3 Easy Home Security Updates for your Doors

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Today, I’ve got 3 Easy Home Security Updates for your Doors, you can do in an afternoon.

Hi guys! Who wants a safer home??? I know I do. Today I’ve got 3 Easy Home Security Updates for your Doors that’ll make your home safer, in just an afternoon. And you only need a screwdriver and a drill to do these. Yay!

I wanted to share these tips with you after I took a quick break from finishing up my Master Bathroom Remodel to finally add a Swing Bar Lock to our front door. So glad I got that easy project off my to-do list. Now I can quit worrying that my 3-year will open the door for someone when I’m not around. Yikes!

But that swing arm lock also adds an extra level of protection against a break in. In fact, all 3 of these Easy Home Security Updates for your Doors will help protect you from someone busting down your exterior doors. Yay to that. 🙂

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What you Might Need

• Screwdriver & Drill
• Deadbolt, Grade 1 or Grade 2 with 1″ Long Bolt
• 3″ Wood Screws
• Swing Bar Lock

3 Easy Home Security Updates for your Doors

DIY Exterior Door Security Tip One – Use 3″ Long Screws on Strike Plates

First, one of the first things I did after moving into this home was to go around to each exterior door (front, back, and garage entry) and replace the old 3/4″ or 1″ long strike plate screws with 3″ long screws. 3″ long screws make it much, much harder to force down a door.

Have you ever seen a crime drama where a person easily shoulders or kicks down a door and the wood trim around the door just splits about an 1″ deep along the door? Welp, that’s because the short screws just aren’t deep enough to prevent that soft pine (typically) frame from cracking.

Using 3″ long screws on the wall and door strike plates will add the extra strength that can stop most door break downs.

DIY Door Security Tip Two – Use the Right Deadbolt

The latest deadbolt safety standards recommend that a Grade 1 or Grade 2 Deadbolt that sticks out at least 1″ must be used on all exterior doors. If your deadbolt is loose or doesn’t meet the latest standards, most people can replace these themselves.

Sometimes, you may have to drill a new hole. Which can make the job more complicated. But, usually, in newer homes, you can just use the old holes. The Family Handyman has a great Install Guide for Deadbolt’s if you need help.

DIY Front Door Security Tip Three – Add A Swing Bar Lock

Install a Swing Bar Lock on the front door, and maybe other doors, if needed. This Easy Home Security Updates for your Doors has 2 huge benefits for me. It keeps people out, but also keeps my little people in.

I’m all about caution. These locks are also great for stopping those toddlers and little kids from opening the door for strangers or just going outside without you. I can imagine this would be great for back doors that lead to pools without fences.

You don’t want those little ones near the pool while you’re in the shower. Just make sure to install them high enough to be out of their reach. And, use those 3″ long screws on the wall side of this lock too.

Additional Home Security Tips I Learned From a Police Officer

Those Easy Home Security Updates for your Doors help to keep your home safer, but I’ve learned a few more things about home security from a local police officer.

First, the average residential burglar is often a male teenager that lives near you. They are opportunist looking for an easy target. Strangely, my parents have had 2 experiences with different sets of teenage boys trying to break into 2 different homes. Teens are a bit crazy, right? And, peer pressure in groups can make you do things as a teen, you wouldn’t normally do.

So, make sure your kids aren’t using a garage door security code or hidden key to access your home. If they do, all of their friends know exactly how to enter your home. AND, talk to your teens about things like this and about how dangerous this is. I hate to think about a 15-year old acting impulsively breaking into a home and being shot by a scared homeowner.

Next, if the risk of detection is high, the average burglar will not attempt to enter your home. Keep trees and shrubs around your home trimmed, so that they don’t make good hiding places for break-ins. Tall fences that hide the backyard add privacy for you, but also make it easier for burglars to break-in without being seen.

Also, loud or large dogs can scare off burglars or at least draw attention they don’t want. And, light up your house to deter criminals. Street Lights, motion-detecting lights, and porch lights are all recommended for deterring crime.Don’t leave tools in your yard that could be used to help a burglar break-in.

Another tip, don’t leave tools or ladders in the yard that a burglar might use to break-in to your home. You don’t want to help make their job easier. Most burglaries happen during the day, when people are at work. So, do what you can to make it look like your home.

Leave a car in the driveway, instead of the garage. And, if you are home, don’t just ignore the front door. I used to always do this. But, now I realize that may make someone think the home is empty and a good target. So,now I look out the sidelight of my door to see who it is. Then I can always say ‘no thanks’ through the window, if I don’t feel comfortable opening the door.

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Looking for another Easy Home Maintenance Project?

Check out the Easy DIY Steps for How to Restain a Door without stripping or removing it.

If you love DIY Home Improvement as much as I do, I have this post full of 20+ Home DIY Tips and Tricks I recommend for EVERYONE. And, this video has a quick tour of 10 more DIY Tips and Tricks from my home.

And, you can Restore your Grout to Like New and this product seals grout too. Yay! Watch the quick video to see how easy it is, then click here to see the Grout Whitening Tutorial.

Or, my trick for making removable screens for your AC, boat, or under a deck.