Toronto Front Door Tips
Toronto Doors Repair 866-820-1331
Toronto Front Door Tips
The easiest way for a someone to break in to your home is to just kick-in the door. The is the way that the vast majority of home invaders and burglars enter a home. In fact, they come right through a door over 70% of the time…and 80% of the time the door frame fails, not the locks or deadbolt as most people believe.
Just How Does Someone Kick-in the Door?
Most often doors are “Shoulder Slammed” or “Mule Kicked” by intruders. “Shoulder Slamming” is simply driving a shoulder into a door with great force. “Mule Kicking” is when someone turns their back to the door and kicks it in the same way that a mule kicks with his hind leg. “Mule Kicking” is an intruders favorite way to gain entry as it allows him to see who may be watching him from the street and beyond, plus it can open a door in a split second when done correctly.
4 Reasons Why Doors are Able to Be Kicked In So Easily:
- Most door frames on houses are nothing more than two 2″ by 4″ pine studs nailed together and covered with thin decorative wood trim.
- Many locks and deadbolts are poorly installed, secured or just simply too loose.
- Most hinges are held to the door and frame with screws that are 1 inch long or less. (Go remove a screw from one of your hinges and you’ll see)
- Most wooden frames have a small, thin, weak metal strike plate that are also held in with screws less than 1 inch long.
How to Correct Weak Door Latch and Frame Problems
There is very little realistically that you can do to correct the fact that your walls and frames are made from soft wood 2″ by 4″ studs. It’s just a fact that most houses are constructed in this way. But what can be done is to reinforce all of the weak areas which are the most prone to fail.
- Put a metal door guard over the areas where your door knob and deadbolt are that extends to the very edge of the door. This prevents the door knob latch and deadbolt stem from being able to be broken out of the door itself.
- Replace the short typical 1 inch screws in the hinges with 2.5-3.5″ long screws in the hinge side going to the frame and put 1.5″ screws in the hinge side that attaches to the door. This prevents the hinged side of the door from being able to be kicked out.
- Replace the small 1 to 3 inch strike plates on the frame with a 5 foot high security strike plates. This prevents the latch side of the door from being able to be kicked open. These 5′ metal strike plates serve a dual purpose. It replaces the small weak strike plates with something much stronger and it prevents weak frames made of soft wood from splitting. When the frame splits, that’s what causes the knob and deadbolt to allow the door to open. These high security strike plates will also easily repair a broken frame.
Knobs and Deadbolts:
Aside from what’s listed above, make sure you have good quality knobs and deadbolts, preferably the newer “pick proof” models.
It does you little good to have strengthened your frame and hinges if the quality of your locks is poor. By the same token, good locks alone are not going to prevent a door kick-in. You must address and correct all the weaknesses if you are to be fully protected.
The old saying…”An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” most definitely applies when considering your door frames and locks. Fix them now while it’s fresh in your mind. After all, what’s more valuable than your safety, your family’s safety, as well as the contents of your home?