5 Tips to Keep Your Front Door Safe

Whether a thief is welcome or unwelcome to your home depends on how well you have your front door secured. A great looking door may have the weakest security as strength is not in how the door ‘appears’ but what exactly is behind the doors. Here are some suggestions to help you secure your front door so that your belongings are safe and belong where they do.

1) Have A Strong Front Door

Front doors need the right treatment to sustain burglar attacks. And not to forget the fact that your front door represents you and your home. Hence, it is essential that you consider various factors before choosing the right door. Here are some options for you to consider.

• A wooden door is a favorite choice for many. They are stronger and majestic. A clear winner if it does not require a higher level of maintenance. Being sensitive to moisture, wood can warp or crack. Sun also affects wood and its quality. If you are still after wood, you may want to go for doors with durable stains and a perfect finish to ensure it resists thieves and weather.
• Fiberglass doors are less expensive than wooden doors. They warranty better life too as they withstand hostile weather conditions as they are rust and rot resistant.
• Steel doors are relatively cheaper but since steel rusts, it may not be long before you look to replace it. It also conducts temperature, which you may not love if you were about to open it on a hot day. However, coated steel doors available in the market are weather-resistant and hence they make a good front door.

Whatever your choice out of these, consider your wallet strength and go for the ideal one that is strong and offers value for money.

2) Install Deadlocks

Deadlocks offer extra safety as they can be opened only using a key. The key activates the sliding bolt, which helps to keep the door shut. Deadlocks with swivel operation are great to use as you do not key to open the lock from the inside of your home but from outside, without a key, you will not be able to gain entry.

3) Strengthen Your Existing Locks

You may have a good locking system but it is always better to have it reinforced. Upgrade your lockset using the best resources. Cylinder guards installed around your lock cylinders will prevent burglars from wrenching your lock. Strengthen your front door further by installing guard plates that have carriage bolts with round heads so that they can give a tough time even to skeleton key locks.

Image Credit @ Jonathan Potter

4) Reinforce Your Door Frames

Not just your locks but your door frames need to be reinforced as well. It is essential that you have a perfect support structure to secure your front door. It is fine that you have a lock that defies the burglar’s attack but you also need to remember that the door frame does not offer the support it has to thus allowing the thief to kick open the door. Hence reinforce your frame using long metal plates with extra long screws. These screws should be drilled into the studs and reach all sides of your doorway.

5) Install Wide-Angled Viewers

Peepholes, as viewers are popularly referred to, is yet another device to add security to your home. Not that it has anything to protect your door but it can protect you from opening the door unaware of what or who awaits outside. A wide-angled peephole gives you better coverage enabling you to see who is outside. It is also best suggested to install peepholes that have covers to prevent outsiders from looking in through the peepholes. In short, do not get exposed to a threat.

Some thieves are so professional that they get past even the toughest of doors. Hence, you need to ensure that you have made all round protection to avoid the burglar from getting the benefits of your hard work.