How to Improve the Security of Your Home's Entryways

Your home's entryways can often be very vulnerable to break-ins, if you don't consider the strength of their locks, the strength of the materials of the doors and doorframes, and how easily it would be to cut through them. To improve the security of your home's entryways, note a few tips and then discuss these with a contractor or even a home security expert.  

1. Locks 

Deadbolts on interior doors should be thick and slide into the doorframe by several inches or centimeters, rather than just resting inside the opening for them. This will reduce the chance of someone being able to kick in the area of the deadbolt. For sliding doors such as to a patio, note the durability of that lock. If it's just a small latch installed by the door's manufacturer, you might want to upgrade it to a thicker deadbolt as well.

For all entryways, it can be good to consider a lock that you need a key to unlock from the inside, as this will mean less chance of someone breaking open a nearby window and reaching inside to unlock the door. Note if your front entryway has windows next to the door, and consider this especially for sliding doors made of glass that can be cut. 

2. Mesh or screens

If you have screen doors outside any of your entryway doors, consider the strength and thickness of that mesh. Can someone easily cut it with bolt cutters or even a thick pair of pliers? For a sliding glass door, the screen on the outside is usually very flimsy as the screen door needs to be light enough to slide easily. Even if there is a lock on that door, it can be easy to cut the mesh and reach through to unlock the door. Upgrade to a thicker screen or opt for a door with bars in front of the screen that keep a person from reaching through to cut it. Do the same for a front entryway; choose a thick steel screen door rather than a lightweight aluminum that can be cut, or choose bars in front of the screen.

3. Frame

When someone kicks in a door, they don't usually kick in the door itself but will splinter the doorframe away from the wall. Note the frames of your doors and especially a sliding glass door; this frame is usually very lightweight and just screwed to the home in a few areas. Upgrade to a stronger steel frame for all your entryways and opt for one that is bolted, not just screwed into place, so that it's harder to actually kick in the frame.