No matter how safe a neighborhood might seem, a burglary can happen to any residence, and it’s vital for property owners to take appropriate steps in protecting their family and house from intrusion.
An alarm system is going to be one of the first lines of defense, but other choices exist as well that will make it more difficult for a thief to make it past the home’s front door. The following options will help to keep a home safe from burglary and forced entry.
1. Obtain advanced locks
A weak lock will contribute to a door’s overall vulnerability, and if the locking mechanism on a door is old, it should be replaced with a stronger lock. Kicking in a door with a weak and brittle lock is a lot easier than trying to kick one’s way through a heavy duty lock.
Every door that leads to the interior of the home should be protected with a deadbolt and that lock should also be high quality. A cheap deadbolt can be crushed and destroyed with enough force. There should be no elements such as screws visible on the exterior of the door to facilitate removal of the lock by a thief.
2. Choose windowless doors
Doors may look terrific with etched glass and decorative open areas, but they aren’t going to be an appropriate barrier against burglary. If a home owner wishes to install a door with glass on the exterior of the home, it should be a door that isn’t connected to the interior of the home, such as a gated entryway that leads into a courtyard.
Sliding glass doors are common in homes today and may present a problem as far as ensuring each door on the exterior of the home is strong enough. If a home owner isn’t willing to replace those sliding glass doors with something more secure, there are items such as clear polycarbonate panels that may keep the area secure.
3. Choose a fiberglass door or an iron door
Solid wood doors are a safe option, but a home owner may improve safety by considering fiberglass or iron. An incredibly strong door will be particularly difficult to destroy through brute force and since many break-ins occur due to a door being destroyed through force, putting up an iron door will stop burglars in their tracks.
One of the benefits of iron doors is that each comes in many intricate and stylish designs while also offering one of the most impenetrable entryways available today. An iron door would be quite heavy as well, and would be virtually indestructible by a burglar, who would need to gain quick access to a home so as not to be seen by neighbors.
Source: doors4home.com
4. Choose solid doors
Many home owners would be surprised to find out that their front door is quite weak and might be hollow inside. A solid door provides much more protection against forcible entry, and will be much harder for a burglar to kick in or destroy in an attempt to gain access to the home.
Hollow interior doors shouldn’t present any problems, but all exterior doors should be solid for maximum protection. Checking to see whether a door is solid requires nothing more than a simple knock on the door. The frame of the door should also be solid and secure to provide an additional barrier against intrusion.
Most of the best options for secure entryways include heavy doors, advanced locks, and solid construction of the frame. By ensuring each door to the home offers the highest level of security, a home owner can keep his family safe.