Why door reinforcement should be high on your list when it comes to protecting your family? Statistics show the most effective way to security a home and to stop invaders from entering is to reinforce your doors. And a good door reinforcement kit is the quickest way to make sure all aspects of your doors are reinforced.
Your home protects the most important things in your life: your family and possessions. But burglars can easily bypass your main line of defense, your front door, within seconds. Why? Because they are easy to bust through unless you’ve done something to increase your home security.
The FBI reports that there are a little over 1 million burglaries and break-ins every year. Most of these incidences occur between 10 am and 3 pm when most people are away at school or work. The FBI further reports that 65 percent of these home invasions occur by either forcing in the front, back or garage door. Another 12 percent of entries are occasioned by burglars finding the hidden key or merely walking in through an unlocked door.
That’s why you need to consider door reinforcement as part of your prepping strategies. You need to protect whatever is inside your home by addressing the main weakness points, turning your door into an impenetrable barrier, and improving your general home security by leaps and bounds. Details on best door reinforcement techniques and the best door reinforcement kits are listed below.
Table of Contents
Why Door Reinforcement ?
While statistics vary depending on the reporting agency, there are approximately four break-ins every minute in the U.S. That’s about 5,760 burglaries in a day. And these intruders tend to focus on the easy, low-risk break-ins. Rarely will they try high-risk maneuvers because they want it to be fast, in and out. And unsurprisingly, less than 10 percent of forced entry break-ins by experienced burglars are unsuccessful.
Builders rarely put much effort into your home security. Theirs is to finish the job, make their profit, and move on to the next job. Unfortunately, this means comprising on your door security. If a locksmith can open your door in 30 seconds without using any force, so can a criminal.
Well, security alarms are awesome and are a great addition to anyone’s home security. But they only deter intruders; they won’t prevent a burglary from happening. And so many people are deceived by these alarms, which create a false sense of security – making them ignore the more critical home security improvements.
Home invasions happen even more frequently during disasters and emergencies. Experiencing an emergency and having to handle a home invasion is the last thing you want happening to your family. If you’re going to prevent someone from rummaging through your stuff, taking all your food stocks, and posing a security risk to you and your family, you need to reinforce all your exterior doors.
Door Reinforcement for Your Front Door - Things To Do
There’re several things you can do to prevent your door from being kicked in. But why not start by actually locking your door. From the data we analyzed earlier, a significant portion of home burglaries are accessed through unlocked doors. Your expensive and high-quality door locks won’t help you if you don’t use them.
But this is common. Hey, I’ve unintentionally left my door unlocked a number of times. But you can avoid this by installing an electronic deadbolt on your door. These deadbolts have the ability to auto relock themselves if left unlocked for a specified amount of time. One of the best grade 1 electronic deadbolts is the Schlage touchscreen deadbolt.
Strengthen Door Frame
Your builders most likely installed the ½ inch screws on your door strike and door hinges. The best and simplest way to reinforce your door is to replace these with 3″ to 3.5″ screws. You can easily do the handiwork with a power drill. To improve reinforcement even further, remove the little strike plate on the door frame and use an elongated strike plate; one that will allow four or more 3″ screws. Unlike the small strike plate, you have a longer strike plate with multiple points for absorbing any force on the door.
The ultimate door frame reinforcement technique is using the best door reinforcement kit, which has all the hardware to reinforce your door. These kits already have these 3-3.5″ screws and strikes that are several feet long, making it nearly impossible to break through the door.
Strengthen Door Edge
The next section of door reinforcement is to strengthen the door edge. This is the section of the door the bolt has to travel through before locking into the door frame. Because of the small surface area of the bolt and latch, the force will concentrate on two areas of the door’s edge when someone forces entry. If you already reinforced your door frame, your door will likely break at this section.
The best way to remedy this is to install a door wrap that wraps around the door’s edge and distributes any force over. This means the burglar will need more force to break in because of the increased surface area to distribute the force.
Your best door reinforcement kit 2021 comes with wraps for the latch and deadbolt. There are larger door wraps that distribute the force even further.
Strengthen Door Locks
You’re probably using a residential grade 3 door hardware. This is the least strong lock grade with cheap material, plastic parts, short and narrow bolts, and non-resistance to lock bumping.
Short of acquiring a complete door reinforcement kit, a strong door lock is the best investment. When choosing your home deadbolt, consider security besides their style. Lock grade 1 is better than grade 2, and grade 2 is better than grade 3. For your home, you need at least a grade 2. You also need long deadbolts with at least 1″ throw (throw is the length of the deadbolt that extends into the frame).
Install A Door Reinforcement Kit
A door reinforcement kit is a state-of-the-art product and the best way to secure your home or bug out location. Even while away, your door remains reinforced. But if you live in a rental apartment, it may not be ideal for you – maybe consider a temporary solution.
These kits work by reinforcing the weak points of your door and frame, thus preventing entry through physical force. This is a huge upgrade to your home security as it gives you peace of mind and assurance that your frame is durable.
Best Door Reinforcment Kits
Door Armor MAX by Armor Concepts
This takes position one because of its ability to reinforce every single weak point and turn your door and frame into a nightmare for intruders. Other kits may stall home invaders, but this one prevents their entry completely. It’s the only best door reinforcement kit 2021 that has been tested to stand up to a battering ram.
It comes with pieces that will reinforce the hinge, lock, and frame. It contains 1 jamb shield, 2 hinge shields, and 2 mini door shields. This is a product we can recommend. The company even offers to pay your home insurance deductible and give you a free Door Armor MAX kit if intruders break in due to product failure.
Door Devil Door Security Kit
This is an affordable and easy to install door reinforcement kit with a 3-part barricade. It has a 1 long strike plate, 1 door plate to reinforce the deadbolt and latch, 1 hinge plate that protects the screws, three 3.5″ screws, and six 1.5″ screws.
Prime-Line Security Latch Kit
This is the most budget-friendly kit you’ll find on the market. It is such a great improvement over the standard builder set-up. You’ll find 3″ screws in the kit and a chrome-plated security latch strike plate. While it may not stop the most stubborn thieves, it is better than a door without any security improvements.
More Ways to Improve Your Door Security
Once your doors are now properly reinforced, it’s time to make improvements to your general security. If you are a homeowner, you are at an advantage to make extensive security changes.
Add Motion Activated Front Lights
Get the brightest you can find in the market and install those. Thieves and intruders tend to hide when there’s too much light. You can check out the BAXIA solar lights, which are affordable and can sense up to 15 feet and light up a 120-degree angle.
Add Motion Activated Front Lights
You need a doorbell camera that will notify you of any movement even without pressing the doorbell. If you get a notification and you’re not home, you can speak to them through the speaker as though you are in the house. The best doorbell camera you can find is the Skybell HD Wifi Video Doorbell which works with Alexa and Google Home devices.
How You Can Reinforce Your Garage Door
Other than increasing the longevity and performance of your garage door, reinforcing it does improve the security of your home. These are also vulnerable entry points for many intruders. You can reinforce your garage door by:
- Keeping the garage door closed
- Keep a security light or motion light
- Install an electronic garage door system
- Install an electronic keypad
Final Thoughts
Break-ins have been happening as long as doors have been around and many victims are left traumatized. The thought of having a stranger invade your privacy alone is enraging. But you are not helpless. You can still do something about your home security and safety.
Well, we understand we can’t completely stop a determined intruder from breaking in. They can still try using the window. But the whole idea is to reinforce your exterior doors and making them a tougher target. As a prepper, you are constantly assessing your risks and planning for them.
So keep exploring, keep your family and belongings safe, and stay prepared.
