Home security continues to be a very important topic for many families. This is especially relevant today since crime rates (especially for burglaries) typically increase when the economy is struggling. Consequently, I felt it would be a good idea to review ways to enhance home security by making doors and windows more secure.
Since it has been reported that illegal entry into homes occurs more often through the front door than through all other points of entry combined, lets start with discussing ways to make doors more impenetrable. All exterior doors should be made of reinforced steel, or solid hard wood. However, even these doors are not very secure if the door frame (especially the door jams) are poorly constructed, e.g., made out of cheap pine. For maximum security I recommend utilizing either heavy-duty strike plates, or a door reinforcer kit, and installing 3 inch nickel-plated or stainless steel screws in all exterior door jams (making sure that the screws penetrate at least 2 inches into the underlying framing lumber).
Sliding glass doors are a favorite target of burglars. The quickest and cheapest way to secure these doors is to simply wedge a broom handle, at about a 45 degree angle, into the door track on the inside. Additional security is easily obtained by screwing several screws into the door's upper track, with just enough clearance to allow the door to slide freely, but not allowing the door to be removed.
Your garage door can also be easy pickings, unless you have an electronic door opener, which is usually fairly inexpensive these days and makes it very difficult to force open the door from the outside, without breaking through the door panels. However, be sure you change the security code (for the electronic door) from the pre-installed settings (which are usually set to all zeros), since the more professional burglars know this and can take advantage of this knowledge, if you don't change the settings!
Now let's turn to windows. I've heard that burglars usually break windows as a last resort, or maybe by accident. They prefer cutting an access hole through the window frame and using a stiff wire to open the window's locking device. I feel that the safest windows are glass block ones, which are almost impossible to break through. Of course, they cannot be opened and some people think they are ugly to look at. So, I mainly recommend them for use in basements, or other areas near ground level and out-of-sight.
Most double-hung windows have cheap locks. An old, inexpensive remedy, for this type of window, is to install eyebolts in both corners and, if done properly, they make it almost impossible to open the window from the outside, when the eyebolts are in place. A more sophisticated solution is to install heavy-duty sash locks, or keyed locks, if you can tolerate the inconvenience. I do not recommend screwing the window shut, since this approach is a safety hazard in case of fire!
All of these measures can be very effective. In addition, it can be useful to install surveillance equipment in key locations. This provides insurance in case the security measures mentioned above do not prevent a break-in. If this should happen, the evidence captured via the surveillance system can be critical for the capture of the bandit(s) and quick recovery of all stolen goods!
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