerable to kicks and shoves.
Your door frame may also need work. If your locks don’t fit securely in the door frame, the door’s security is probably compromised. You may notice that your door frame is split or cracked or moves when you use the door. If so, this frame needs to be replaced.
If You’re Buying A New Door
Choose a solid core door. Steel is the strongest, but fiberglass with wood and solid wood doors are all suitable for protection.
If you want glass or screen at your door, such as for the main door or the storm door, know that you can have that without compromising security if you purchase one of the tougher security models.
Buy a Door Jamb Reinforcement Kit
You can add one of these kits to a new or old door frame to greatly improve the security of your door. They include a metal strip that makes it more difficult for someone to wrench the door open, stronger strike plates, door shields, and hinge guards.
Install a Deadbolt
If you don’t already have one, install one. Your basic door lock with a twist or push button does not provide adequate security if someone tries to kick or shove the door open. All it takes is one good hit.
Make sure the deadbolt you have or are considering buying is rated ANSI Grade 2 (or 1). 1 is not necessary. It’s a commercial-grade lock. Grade 2 locks are recommended for residential use. They can be struck five times with 75 pounds of force without giving. Most intruders would give up before striking a door five times for fear of being caught.
Install a Chain
If you don’t already have one, install a door chain and use it. When you open your door to speak to a stranger, you give them the ability to easily push the door further open and get to you. With a chain there, you can open the door just enough to interact with them while providing a barrier for intruders.
If You Rent
If your door frame is not strong or you don’t have a deadbolt, ask your landlord about fixing this for you.
You can also add a chain to keep people from being able to access your rental property while you’re there, even if they have a key.
There are also removable lock devices that can help you secure your door without violating your lease.
Rekey Your Lock or Replace It
You should rekey or replace your lock as soon as you move into a previously lived-in home, whenever you can’t remember who all you may have given a key to your home, or when you know someone who has a key can’t be trusted.
Rekeying allows you to change the key without changing the lock. You call a locksmith for this. If the lock is old, it may be better to just replace it. Locks can get worn and less secure over time.
Reinforce Glass
Newer doors usually include smaller panes of glass so an intruder can’t break the glass and reach their arm in to open your locks. If your door has larger panes of glass, you can improve its security in two ways. You can frost the glass so intruders can’t see inside to determine if there is something they want to steal and they can’t be sure no one is home. It won’t detract from the light shining through or the beauty of your door.
You can also reinforce the glass with security film. It can’t make the glass unbreakable, but it will make the glass stay in place even when broken. This effectively keeps them from sticking their arm in because they’d risk serious injury.
Illuminate The Door
Intruders are not likely to attempt to break into a home when they can be seen. Make sure your exterior doors are well-lit and visible to neighbors or the road. Automatic lights can come on at dusk and turn off at dawn even when you’re away or distracted.
Choose Home Security Systems, Video Doorbells, And/Or Keyless Locks
A home security system can deter an intruder before they even attempt to break into your home. This isn’t a sales gimmick; criminals seek opportunities with less risk. Should someone still be determined enough to try to get into your home, they may be run off before they get in by sirens and lights.
Video doorbells serve two great purposes. First, they allow you to see and talk to visitors without having to open your door. Second, they take visual and audio evidence of people who come to your home. If someone does break into your home, they’ll be much easier to catch.
Keyless locks allow you to make sure your home is locked wherever you are. So if you leave and forget to lock your door, you can still make sure your home is secure.
Lock Your Door
A door is only secure if it is locked. Always lock the door, with the deadbolt, even if you’ll only be away a few minutes.
Contact Cypress Door & Glass For a Quote
Sometimes the only way to make your entryway secure is to purchase a new door. If you are in that boat, you’ve come to the right place. We can help you choose the most secure door for your home’s style and your budget. Contact us today for a free quote.