Are Your Doors Secure Enough?

A door's strength is not measured by the material on its surface, but by the quality of its core material and how it was assembled. Don't settle for stock doors if they seem vulnerable against a would-be burglar's idea of an easy score, make an investment and go with sturdier builds that consist of a solid wood, fiberglass, or metal middle section. Reinforced steel doors, of course, are the strongest option you could go for but they require a lot more maintenance in the long run as they will rust, especially in areas with particularly high levels of air moisture.

1. Reinforced Door Frames

The frame to the door is just as important to having a secure entry point as the door itself, so make sure that the frame material is identical to that of the door. The problem with having two different materials making up the frame and door is that the stronger material could add more support for the burglar when using a car jack and put extra weight on the door to break it open.

2. Security Door Locks

Around 34% of burglars use the front door to break into a home, that is why it's paramount to have a quality door lock capable of fighting off all break-in attempts. Burglars can tell whether or not they should bother trying just by looking at a lock and the way that it operates. If you decide to have a metal door, installing a security door lock to give it that extra reinforcement against bending will make sure the entry point resists being bent by a car jack. Not only are you improving the security to your door, but you're sending a message to the trespasser that this is no ordinary home and that you mean business.

The most common types of deadbolts are single, double, hybrid, keyless, and jimmy proof deadbolts with each providing a different level of constraint on a would-be burglar. Take a look at a few examples of useful deadbolt locks below:

Single deadbolts feature a thumb turn on the inside and a key cylinder on the outside, which makes them hard to unlock. However, if a trespasser were to jump in through a window, they can simply use the thumb turn to open the door.

Double deadbolts work like their single-cylindrical counterparts only they have a key cylinder on both sides of the door. This ensures that the door remains shut whether they're inside or outside the house, but this can be impractical for some homeowners since these deadbolts require a key whenever they need to open the door.

A hybrid deadbolt combines the best of both of its predecessors by adding the thumb turnkey feature. This enables it to switch between single and double deadbolt styles of operation based on the last time the key to the lock was used. A hybrid deadbolt allows the homeowner to choose when the lock should require a key and when turning the knob should be adequate.

Keyless deadbolts involve a touchpad that grants access only to the code bearing homeowner. This makes entry without a passcode impossible unless the intruder resorts to breaking the door down. Your door can be replaced something more secure as explained in the first section.

Jimmy proof deadbolts are an excellent layer of security for most doors as they require little work to install and can't be reached and operated by a burglar unless they were inside the home. These locks give burglars a tough time if they try to break the door down since the deadbolt firmly interlocks a cylinder within the jamb bracket's chambers, and they offer no key hole on either side. Just like single deadbolts, jimmy proof locks can only be unlocked from the inside, although you can replace the turn key with a rim or mortise lock to give you more control and peace of mind.

3. Door Sensors

An effective way of knowing and catching a burglar in the act is to use door sensors. These devices work by picking up movement at a 90-degree angle over a certain distance and send a signal to the control panel which sends it to you by email or text. If you have a pet, these sensors can be set to detect objects of a certain weight class so fewer to no false alarms occur. If you're subscribed to a professional monitoring service you can be relieved from constantly doing the monitoring yourself, only you have an experienced professional doing all the work, one who isn't hesitant to call law enforcement if a break-in is underway.