4 Ways to Make Your Door Anti Theft

2024 Author: Jason Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 10:50

Burglary has always been a concern for homeowners. But which is the best way to keep your home safe? Chances are you've got an alarm system installed (if not, do so right away), and maybe you have a guard dog patrolling your home too. Statistics prove that many burglars enter the house through the front or back door. So keep the door locked and safe. Here are some more suggestions.

Step

Method 1 of 4: Do You Have the Right Door?

Step 1. Take the right door

If your front and back doors are hollow, you need to replace them as soon as possible. How do you know your door is empty? Just tap on it. The hollow door is just a thin layer of wood with cardboard on the inside. All exterior doors must be solid and made of these materials:

Fiber glass
Sturdy board
Solid wood core (A thin layer of wood that is solid wood inside)
Steel (Note: make sure the metal door is reinforced on the inside, and have something called a lock block. Otherwise, thieves can bend the door frame using a car jack.

Step 2. If installing/replacing new doors and frames, consider using fiberglass doors that open outwards instead of into the house (and don't forget to use safety hinges)

Doors like this help to absorb impact from people who enter forcefully.

Step 3. Replace all windowed exterior doors with windowless doors

For maximum security, all doors should be windowless, and you should not have a window close enough to the door that a thief could break the window and open the door from the inside.

If you have sliding glass doors, glass door panels or windows nearby, cover the glass with safety bars on the outside or an indestructible polycarbonate panel mounted behind the glass

Method 2 of 4: Lock Your Door

In most robberies, the thief enters the victim's home through an unlocked door. Even the strongest padlock in the world will be useless if you don't use it. Lock all exterior doors whenever you go out – even if you're only gone for a few minutes.

Step 1. Install the deadbolt door lock

With the exception of sliding doors, all exterior doors must have a deadbolt lock plus the lock on the doorknob. Deadbolt locks must be of high quality (1st or 2nd grade, solid iron with no visible screws from the outside), plus a deadbolt wrench at least 2.5cm long. The key must be installed correctly. Most homes have low-quality deadbolt locks or deadbolt locks that are less than 2.5 cm long. The key must be replaced

Step 2. Install the deadlock

Adding an extra lock will provide extra security when you're at home. A deadlock, sometimes referred to as a 'special deadbolt to exit' is a deadbolt that does not have a key. This may be clearly visible on the door when viewed from the outside, but the lock cannot be tampered with without destroying the door, the door frame, or the lock itself. While this type of security won't help you directly when you're not at home, it is very easy to spot and even a thief will think twice about trying to break it.

Step 3. Secure the sliding door

The best way to secure a sliding door is to install a door lock that has locks on the top and bottom. You can also make or buy a handlebar that swings down from the door frame to the center of the door to prevent the door from sliding. At the very least, put a stick (a thick cylindrical piece of wood, for example) at the bottom of the door to prevent it from opening. Whichever method you use, try to strengthen the glass with polycarbonate panels, as recommended in the previous step.

Method 3 of 4: Strengthening Your Entry

Step 1. Install the cylinder guard around the cylinder lock (the part where you insert your key) Thieves can sometimes break or dislodge the cylinder lock using a hammer, wrench, or prying

Protect the lock with a locking iron or guard rings on both sides of the door. Attach the lock securing iron with screws so that it cannot be removed. The lock safety ring around the cylinder will avoid using the pipe to remove the cylinder. a lot of locks come pre-installed with this, but if you don't have one you can buy one.

Step 2. Replace the brittle srike plate

The strike plate is an iron plate that surrounds the door lock (the hole in the door where the key is located). All exterior doors must have a strong strike plate iron guard which is fixed with 4 bolts 7.6 cm long. Many houses are built with low-quality strike plates or short bolt-on strike plates.

Step 3. Secure the hinges that are not shielded

The hinges should be on the inside of the door. If yours is not in the door, replace the door or secure the hinges with non-removable pins. You can do this by removing at least 2 screws in the center of the hinge (on each side) and replacing them with non-removable hinge pins (you can buy them at hardware stores) or long double-headed bolts. Invisible hinges also need to be secured to the door frame using a 7 cm stone.

Step 4. Strengthen your door frame

Even if your door is strong and of high quality, with a clear lock attached, a burglar can still enter your home by breaking or prying open the door frame. Most door frames are simply affixed to the wall, so a crowbar or a strong kick can easily separate the frame from the wall. Secure the door frame to the wall by installing a few 7cm bolts between the frame and the doorstop. The bolt should reach the wall.

Method 4 of 4: Peephole

Step 1. Install the door viewer

The viewer, also known as the “peephole”, allows you to see the outside of the door. Install a wide-angle viewer at eye level on all of your exterior doors. if you have to open the door to look out, your key won't be of much use. Try to find a peephole with a lid so that people outside the door can't see back in with special tools, such as an inverted peephole.

Tips

Add a security camera. 1 or 2 cameras can reduce the intention of thieves to enter. You can install the recording so that it goes into your computer or mobile phone. Uniden makes a good system and it's not too expensive, you can find it on Amazon.com or eBay.com
Adding a locked hurricane door makes it harder for thieves to kick in the door because they have to kick in 2 doors at once. Storm doors also block places where thieves can kick hard. There is also a door that looks like a gate which is also called a security door. This door should also have a deadbolt. Many people do not like the appearance of this door. They also made hurricane doors made of laminated glass, which has a toughened glass like a windshield, meaning that if it breaks, it doesn't shatter into pieces.
If you're changing your door, consider getting a door with a Bandit Latch. With this, your security will increase further.
Garage doors are known to be very easy to get into, so use the same method on the door between your garage and your home as your exterior door. Also lock your door when in the garage and don't leave the house keys in your car or in your garage
Observe your neighbors and remember that professional thieves will pick the easiest targets first. Always try to make your house less attractive to thieves than the neighbor's house
Doors and other hardware need maintenance from time to time, and a door that is not properly cared for will make it easier for burglars to enter your home. In particular, make sure that the track on the sliding door is in good condition and that the door stays in line.
Do not allow the key to be “hidden” under door rugs, in plants, or in similar places. No matter how well hidden, there's a good chance a thief will find your keys. Keep your own keys. If you must leave the key outside, put it in a quality lock box that is properly installed and hidden.
Don't make your house like a fortress. Firefighters use manual tools to enter the house when there is an emergency call. They are indeed experts in their field, but they must have other pathways such as a front window.
When securing the strike plate, point the bolt back slightly so that it hits the door frame.
Most “simple” burglars, vandalism-take-aways, are reported as morning crimes. For night protection, the door instructions above are good. Outdoor lights such as porch lights are highly recommended. If your place looks or sounds like a problem, an easier target will be chosen
When installing rods behind sliding doors, use PVC, wood or aluminum. Avoid steel, as it can be lifted with a strong magnet. PVC, wood, or aluminum will give the thief enough resistance to make it difficult to open. When they find it too difficult, they will find the target easier.
You can buy between two cylinder or single cylinder locks. A two-cylinder lock requires a key to be opened from both sides, whereas a single-cylinder lock only requires a key on one side.
An additional simple safety measure that can be used when you are indoors is to place an empty glass upside down on your doorknob. The glass would fall (and make a loud noise, except on the carpet) when someone turned the doorknob. (Caution – the glass may shatter and leave glass shards on the door).
In addition to a strong strike plate, a 10 cm of galvanized pipe attached to the door frame for the deadbolt would have made it much more difficult to break down the door.
You can purchase a metal security door that sits outside the door for an added layer of security.
Make sure the strike plate on your doorknob lock has a metal lip on the outside to avoid breaking it. You can also buy special “breakout guards”.
Locks, no matter how good they were, would be useless if they weren't locked. Many people forget (or are lazy) to lock the deadbolt when they leave. If that's you, consider installing a “Turner lock” – this is a deadbolt lock that can be locked from the outside without using a key.

Warning

If you're not used to locking your door and you have a door you can lock without needing a key, remember to take your keys with you when you leave the house. You can lock yourself in a few times at first, but you'll get used to it soon. Leave a copy of your key with your neighbor, or discuss hiding it around their house, rather than leaving an obvious key-hiding device with your key beside the door.
The best lock system will be useless if the door frame is weak. Make sure the door frame is as strong and secure as the door lock.
Don't obsess over security. Of course you want to take all reasonable steps to protect yourself, your family, and your property, but don't make your home like a prison. No matter how much prepared you are, you can still be a victim at some point, and you have a day-to-day life – don't let fear keep you from enjoying your life.
The 2 cylinder lock, while safer, can be a hazard in a fire because you have to search and find the key to open it, even from the inside. In some jurisdictions, building codes prohibit the use of the key. Consider the risks first before installing it.
Opening a lock is easy if you know how to do it, even on a deadbolt. An anti-break lock is something you should be looking for. Medeco locks, although expensive, provide the best protection against a broken lock