Did you know an average of $2,416 is lost in every burglary, and residential properties account for 67.2% of burglary offenses? Did you know there were 2,538,170 reported household burglaries in 2017 alone? In modern times, with gadgets like automated locks, door jammers, and doorbell cameras, your home can be safer than ever!
A lot can be done to keep your house and family safe, but you need to take a few steps. Here are 5 ways on how to secure the front door smartly.
- Works with Alexa for voice control (hub required, Alexa device and hub sold separately)
- Touch Screen keypad and lock cylinder on exterior and thumb turn interior. Door thickness range is 1.37 to 1.75 standard
- Stores up to 30 personalized user codes at a time
- Built in alarm with 3 alert settings. Battery Uses 4 AA alkaline batteries. Exterior Dimensions 3 x 5 x 1 inches. Interior Dimensions 3 x 8 x 2 inches
- Z wave technology connects to your home automation system and lets you lock or unlock your door remotely via the web or smartphone.Volts:6 V
How to Secure the Front Door (To Secure Your Family & Children)
Here, 5 simple and ninja techniques we’re going to share to secure the front door that lets you protect your lives and valuables.
Let’s start!
The Front Door Itself!
Nowadays, almost all front doors are strongly made. Your door may have steel outside, but inside, that door could be hollow. We do not call it sturdily made. You must have a solid front door. If you don’t have it, anyone with several kicks will have the door wide open. With a hard solid door, an axe might be needed, but we don’t think there would be many intruders out there who are willing to have such a scene.
Okay, so you have a solid door. Now tell me do they have windows? If you do, then that’s cute, but does it compromise your security? Understand this, those doors with glass are great, and the glass they use is really strong, but if you wish to make your front door impossible to penetrate to the intruders and burglars, I suggest going windowless.
The Door Knob and Deadbolt
In most front doors, the closing latch on your doorknob and the deadbolt lock does not go very deep. Usually, it only goes between 1/2 and 1 inch into the door frame. Considering you have a sturdy door, have a look at the metal frame on your door frame. In almost every door, that metal plate is attached to the door frame with 3/4 inch screws. So, you will find that the plate is also only attached to one thing, that thin wooden door frame! That is why a lot of front doors are really easy to kick in.
So what can we do about it? We will talk about two ways. Firstly, replacing the screws in those metal plates could do some good. One by one, take the short screws out and replace them with 3 inch long screws. These longer screws must go all the way through the studs that frame your door. By doing this, the door will be much harder to kick in. That will definitely help. Secondly, you can consider adding a longer metal plate. For example, “The Door Jamb Pro” is a good option. These are 4 ft tall and have rooms for nine 3-inch long screws. With this much measurement, they’re not going to break through that even if someone kicks it all day!
Interior Precautions
According to many experts and news publications suggest the use of interior door locking/securing products is the best way to secure a front door. Simply saying, these methods of door security act by keeping the door in place from inside the home. Securing your doors from the inside means that they cannot be removed from the outside. Keep in mind that someone must be inside the house for this measure to serve its purpose.
Let’s say you do not use this particular door as your primary entrance. Say your back door, for example. If you have interior precaution in place, you have nothing to worry about if left unattended. Intruders will not have access inside your house! With all its Pros, now we tell you of its Cons. This measurement is not universally effective. You can not use it consistently as your home is most likely to be burgled when you are not there.
Replace Old Locks!
Let us check for the following:
- Your door is already sturdy.
- Your door is in good shape, and there is no need to replace it in a short time.
If you can tick the above two conditions, we have a proposition for you. Change your locks. It is very common that the old lock is easier to unlock with a phony key and skilled hand. Try replacing locks and deadbolts with a new one. This will be an easy way not only to secure your front door but also boost front door security.
Also, consider obtaining smart locks, standard locks, or even electronic locks if you can afford them.
If you have a forgetful mind or a habit of losing your keys, smart locks can come in many use. Even though the smart locks are expensive, it’s totally worth it!
Call A Locksmith
Do not try to be smart on issues that you are not an expert on. It is okay to want to secure your front door but doing everything is not something that is always required. You need an expert, and who would you ask for advice for it other than a locksmith! A locksmith can conduct the needed risk assessments and tell you the type of protection you need. It is vital that you talk with them about your security concerns and share your thoughts on the measurements that could be done for the door.
Furthermore, you need to hire a locksmith to change locks. If you do it yourself, there is a chance that you may do it wrong since you are not an expert and may not know it until it’s too late. That is an improper installation. Tell me what the point of doing something if it is done the wrong way is? So remember to have a professional to educate you on this matter.
Final Words
In the end, don’t be paranoid to think that the measures mentioned are the things that must be done; otherwise, you will be robbed tomorrow. I don’t want you to think that. Those are just suggestions so that you know what options you have in hand.
These steps will be really effective in keeping burglars out. And even more importantly, they will be really effective in helping keep out those who may wish to harm you. If you’re concerned that someone, in particular, may wish you harm, then don’t wait. Take the appropriate steps that suit your condition and are affordable to secure your home. It could save your life.
