Understanding door security is important because doors are the most common entrance points into the home. Everyone should understand that the main idea behind door security is to delay entry. There are very few doors in existence that can withstand hours or days of assault.

Doors selected to guard a home should be constructed of metal, fiberglass (rated to be used as an outside door), or solid wood. Never place a hollow core door at an entrance point into a home.

If a glass panel door is in place, those on the inside can see out but whoever is on the outside can also see in. A decorative door does not have to contain glass; a solid door with a 180 degree peephole is effective and still can look just as nice.

For locks, a bolt lock with a one-inch throw and a matching key-in-knob lock should be sufficient. This is a standard set up on most doors. However, some homeowners choose to upgrade to an anti-pick and bump resistant locks, but it can include additional cost.

Rarely does law enforcement see a lock that has been picked or bumped. Most burglars simply kick in the door. In that scenario, the lock does not fail; the door frame does. Upon close inspection of the door frame, a metal plate with holes punched through it matching the size of the bolt lock should be visible. This plate is called a latch plate. Standard latch plates have two screws that secure it to the door frame. Remove those screws and check their length. Most will be around 3/8 of an inch. All a burglar would need to do is push the bolt lock and latch plate through the thin piece of wood molding. It is recommended to replace the 3/8 inch screws with 3-inch screws. In most cases, this will give the screw enough length to attach to a 2X4 used in the home’s frame. This makes the door tougher to kick in.

There is always more that can be done to increase door security. Buying a $10 security latch plate at a local hardware store could help make a door more secure. These latch plates are generally seven to eight inches long and allow for more reinforcement by increasing from two securing screws to six. For more information on how to secure doors, check out EZ Door Armor here: EZ Door Armor Website.

A second line of defense for doors is a home security system. If a glass panel door is present on the home, make sure to have glass-break sensors installed.