Common Tips For Home Security Part 1

I think it goes without saying that a little bit of Common Sense can go a long way.  With that said not everyone has had the same exposures in life so the Common Sense Factor may be relevant to the individual.

Entry doors and all exterior doors should be designed for security 

with a handle lock and a deadbolt lock. 

Burglars can easily kick in hollow core doors and have there way with your possessions.

Thieves can break through a simple keyed lock by various methods.  A door with a deadbolt poses more of a challenge.   So dead bolts are good for exterior doors, but only if they are installed correctly.  The bolt when in the lock position should enter the side jamb a least 1".  The striker plate, that is the metal plate that the bolt goes through needs to be screwed in with 3" long screws to prevent easy access by prying.

The common term "bumping:" is a way a burgular can open your door with any key just by bumping the key several times.  If you have an old lock you might want to invest in bump proof locks. If your doors are solid or metal and you have bump proof locks you have eliminated a high risk area.

It is always wise to have a Wide Angle Peep Hole installed in the door .  If you have a Mail Slot in your door you might want to rethink your mail delivery, an experienced thief with a small arm or mechanical device could unlock your door.

So if we have Entry Doors under control lets venture one more to the Garage Door(s).  Most Garage Doors use the same basic track.  This track has holes in it so one is able to put a pin or padlock through the track and the door thus securing it.  Just remember that its there before you try to open your door.

Another type of door is the sliding glass door.  These doors come in various sizes and styles.  The most common type of sliding door is a vinyl door.  There are wooden ones, usually higher end, and of course there are still many aluminum doors around.

Most sliding doors have a interlocking strip between them in the middle where they overlap when closed.  This helps with the strength of the door and keeps the weather and prying tools out.

Most vinyl doors have a lock or latch that doesn't work well, thus putting a stick between the door and side jamb.

 Sliding doors have rollers on the bottom of them and travel on a track.  If the sliding door isn't adjusted to the right height then they can be  lifted up and out.  A simple adjustment can fix this, click  'How to Raise a Sliding Glass Door'.