Burglary Prevention Starts at Your Door

Burglary Prevention - The neighbors have better stuff doormat

Burglaries are a fact of life. They are constantly occurring. In fact, an unauthorized home entry occurs every 13 seconds, with many of them happening in broad daylight. It can happen to anyone, renters and homeowners alike. So, if you don’t want to be a target, it’s important to know how burglars think, and how to use burglary prevention tips to outsmart them at their own game.

What Do Burglars Want?

Most burglaries are crimes of opportunity. These guys don’t really want to work hard; if they did, they’d have legitimate careers. They want it easy. They know they will not have much time to get in and out of a house, so they carefully select the homes with the fewest points of resistance. If you make your home a little more of a challenge than the next one, they will move on.

Doors Are the Front Lines of Burglary Prevention

According to a study cited by the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors, roughly 34% of burglars enter homes through the front door, and another 22% enter through the back door. So, when developing a plan to safeguard your home, your exterior doors should be the starting point. Here are a few things to consider:

Choose the right type of door. Make sure your exterior doors are solid. They should either be wood, metal, or fiberglass, at least 1-¾” thick. Hollow doors are basically veneer-covered cardboard and are worthless from a security standpoint.

Keep your doors locked. This is not a joke. I know some people think it is safe to leave their doors unlocked when they are home. However, according to the US Department of Justice, almost 3 out of 10 burglaries occur when someone is home. 7% of those people end up victims of violence as a result, with some sustaining serious injury.

Choose the right door lock. A solid door is important, but it needs to be paired with high-quality locks to reap the benefits. Do not rely on doorknob locks. They are spring-operated and can be opened with a credit card. There are many great locks out there to choose from. Lock N More’s home security specialists can help you decide which brands and types of locks are most appropriate for each entrance to your home.

Door-frames matter. Your doors and locks are only as strong as the frame that holds them. Many heavy-duty doors and serious locks are breached when someone kicks at the door and the frame gives way. Make sure all your door-frames are reinforced as much as possible.

Use light and visibility. A secluded doorway that is poorly-lighted is an attractive target. Make sure your front door can be seen easily from the street, and put your front lights on after dark. This is an easy, low-cost step you can take to improve your chances a burglar will pass your house by.

In future posts about burglary prevention, we will go into greater detail about how to make sure your doors, locks, and door-frames are up to the job of keeping unwanted intruders out of your home.