Securing Doors From Burglars
- 1). Install motion-sensored lights near your back and side doors. These doors are often hidden from view and give burglars the opportunity to break into your home.
- 2). Upgrade your door knock and dead bolt. Use a Grade-1 or Grade-2 lock on your front, back and side doors. These locks feature a dead-latch mechanism that prevents entry with pliers, a credit card or other tools. Ensure that the actual bolt on your dead bolt lock is at least one inch long.
- 3). Buy a storm door, and keep this door locked at night and when you're not home. Because a storm door creates extra work for burglars, it might deter them.
- 4). Change the strike plate on your door. Strike plates are metal plates located in the door jamb that hold the lock in place. A weak plate can detach with a hard kick, thus allowing a burglar to enter your property. Go to a local hardware store and look for a heavy-duty, four-screw strike plate. Use at least three-inch wood screws to secure the new plate and help stop burglars from kicking in your door.
- 5). Install a patio door security bar to stop burglars from opening a sliding door and entering your house. You can also deter burglars by positing a "Beware of Dog" sign or alarm system sign on patio doors. Purchase an anti-lift device from a hardware store to prevent burglars from lifting the door off the track.
- 6). Contact a local alarm company to install door sensors on your doors and monitor your property. You can also purchase battery-operated door sensors from hardware stores to scare off burglars. Self-purchased sensors are not monitored by the alarm company.
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