Proper Ways to Burglar-Proof Your Front Door

Proper Ways to Burglar-Proof Your Front Door

Posted by John P. Bradford // January 19, 2016

---

Did you know that living in a good neighborhood does not make you absolutely safe from thieves and burglars? If that was the case, half of New York or Sydney would be considered safe, while the actual situation is much, much worse. No matter where you live, you can never be completely certain that your home will not be attacked by burglars, even though you do not possess anything worth stealing.

Once they enter your house, there is little you can do to defend it, so you should concentrate on the outside line of defense and prevent burglars from even entering your home in the first place. The best way to do that is by reinforcing your front door and making it burglar-proof with a new deadbolt and several additional things. Here is how you can do that.

A Solid Door Will Stop Any Burglar

The problem with hollow core doors is that many people are not aware that these are not to be installed as your front door – they are not strong enough nor provide enough protection against intruders. They are cheap and easy to install, but are a good option only for internal use.

What you need are solid wood doors that are much stronger than the hallow core solution, but also more expensive. You can also go for pine, hardwood and steel doors – all of these will make your home hard to penetrate and give you the best value for your money.

Make the Strike Plate Stronger

However, you can have any door you want if your strike plate is not strong enough to withhold a forced entry. The strike plate is actually what secures the deadbolt latch into the frame of the door and this small piece of metal is what holds your entire security system in place.

Unfortunately, the strike plate gets damaged over time and you have to do something to ensure that it is working properly. While they are enduring, strike plates can do little against a strong kick of an experienced burglar, so you need to fortify them by inserting longer screws and new plates every once in a while

Pay Attention to the Door Jamb

Again, just because you have a strong door and a reinforced strike plate does not mean that your house will not attract a desperate burglar who will try his luck on it. Not even two doors will keep you safe from the work of an expert, which is why you need to focus on the door jamb the most, advises a seasoned Sydney-based CBD locksmith.

If you fortify your door frame with an additional layer of protective steel, the chances of saving your property will be much bigger. Simply relying on a wooden frame is often not enough, but a steel reinforcement will do the trick.

Hinges – the Best Way In

Not a lot of people use doors that open to the outwards, but prefer a more traditional inward approach. This one is not only more popular, but also highly practical when it comes to protection against intruders. If your doors open outwards, the chances are that their hinges are more exposed and that is something that a burglar can turn into a great advantage by removing them and simply lifting the door with his bare hands.

In such a situation, there are three things you can do to improve the door’s resistance – you can use setscrews in the hinge, install safety studs or, ultimately, opt for crimped pins. Each of these will make your hinges much more resistant and turn any burglar’s job into a nightmare.

Distraction Might Work, Too

While all of these ideas will make your front door impenetrable, you can also try to distract potential burglars in a number of other ways – from security cameras and guard dogs to organizing a neighborhood watch. All of these require some money, investing in a burglar-proof front door is a must nowadays.

Exclusively Written for Homes Re-Imagined, LLC by Lillian Connors