Ways To Make A Home Secure?

[RobertNashville]

This is much more of a general “home defense†question than a “self defense†(i.e. gun related) question so if this is in the wrong place, please feel free to move it.

In thinking about making a home “secureâ€, especially from the “home invasion†sort of burglary while the homeowner is home, I’m curious about what some of you have done or are considering doing to make your home safer against such things. In particular, one issue, raised in another thread is reinforcing the obvious points of entry (doors) against being kicked in/forced open.

If anyone has any thoughts on things to do; especially say on a scale from simple/inexpensive that doesn’t take much “mechanical ability†to complex/expensive and/or that require significant installation/construction I’d appreciate hearing your thoughts.

I suspect that there are a lot of even simple things we can all do but may not have thought of.

For my own home, my guns (except the ones I have out for immediate use) are always locked in a good gun safe…I have a dog that, while not dangerous certainly sounds dangerous from behind a door…I also have a pretty good alarm system using a land line with a cell phone back-up (all windows and doors are individually alarmed and all open areas including back hall and garage have motion sensors). I also have back yard and front yard exterior lights that are on timers and one or more sets of lights are on during all hours of darkness…many inside lights are also on timers to give the appearance of occupancy for when I’m not home. In short, I’ve think I’ve done most of the “easier†stuff but I’m now looking for things I could do but haven’t thought of and/or what I should do “nextâ€.

[E4 No More]

Storm door-like security doors are a good place to start. They are made of sturdy metal that open outwards so you can't kick them in too danged easy. Same principle with the lower windows.

[leroy]

Robert:___________

Been thinkin about the same thing. I have been looking at good hard wired nite vison capable surveillence cameras for the two entrance doors; but i havent figured out how to make them alarm and notify me when someone is at the door. A possible solution might be motion detectors with the cameras.

Leroy

[Garufa]

Good old-fashion iron doors should be step 1.

[RobertNashville]

Robert:___________

Been thinkin about the same thing. I have been looking at good hard wired nite vison capable surveillence cameras for the two entrance doors; but i havent figured out how to make them alarm and notify me when someone is at the door. A possible solution might be motion detectors with the cameras.

Leroy

If you have wireless internet at you home there are good wireless IP cameras (both regular and infrared that you can view, tilt, pivot, etc from any computer or even an internet enabled smart phone form anyplace you have a connection...many can even be set-up to alert you by text message or email when they capture motion including a still pic of whatever set them off. The ones I've been looking at are around the $200 each range.

Of course, those won't necessarily make your home more secure against such things as a home invasion type of break-in but I think they are a possible worthwhile addition to overall security.

[RobertNashville]

Good old-fashion iron doors should be step 1.

My front door and door from the garage into the house are both steel but I worry about the frame and what I should do the strengthen it. My back door is another matter; it's steel but also has a large glass area and someone could break the glass and then easily unlock the door. My "storm doors" on both the front and back are also "glass doors"; they do open outward but getting by them would again be a simple matter of breaking the glass. Of course, making any entry at any of the doors or windows would instantly set off the alarm system but it wouldn't stop them from gaining entry.

As you can tell, my "doors" are my primary concern at this point but I"m unsure of what the best course of action is to make them more secure as well as how much of a headache/cost it's going to be!

Edited December 8, 2010 by RobertNashville

[tnhawk]

The main thing you accomplish in making a home more secure, is to make it take a greater effort for a criminal. He'll take the easier choice and pick a home that is less well protected.

[Guest TennTitan]

Robert, if you are worried about the glass on your backdoor and your storm doors you should look into window security film. You can install it yourself and it's supposed to reinforce the glass. I believe the installation is similar to installing window tint and from what I've seen it seems to work well. Though I don't know how well it would stand up to multiple strikes from say a hammer, but it should deter someone who's unprepared to stand there and repeatedly try to break the glass when it should have already broken. Just a suggestion, I hope it helps.

[Glenn]

Any door is only as good as the hardware. You need at least a reinforced strike plate. Two deadbolts, one down lower where someone would kick will make a big difference. If a dor has glass in it you should use deadbolts with keys on both sides.Then they can't reach in and unlock the door.

Glenn

[leroy]

Robert:______________

I think you are right. I like the ip type cameras too.

....Of course, those won't necessarily make your home more secure against such things as a home invasion type of break-in but I think they are a possible worthwhile addition to overall security. ...

RE: The "home invasion" breakin is my worry; that's why im stumped on the "alarm" thing. The best approach might be a motion sensing type setup along with the cameras. I just havent figured out how to do the "motion sensing" thing with an alarm; say to a smartphone. Maybe others will chime in with ideas.

Leroy

[RobertNashville]

Does anyone have any experience/advice about the devices that are propped up against the door, usually at the doorknob) and are braced against the floor? I'm just wondering how effective they might actually be.

This product (link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mQ1ACpLxwg ) looks interesting but I'm always wary or "sales videos" and can't help but wonder if there was something more done to the secured door than is apparent in the video.

Edited December 9, 2010 by RobertNashville

[RobertNashville]

Robert:______________

I think you are right. I like the ip type cameras too.

RE: The "home invasion" breakin is my worry; that's why im stumped on the "alarm" thing. The best approach might be a motion sensing type setup along with the cameras. I just havent figured out how to do the "motion sensing" thing with an alarm; say to a smartphone. Maybe others will chime in with ideas.

Leroy

I think a good alarm company could probably help you out with that...of course, you don't want you motion sensor setting off your alarm at every stray motion detected and everyone who comes to your front door isn't necessarily a bad guy.

[RobertNashville]

Any door is only as good as the hardware. You need at least a reinforced strike plate. Two deadbolts, one down lower where someone would kick will make a big difference. If a dor has glass in it you should use deadbolts with keys on both sides.Then they can't reach in and unlock the door.

Glenn

Yeah...I think the strikeplate is a given and is on my short list...I'm also going to change all my deadbolts to "key only" both in or out. I like the idea of a second deadbolt lower on the door although given that my front and garage doors are steel, I'd probably have to have help installing those (as I'd probably screw it up if I start drilling into my doors!).

[ttocswob]

On double cylinder deadbolts: Remember you just locked yourself inside, which can prove deadly in a house fire. The last place I want to be is crawling on the floor of a smoke filled house trying to find my keys!

In the past, I've made it a rule to leave the house key hanging in the lock. I suppose having a key near the door would suffice, if key location is known to all occupants, and left there consistently.

[Guest carbonarcher]

I would also install motion sensor lights. The bright ones are also a great way to "scare" away the people who should not be there. I have seen them with 300-500 lights on them. That will work. Something simple like that. Bad guys don't like light!

[enfield]

I've done a lot of the things the OP has (lights, timers, safes, alarm system), but stopped when I reached the point where my neighbor's house is more attractive to a burglar than mine. I'm not going to live behind bars.

My house is an indefensible position and nothing short of replacing it with a blockhouse is going to make it that much better.

[Guest FiddleDog]

I've heard that Door Jamb Armor is very reliable. Also, I think the Master lock has a product called the security bar, as well.

[Guest 270win]

You could put bars on the windows and on the doors. I've seen those on houses in bad parts town in big cities. I have no idea how you'd get out of your house if it catches on fire and you need to crawl out the window. I've also seen the high walls with barbed wire on top around property outside the USA. You could do that, but it would be a little pricey and would make your house look bad!

A good dog, alarm system, safe place for valuables, good doors with dead bolts, and gun of choice are about the way to go. Location of the property is very important. Cut the shrubs around your house down real short so people don't have a place to hide. Good lighting is with those motion lights. Fake or real cameras probably aren't a bad idea.

Edited December 9, 2010 by 270win

[bigwakes]

Does anyone have any experience/advice about the devices that are propped up against the door, usually at the doorknob) and are braced against the floor? I'm just wondering how effective they might actually be.

This product (link: YouTube - Security Door Brace: Real Time Demo of The Patented OnGARD. Locksmith Approved ) looks interesting but I'm always wary or "sales videos" and can't help but wonder if there was something more done to the secured door than is apparent in the video.

I use those bars and they work well. I have 5 doors that open to the outside or garage, so i use them for the doors we don't normally use. I have tested with one to see if I could put my shoulder into the door and the door opened a little bit, but slammed shut. The device is not full proof though. I have two windowed doors and a simple break of the glass and they are in. Also the pressure is at the knob, so I would think a good kick to the bottom would break the door enough to reach a hand in and remove it. I paid around 12 dollars each and seems to be worh it to me. I also have an alarm that tells me if a door or window is open, so I don't leave something open at night. I can see the alarm panel from my bed, so even if I forget to set it I can see if something is open. I also have motion detector lights near the doors and removed a tree that blocked view of one door from the street. Hopefully if the light comes on they go somewhere else.

Edited December 9, 2010 by bigwakes

[Guest cowboy20th]

The best way to protect your home from break in is a gun and a good insurance policy.

Burglars are going to break in when you and most of your neighbors are at work, usually during the day. They do not want anyone inside the house when they break in, they want money not fighting. They also need to do it during the day if the place they plan to sell these goods are actually businesses that have normal hours. Of course they could just sell the goods themselves or hold on to them throughout the night, but this is much riskier to do. Whatever they do steal can be replaced by insurance, any family heirlooms or something like that stick in a safe in the floor that is well secured and hidden.

The gun is for when you are home and someone breaks in, at that point they do not care if someone is home and that is dangerous.

Motion sensing lights are annoying more than anything, as a matter of fact, motion sensing anything is annoying unless the equipment is really expensive and high tech. Place floodlights in strategic locations so at any time if you suspect someone is outside during the night you can easily illuminate the darker corners of your property, without having a motion light that goes on and off all night, which gives you false alerts and probably annoys your neighbors. Cameras are excessive. The cameras you can see from your phone require internet and networks which are easy to attack and get into. A good robber could sit in front of you house in a car and within a minute or two, get into your wireless camera network, they now have eyes on your property from the comfort of their own home and can pinpoint when you will be home and not be home. Closed systems are an option, but then you can only see those when you are home, which is pointless.

Lock your doors and windows, if there are any windows close to the ground, try to reinforce them with security glass or something else that would make it difficult to break and easily enter. Use landscaping with thorns and other deterrents, bad guys don't like to be scratched up while trying to get in. Storm doors are helpful, as they add another layer for the bad guys to have to get through. look around your house, is there anything of high value that is in the open, easy to grab, and can be seen through a window on the ground level? Those are the items the bad guys are going to take, easy items of high value that can be sold easily and quickly.

Use common sense, they only have a few minutes to get in, get what the want, and get out of there. Make it take more than a few minutes and they won't mess with it.

[BryanP]

You could put bars on the windows and on the doors. I've seen those on houses in bad parts town in big cities. I have no idea how you'd get out of your house if it catches on fire and you need to crawl out the window.

You can do that, but there's something anybody with burglar bars should keep in mind:

Public Service Announcement | A Day In The Life Of An Ambulance Driver

I’ve said it before, but tonight’s events bear repeating it again:

If your doors and windows are protected by burglar bars, have a key box or combination available to emergency responders.

Having a key holder who lives at a different address isn’t going to cut it. If they’re not at home, or don’t answer their phone for some reason, there is a very good chance you can die behind your little Wall of Safety while the good guys stand helplessly outside.

Get a lock box, and have the combination on file with your local ambulance service or 911 call center.

[Guest FiddleDog]

We may have gone past the age of simple break-ins. Home invasions are now becoming more and more prevalent. 2 summers ago, there was one in my neighborhood almost every other day. A Vandy professor and his sister were executed over less than $100 in cash and their credit cards. 6 "kids" tried to force their way into my neighbors house at 4 in the afternoon. Criminals aren't using the same cost/risk-benefit analysis anymore when it comes to choosing victims. Some neighborhoods are worse than others. Criminals are really at a point these days where they really don't care about getting caught.

[Guest trigem]

For a few hundred dollars for installation and $10. A month I have a good alarm system that is monitored 24-7 and makes lots of noise

It has glass break in different areas

As needed

Another thing I did on my front door was to remove trim on opening side an installed a steel flat bar behind the trim with lots of long screws, it's about 24" long, no way to kick in door

They sell steel and aluminum flat bar at Lowes, 1/4" is good

Also the door knob brace works

good if you follow directions

[monkeylizard]

One idea I saw for the "keyed on both sides" locks is to buy a dimmer switch. You just need the plate and the knob istelf. Toss the electrical part. Super glue the knob onto the key. Grind the key "handle" as needed to make it fit right. Then cut a small slit in your drywall and screw the plate over it somewhere near the door. No need for an actual electrical box. Now you can put the key in the slot in the swicthplate and it looks like a dimmer switch, but it's really your key. So in a fire, you can always find a key to unlock the door and escape, but it's hidden from anyone looking in the windows.

My mother-in-law was at home a couple of years ago during an armed home invasion. It's what finally lit the fire under me to go get armed, trained, and my HCP and why my wife agreed to do the same. They kicked in the front door. The lock itself was fine (Baldwin brand), but the door and door frame failed. It was an oak door. It split at the bolt and so did the door frame, allowing the bolt to slip out of place. Steel and fiberglass doors are supposed to be superior in this regard. Some of the fiberglass ones look great, exactly like real wood. I know some doors are made with thicker door jambs than others. You'd probably have to replace the whole thing including the door to change it. Perhaps a longer striker plate that would allow screw points several inches above and below the cutout for the bolt would help. It should spread the stress along the board instead of concentrating it in the 2" to 3" area of a typical striker plate. I'm thinking 8" to 12" or longer. The plate on the opening side should have a similar effect. Pella makes some system that has multiple bolts connected to the single deadbolt lock mechanism. I know it has at least 1 on the side and 1 on the top. I think they may have a model that has 3 on the side, 1 on the top, and 1 on the bottom. Similar to how most safes work. I bet that would spread the stress pretty well during a brute-force attack on the door.

I always liked watching "It Takes a Thief". I always learned something new on how theives choose the target home, how they gain entry, or where they look for the good stuff.

Edited December 9, 2010 by monkeylizard

[Guest 270win]

BryanP-That is what has always made me wonder about those bars on people's houses in rough parts of town when they have fires. Stuff can always be replaced, but your life can't. I wouldn't want to be a prisoner in my own house and not be able to bail out when I need to bail like in a fire or someone needs to help me if I'm sick or hurt. I'd be afraid even with a combination that takes time. Sometimes it's good to be able to 'break in' your own house if you have to!

If you can afford to feed and keep well managed German Shepherd, those make nice dogs and cut down on prowler problems. The burglar will have to kill the dog to mess with you. Most burglars would rather find another house than take on that sort of dog. There are other good dog breeds that prowlers don't like to tangle with. I think a good protective (not crazy mean) dog makes a great companion for a single lady living alone or anyone.

Insurance, safe places to keep things like a gun safe and safety deposit box at bank, gun, alarm, well lit, cut down shrubs, to me that is about the best you can do.