A (mostly) do-it-yourself family-protection makeover
Securing Your Home's Primary Doors
Any home-security plan should begin with your main doors. Remember that the back door, especially if it's hidden from street view, can be even more vulnerable than the front. Burglars frequently ring the front doorbell and, if no one answers, go around to the back of the house, where they typically break through the door.Dead Bolt
Get a good-quality dead bolt for your exterior doors and you can stop worrying about that credit-card lock-shimmying trick that works not only in the movies but also in real life. Make sure the lock has a bolt that extends at least an inch into the door frame and that the strike plate (the metal piece that mounts to the door frame and holds the bolt) is attached with screws that are at least three inches long. Installing a new dead bolt requires precise measuring and drilling―it's best to call in a locksmith.
To buy: Single Cylinder Deadbolt
Door Reinforcer
This U-shaped metal plate wraps around the outer edge of a wooden door and prevents pry bar–equipped intruders from gouging out your lock. There are models available to fit a dead bolt or a latch-style knob lock. (Note: A knob lock is not adequate protection on its own and should be used only in tandem with a dead bolt.) Since you'll need to remove the doorknob to install this product, have a locksmith do it when he comes to change locks.
To buy: Security Door Reinforcer
Sliding Door
Locking bar: The standard locks that come with sliding doors are easy to pry open. Use a locking bar (or a wooden dowel) to keep the door from being forced open. If there is too much space between a sliding door and its upper track, the door can be picked up, tilted outward, and removed―just like a sliding shower door. Install screws along the inside of the upper track, leaving just enough room for the door to slide, and the door can no longer be lifted out.
To buy: Sliding Patio Door Bar
Figure 1 Typical patio door lock.
Figure 2 Rotating motion of the panel caused by prying action, can break the lock.
Figure 3 Jimmy plates and a spring lock will prevent a sliding patio door from being lifted out of its frame.
Figure 4 Install screws in upper channel to prevent sliding panel from being lifted out of its track.
Figure 5 Safety bar.
Figure 6 Auxiliary lock for sliding doors.
Motion-sensitive lights: Discourage nighttime prowlers by installing motion-sensitive lights. Putting up a solar-powered light won't even require an electrician's help―it gets all the power it needs from the sun and attaches to your home's exterior with the screws provided. Position the light and the solar panel in different locations for maximum sunlight.
To buy: Solar Motion Sensor Security Light
Doors With Knobs
Door jammer: Perfect for a hotel room or a rented apartment or house with iffy locks, the DavieBar door jammer is essentially a door stopper on a stick. It looks like a footed cane, with a top that hooks under the doorknob and a base that grips the floor, preventing your door from being forced inward. The DavieBar is easy to use and fits in a suitcase.
To buy: DavieBar
