Would you like to hear a piece of good news? Home burglars have reduced significantly in recent years. The bad news? You will never run out of criminals who are interested in break-in into your house. Don’t you think that there is nothing you can do about it? Now, you have to know the best way to secure a door from the inside.
You should still be tougher on them as well. The best way to prevent home intruders is to make sure that all the opportunities are gone! Only you should do that. It may seem unusual, but most of the burglaries happen during the day and not at night since, during the day, most houses are almost empty. Direct your importance during the daytime or anytime you are not at home.
Protecting your family and your belongings- When it comes to that- you can’t be too careful. Remember, there are a lot of ways you can protect your home from invasion or burglary.
Best Way to Secure a Door from the Inside
Here, you’re going to learn you need to know to secure your door properly. This article lets you protect your door from the inside.
Brace your Doors!
It is a smart move to install your door braces from inside the home. This will prevent burglars from unwanted or forced entry. There are many types of door braces. To name five, we have security bars, half deadbolt or flush bolts, portable barricade bars, and for commercial use, door closer covers are most suitable.
There are unique features for each door brace. You can choose, depending on your preferences. This varies from security level or mobility, portable or non-portable, Whether the lock is inward or outward swing. All of this is making sure the door resistance is enough to prevent forceful entry of the intruder.
Install your door braces keeping in mind how much force you expect to deal with in your home and business. Heavy-duty braces are most suitable for main entry points(front and back doors).
Consider installing your security brace from inside of the home so they cannot do anything from outside when you leave home. In Arizona, people mostly leave their homes through the garage. In doing so, they use the door brace security products on the main entry doors (both front and back entries).
Did you notice that you can stop unexpected intruders from entering even if they have keys! Amazing, isn’t it?
OnGuard Security Door Brace
Jamming the Doors
Let us think small for a minute. How about securing the door at the base of the door using either pressure or a base plate? Sounds good? That’s a door jammer. So, by “jamming,” they prevent the door from opening. You can also find a “portable door jammer.” These jammers are for people that travel a lot. Door jammers are usually set on the opposite of the hinge side (In other words, the swing side) of the door on its base.
There are two types of door jammers. One uses tension from the door pressing into them as it opens, such as door wedges, and others use a base that extends/retracts via turning the base into the ground, while the other uses the tension between the door’s base and the floor to hold the door in place. Portable door jammers are the one that uses tensions.
There is still another type of door jammers that are attached to a plate secured to the ground. These are the more secure kind but not the portable. There is also another kind that triggers an unauthorized entry.
Portable Door Jammer
Let us look into a few advantages and disadvantages of door jammers!
Advantages
- No tools are necessary to install and can be used while traveling.
- A small footprint is significant enough.
Disadvantages
- It does bring an obstacle from the base of the door while opening.
- In unlocked cases, all the resistance from a forced break-in will direct from the base of the door. The more force is applied from the high up, the less flexible it gets. This may break the door completely break! An open highway for the intruder. You need a stronger door to prevent this.
- Door jammers can not be used on outward swing doors (only for inward swing doors).
Door Security Bars
Another security measure that uses pressure(like door jammers) to secure a door is door bars. It is strategically placed under the door handle or knob. Its bottom extends to the floor to offer tension between the floor and the bottom. As a result, you will find the tension between the floor and the closed door. If inclined at 45 degrees, it can provide maximum force resistance. These security bars can be used not only on sliding doors but also on hinged doors.
When not in use, many will collapse to as small as two feet long and less than a few inches wide so that they can be stored out the way in a corner next to the door.
Unlike a door brace that secures at the base of the door, a security bar resists force at the middle of the door. So, the strength will almost entirely be based on the doorknob/lever strength that you are securing it under.
Heavy Duty Door Security Bar
Bolt Cutter and in Action!
According to Master Lock’s Justin Matuszek, “A determined thief with an angle grinder and enough time can cut through nearly any lock.” He also added, “But more often, the thief has a bolt cutter and is trying to work fast.”
In conclusion, the thicker a lock’s shackle and the less it’s exposed, the more secure the lock is from bolt cutters. So, the kind of locking mechanism makes a difference in how easily a lock can be picked.
Use Door Strike Plate
The added strength needed comes from reinforcing your door’s weak spot, the jamb, with extra-long heavy-duty strike plate screws.
Check when did you have your deadbolt installed and its current condition. Check the strike plates. If it is not at least reinforced with heavy steel with at least 3-in. screws, you need to start reinstalling.
Add Security Stickers and Security Signs
We almost always forget that the windows are also an entry point a burglar can use. Using security alarm stickers to your security system is a big thumbs up! Even though they do not physically scare burglars away, they make the burglars think twice about choosing your house. In addition to other security systems, using security stickers keep burglars away.
If you are not looking forward to expend very much on this, the use of a security sign is your other alternative.
Burglars target houses that are easy for them to break-in, and when they see stickers or warning signs, they take it as a treat and consider that they would have to work more and more.
Security Stickers for Door and Windows
Get an Alarm System
There are so many cases where only an alarm system scares away the burglars. As I said before, “Burglars target houses that are easy for them to break-in”, so they are not looking for trouble and, most importantly, do not want to get caught. An alarm system is a big “No-No” for them. SO your house is safe.
Door Window Alarm
Glass Break Sensors
Using sensors is the next best thing to the alarm system. Come as cheaply as $40; installing them for your windows will raise a big alarm that will wake you up from your deepest sleep! Spending around $100 can monitor your entire room.
Install a Safety Door and Window Film
Screen doors and glass doors are very easy for burglars to cut or punctured. That is why a safety door is needed. This acts as a safety layer between the house and the intruder.
Window films are typically useful if you have side pane glass with the front door. Besides privacy issues, burglars might use it to survey your home to know the valuables in your home and be more prepared before getting in. You can diffuse this opportunity for just a few dollars.
Final Words
As you can see, there are many ways you can secure your family house from inside! Even by applying any of the methods listed above, the risk of your door being kicked in can be significantly reduced. However, combining more techniques to make burglars’ attempts even harder is something even more useful.
I suggest you start by using security bars and jamming the door. This is because implementing those methods is really inexpensive and can be done quickly. Remember, this is a home, not a fortress. Spending too much money and making your door impenetrable is never a smart option for a homeowner.
Remember, this is a home, not a fortress. The objective of your home security is to reinforce your home in such a way that intruders will give up fast and look out for the different, easier targets.
