Deadbolts are the upper lock on the typical external entry door. They are single cylinder meaning a single key facing outside and a knob on the inside. They offer security and if there are no windowed side panels they can be effective and secure. Most deadbolts have robust bolts or latches providing added strength over the door handle bolt. With the inside knob exit being facilitated from inside the house in case of fire or another emergency.
Front Door Security
The weakest point in door security is usually not the locks, but the door and frame. When impacted or kicked, the wood fails not the lock. The door frame can be reinforced with metal and screws that penetrate to the wall framing studs. The strike plate, a metal plate on the door frame, should be secured with extra-long screws penetrating to the house studs. A metal frame is the only thing that can ensure resistance to failure on impact. After boring out the holes for the door and deadbolts bolts, very little lateral support exists. This leads to failure with the bolts tearing through the door, again metal reinforcement of these critical areas can resist failure in case of a forced entry.
Door Jamb Strike Plate
Some strike plates feature a metal pocket the passes through the door frame into the studs of the wall. Coupled with extended reach screws these strike plates resist failure better that the conventional strike plates. The bolt throw is the length of the bolt when fully locked. A one inch throw should be the minimum.
Keyless Deadbolts & Smart Door Locks
Dead bolts can also be purchased with a combination lock or smart electronic locks that can be activated by your phone providing keyless entry.
Door Lite Entry Door Glass Inserts
If you have doorlites, the decorative windows on either both or one side of the door, you many want to consider a double cylinder lock keyed on both sides. Fire prevention professions cite the danger in case of fire using a double cylinder deadbolt. A floor penetrating heavy door bolt in combination with a key in the lock when home and the house is occupied will prevent forced entry. Pull out and hang the key out of sight and reach from the side lites, and secure with the key on leaving. This provides safety for quick exit in case of a fire while the home is occupied, with decent security when you are away.
Deadbolt on Garage Entry Door
With an attached garage, entry through a side door into the house is possible. The garage protects the perpetrator form prying eyes and access to tools in the garage. What goes for the front door also applies to any other entrance to the home, deadbolts with reinforced frames and doors.
How to Secure Sliding Glass Patio Doors
Sliding glass doors practically advertise “enter here” and need special attention. The stick in the channel, or a hidden pin accessible only from the inside, or better yet ornamental iron grill unlockable only from the inside will secure a sliding glass door. Another vulnerable consideration is double French doors. These lock door to door, usually with one locked with manual bolts top and bottom and the other serving as the generally entry-exit door. Doors are not as strong as frames. Surface mount locks effectively lock the doors together as a unified barrier. Better than nothing, but French doors constitute a weak link in your home defenses.
Residential Home Locksmiths & More in Wellington, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Boca Raton, Jupiter, Lake Worth & West Palm Beach County, Florida
Why all this talk of securing your home like some medieval castle? Home invasion, a crime that is on the rise throughout the US, is physically and psychologically threatening. It poses a danger for battery, theft, rape and murder and other violent crimes. Your responsibility is to protect your family and then property. Call Ninja Locksmiths for a security audit today. We will inspect your locks and make recommendations to increase the security of your home. Call us today!
