There are many ways that you can protect your family and your home, but the first place that needs to be looked at is not the inside of your home, but on the outside.

Brace door frames and put multiple locks on all outside doors. What he does not know will hurt him. With a little extra work, the bracing can be hidden behind the door frame's internal molding and will not be noticeable from either inside or outside. For the burglar, this is like unexpectedly hitting an invisible wall.

The most common means of breaking into homes is simply by kicking in the door. Most door frames are made of one inch pine, which saves the contractor money. This makes them vulnerable to this basic assault. Multiple locks and bracing under the molding make this kind of entrance unlikely and will not destroy the beauty of your home.

Take between a two and three foot piece of flat steel stripping and drill a staggered series of holes down its length. When you take the interior molding off the door you will see the one by six inch pine plank of the door frame, which is nailed to the two by four inch studs of the wall. You may or may not be able to see the studs because of drywall, but they are there. That thin one inch piece of cheap wood is all that was between your possessions and a burglar. A few savage kicks, and it usually breaks off in a two to three foot sliver and the door swings open.

On the inside wall, where the molding was, position the steel strip so that all the lock strike plates are behind it and its edge is along the edge of the one by six. Screw it into place with long screws, leaving a few holes open. The staggered drill pattern should result in the screws seating into both the one by six and the two by four studs. Take the molding and shave or chisel out the thickness of the metal strip in the proper place. Replace the molding, using the remaining holes to tack it down over the strip, then putty and repaint.

Slower, better looking, but slightly less secure looks slightly better, but requires some precision dremel or chisel work. Instead of abutting the strip to the exact edge of the one by six, seat it one-eighth of an inch away from the edge. When carving your groove in the molding, leave the same sized tongue running down the door side edge. This seats over and covers the steel, making it invisible, then repaint.

Just assume that they did it wrong and odds are you will be right. Using the same length of screws that you are using for the steel strip, remove the shorter screws that are in the door frame strike plate and replace them with the bigger screws. It is not uncommon for short screws of less than a half inch to be used, such short screws are easily ripped out after a few kicks. On the other hand an two inch set of screws that reach into the house's very framing is not going anywhere quickly, no matter how hard you kick it.

About the Author

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for home goods, home supplies, home automation and security. Follow these links to find the best home goods, home supplies, and door security.

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