The most obvious way into a house is through a door.
Interestingly enough, this is a statement with which both homeowners and burglars agree.
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 65 percent of home break-ins occur by forcing open an external door to a home, making reinforcing external doors one of the easiest ways for homeowners to immediately improve their home security.
The first step to improving door security is for homeowners to inspect their current exterior doors.
Most obviously, doors should be solid, preferably metal or solid wood, with any particleboard doors being slated for immediate replacement.
Additionally, all exterior doors must have a deadbolt lock, as the locks within a doorknob can be circumvented using nothing more than a screwdriver to pry the doorjamb out enough to release the lock.
Homeowners should inspect existing deadbolts to make sure that the throw bolt extends at least one inch beyond the edge of the door, and that it does not wobble or shake at all.
If the throw bolt is less than one inch, or shakes in its housing, it is time to replace the lock.
The strike plates of a deadbolt are the two flat metal plates that house the throw bolt from each side when the door is closed, one of which is located on the side of the door and the other on the door jamb ( this one has a hole that the throw bolt is latched into when the door is locked).
Both strike plates should also be inspected, which consists of removing the screws that attach them to the door and door jamb.
Ideally, these screws should be at least three inches long.
If they are less than three inches long, or if the strike plates appear worn and bent, they must be replaced.
This is also a good opportunity for homeowners to inspect the door and door jamb itself.
When purchasing replacement deadbolts, it is important for homeowners to remember that strong doors may be the single most important part of a home security system.
As such, this is not the place to seek out the cheapest possible solution.
Deadbolt locks are categorized by the American Standards Institute (ANSI) into one of three categories: Grade 1 (the toughest of all locks), Grade 2, or Grade 3.
Homeowners should strongly consider seeking out a Grade 1 deadbolt, which will likely be found at a local locksmith, and should insist on Grade 2 deadbolts as an absolute minimum measure of home security.
Generally speaking, homeowners should also consider installing a heavy-duty strike plate on their door jambs rather than the ones that come with the deadbolts, as they significantly improve home security and cost very little.
Heavy-duty strike plates will generally feature four screws, two inside the strike box (the hole that the throw bolt extends into) and two outside of it.
With new deadbolts, strike plates, and longer anchoring screws, homeowners are ready for the installation of their new deadbolt locks.
Having installed them on all exterior doors, homeowners will have reinforced the point of entry for almost two-thirds of all burglaries, drastically improving their home security.