Home Alarms Systems

Door Security Systems

Many make the mistake of assuming that if they have a good quality lock installed on their door , then they have done what is required in regards to proper door security.

However many overlook one of the most important aspects of good door security, and that is how the frame is constructed. Unfortunately having a good lock is not enough.

Any experienced intruder will not be intimidated by a good lock and bolt, since he knows it is merely an issue of kicking the door hard enough to splinter the frame. It can take just a few seconds for a burglar to break in through the front door, regardless of how good the lock mechanism can be. So what measures can we take in preventing this sort of thing happening?

Well for one, it is vitally important to make sure that there is a solid reinforced frame in place. The outside doors and frames should be made of solid steel or wood which are many times stronger than hollow doors. The frames must have a snug fit around the doors at least within a quarter of an inch from the door itself. If there is a window near the door , it should be at least forty inches away from the lock . This makes it much harder for a thief to break the glass and reach for the door knob from the inside. It is always advisable to install unbreakable glass near any outside door.

Regarding patio doors, it is a good preventative measure to limit the clearance of the door by putting in screws or a plate that protrudes down from the top of the track to prevent the door being lifted off of its tracks. In addition to this you may consider installing a floor mounted door stop. This is a great added measure that is far more effective than a standard door chain that can be easily snapped without much effort .

Another important consideration that is often overlooked is the attachment of the hinges. To ensure greater door security, it is advisable to insert long screws that reach all the way through the door frame to the supporting stud. Also you don’t want the screws to face the outside, burglars have been known to enter by merely unscrewing the hinges. You can also get non removable hinges that are available at your local hardware store.

For optimal door security, you don’t want to have doors that have a keyhole in the door knob itself, these can be easily forced, it is much more advisable to install a good bolt lock on all exterior doors. Having said that, the bolt should travel at least two and a half inches into the bolt capture. The surrounding area of the dead bolt should be made of steel. Also it is important to have a strike plate of at least six to eight inches, this is the plate that the bolt inserts into when locked. This should be installed with long enough screws that will reach all the way to the door stud as well. Deadbolts can provide excellent security provided on the quality and if they are resistant to crowbars and other prying tools.

In some cases it is not always possible to install a good dead bolt lock due to the proximity of a window or if you want to install a good lock on a wooden door. In this case we can use a bolt rim lock, which has two vertical moving bolts that lock into a strike plate situated above and below the door. These locks are even more resistant to crowbars or other prying tools.

Nowadays it is also possible to install push button rim locks and digitally coded dead bolts. These two types of systems do not require keys. The push button rim lock features a numbered keypad opening the door with a combination number. However it is important to change the combination on a regular basis because the keypad may wear out if always the same combination is used.

The digitally coded dead bolt basically functions in the same manner, featuring a keypad as well, however these type of locks can be locked or unlocked from a distance using an electronic remote. These types of door locks are much more expensive , but may be of great benefit to elderly or physically disabled people.

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