Protecting Your Home Doors & Windows

When it comes to breaking into your home, doors are the preferred point of entry for most thieves. Old, wooden frame doors are attractive to burglars because they can easily pry them open with a little force. Sliding glass doors are susceptible because they can easily be shattered or lifted out of their track, and open garage doors are basically an invitation for criminals to enter your home. By following these simple tips, you can improve the strength of your doors and help keep intruders out of your home.

Consider a storm or security door for your main entry door, and be sure to use a deadbolt. Security doors are usually stronger and can withstand more of an impact should someone try to bust in the door, and deadbolts offer the best protection from picking and prying. Simply using a lock on a door handle will not provide a strong defense against a home intruder. If you have a deadbolt, be sure to use it all of the time.

Install a security pin in sliding doors to prevent the door from being opened. Often times, sliding doors can easily be lifted from their tracks giving an intruder easy access to your home. Simply putting a broom handle in a door track won’t always stop an intruder. By using a security pin in the top of the door, this will prevent someone from lifting your sliding door out of its track.

Garages are a weak point on most homes and can be an easy way for an intruder to gain access to your home. If you have manual garage doors, consider using a threshold bar on the inside of your garage to keep the door shut and prevent it from being knocked in. If you use an automatic garage door opener, make sure you protect the remote control and don’t leave it visible in your car. Also, be sure to lock the door that leads from your garage to your home. Most people rarely lock this door and this proves to be another weak point in their home security.

Never hide a key to your home outside. Don’t use a hide-a-key, a fake stone, or place a key under a door mat. Burglars know all of the hiding spots. If you hide a key, a burglar will find it and use it to their advantage. If you really need to have a key to your house accessible in case of an emergency, consider giving a key to a side or back door to a trusted neighbor. If you lose your keys, always change your locks. You’ll feel much safer knowing there’s no chance someone can let themselves in without you knowing.

 

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