Security Advice #003 - Securing Doors
Illegal entry through the front door occurs more often than
all other points of entry combined! All exterior doors
should be of solid hard wood or steel reinforced. A good
door does no good if the door frame is in bad shape or of
inferior construction. Pay special attention to the door
jams. Most, even in expensive homes are made out of cheap
pine. It don't take much force to "kick in" the door even
if protected with dead bolts, if the strike plate is
attached with only a couple of 1/2 or 3/4 inch screws.
Take a few minutes and install 2-1/2 to 3 inch stainless
steel or nickel plated screws in all your exterior door
jams. Be sure screws go at least 1-3/4 inch deep into the
underlying framing lumber. While you at it, consider
getting heavy duty strike plates or a door reinforcer kit
sold in many larger home improvement centers. Be advised
you may have to chisel out more of the door jam to install
but it's worth the effort for the greater protection
provided. Another way to increase the chances of your door
holding is to further protect it from being kicked in by
installing a device on the floor that the door rests
against on inside center when shut, and swings away when
the door opens.
Any kind of sliding glass door is a favorite target. Guard
against the door being lifted up and out by installing
several screws into the door's upper track. Open and shut
the door through its entire range to allow just enough of
the screw's head protruding to allow free movement without
allowing the door to be removed. Several devices can be
installed into the door's upper or lower track that acts
much like a dead bold by running a heavy pin through the
door track and deep into the frame. Just having a length
of old broom handle at a 45 degree angle in the door track
also prevents the door from easily being forced open and
works nearly as well!
You garage door is easy pickings unless you have a
electronic door opener. Today these devices are fairly
cheap (around $150) and make it practically impossible to
force open the overhead door from the outside without
breaking through the actual door panels due to the high
tension produced from the worm drive or chain device that
makes the openers work Yes, it is possible for burglar to
punch in the right code and gain access, but with today's
remote controls providing so many possible combinations,
the odds are very slight, and the burglar won't waste the
time trying all the possibilities.
Final bit of advice on automatic door openers. Do be sure
to change the security code from the pre-installed settings
which are almost always set to zeros. Also, if you notice
your door open and you're sure you shut it, one of your
neighbors probably set his opener to the sarne code. Take
the time to change your setting, or you're giving a
potential burglar a great opportunity to gain free access.
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