The Hackett Security, Inc. Tip Of The Day #6 - Doors & Locks

Always keep in mind that a burglar will simply bypass your home if it requires too much skill, effort or time to enter. Most burglars enter via the front, back, or garage doors and if they are experienced, they know that the garage door is the easiest to enter, followed by the back door. (The garage also provides the most cover)

The most common way to force your way through a door with a wooden frame is to kick it open at its weakest point, the strike plate that holds the latch and/or lock bolt in place. The average door strike plate is secured with only two half-inch screws set into the doorframe molding. These lightweight moldings are often tacked on to the doorframe and can be torn away with a firm kick.

With this in mind here are a few steps to "harden" yourself as a potential target.

• Use a solid core or metal door for all entrance points.
• Use a quality, heavy-duty, deadbolt lock with a one-inch throw bolt.
• Use a quality, heavy-duty, knob-in-lock set with a dead latch mechanism.
• Use a heavy-duty, four-screw, strike plate with 3-inch screws to penetrate into a wooden doorframe.
• Use a wide-angle 160° peephole mounted no higher than 58 inches

- The Hackett Security Team