I frequently come across customers who have installed high security locks on their home or business and find that their door is still not secure. Most people have wooden doors and are not aware of how easy it is to use a crowbar to not just pry open the door but to actually eat away all the wood surrounding the lock completely. Other people don’t realize how important it is that the frame the deadbolt or knob are latching to must be strong. And one of the most popular overseen mistake is not having a proper strike; a strike is the part that surrounds the bolt or latch on the frame of the door.
So you’re wondering what the solution is? There are many solutions, and they are not all that expensive either. Those with wooden doors; especially if they are made of cheap wood and not strong solid wood, we recommend installing a reinforcer; also known as a wrap-around. The reinforcer comes in a variety of dimensions to fit most configurations and is available in multiple finishes as well. This helps to resist any attempts at prying the door open with a screwdiver or a crowbar and also protects your door. This small addition makes a huge difference, especially if you have a weak door.
You must be sure that the strike for your latch and bolt are properly secured. We personally like to see a strike-box installed for deadbolts. The strike box is very strong and allows very large and long screws to hold it down in multiple points making it highly secure. Kicking a door open that has a high security deadbolt with a properly installed strike box requires an enormous amount of force and is pretty much impossible. This requires that you have a sturdy frame. Having the most secure lock installed with a thin frame that is not properly secured at the same time loses the value and purpose of having a high security deadbolt at all.
Another tip is regarding “metal” doors. Many have doors which are filled with Styrofoam with a thin aluminum coating all around it. Essentially these doors are not “metal” doors, they are literally tin cans. They can be bent, dented and even ripped apart with common tools. In our opinion the best door a residence would be a solid wood door that is at least 1-3/4” thick, along with a high security deadbolt, a reinforcer and a strike box. Your home will not just be secure but it will also resemble a door that belongs on a home and not on a jail cell. We often see people with security gated doors as an extra security measure to protect their homes. At the same time these doors have $5 locks installed on them which loses the point and makes a house look too much like a jail cell.
