door plates?

[cracked junior]

My wife and I are buying our first house. We still have a couple weeks until closing. In the mean time we have been looking at home stores, hardware stores, lawn and garden stores to get an idea of how much everything is going to cost us, like new door locks, paint and paint supplies, lawn mowers and other house junk.

While looking at door locks. I was trying to find the double dead bolt locks, couldn't find any locally so will have to get them online. While looking at the door accessories I found the door kick plates and other plates, like ones that wrap around the door and the dead bolt and door handle go through them. Some had the dead bolt and handle in one piece of metal, others had them separate.

It got me thinking of how much strength do these plates add to the door? Are they worth the cost or are they just for looks? some were powder coated steel while others are brass.

The front door is solid wood door, has storm door that has steel grate on the outside. the rear door goes to the garage. then a door from the garage into the house. I know I am going get the door jamb reinforcement plates so the dead bolt has something other then wood to go into.

Thanks for any help or other ideas.

 

[ChuteTheMall]

I'd visit a real locksmith's shop before choosing something at a hardware store, if only for advice.

 

[Al Thompson]

Sounds like a good set up. I would also replace the stock screws with longer and stronger screws. I used deck screws to strengthen the hinge attachment to the door and frame. Don't forget the fisheye peephole at a level that your wife can see out of - I did.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

I learned to harden houses in my Dads Construction Business. To really harden the exit doors you use Longer screws and door plates. If you want to go even harder get Steel Doors with Steel Door frames and reinforce the Wood Door frame while your at it. When done with either method get good commerical Locksets

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/cy.../hardware/ecatalog/N-9b1?op=search&sst=subset

Yale or SCHLAGE both make nice looking Commerical and Security Locksets.

 

[Shadow 7D]

All the locks in the world don't mean anything
if you door and it falls in on the second kick (frame and all)

if they just break another door, or window, or it's left unlocked

Defense is layers, if point is more difficult, that makes the rest more attractive, OTH you could have a flimsy hollow core door and a known retired fighting dog that tears the heads off of the neighborhood cats and be just fine. Getting in your house suddenly is much less attractive.

 

[cracked junior]

alright. will try to visit the local lock smith shop.

as for the peephole if anything i will need to raise it for the wife since she is taller than me by about inch and half. im 6ft.

will definitely be replacing the screws with better ones.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

#12 by 4 inch!

 

[Charleo0192]

locks are only good for honest people.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

locks are only good for honest people.

Hardening the Doors is only one step in an overall home security plan.

 

[NoAlibi]

Shadow 7D:

"Defense is layers, if point is more difficult, that makes the rest more attractive..."

Exactly right. I would not have designed my house the way it is if I was having it built. French doors (12 of them!) and numerous unprotected windows make this place an easy entry target. The only salvation, other than the vicious dog suggested by Shadow, is to have all these openings protected by well anchored wrought iron bars or build a safe room. In another thread I picked up a few tips to harden the land surrounding the house so I would have some time to prepare for an entry or a vandalism.

Our next step will be the construction of a safe room.....Doc

 

[Pyzon]

Good locks on quality doors and frames are a good investment for sure. But how about "hardening the perimeter" with good motion activated lighting pointed out towards the threat (not into your eyes looking out the windows or doors). And if you are in a higher risk environment or declining neighborhood, a good quality video camera system recorded to a DVR. I'm always amazed though, especially in the case of like 24 hour convenience stores that they use such crap quality systems that are not able to identify a criminal's features. What's the point ?

And I believe in keeping the LE folks and interested neighbors informed and hopefully involved when things are going downhill in the 'hood, so yo're not fighting the battle all by yourself.

When all else fails, the only remaining choice is a better neighborhood.

 

[Shadow 7D]

Hey, I never said the dog had to be vicious, matter of fact, he might have been retired for a reason...

Point is, don't make it inviting, hide yo bling and don't brag, then make your home your castle, or as close to it as you can.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

My favorite is planting Barrel Catus under the windows; with a little TLC they can get up to the size of a 5 gallon bucket in a few years.

Motion lites and a good dog can round out your layers. If you have a long drive get a driveway alarm that will alert you to people driving up your drive.

Cameras are also nice lots of systems you can check on from work or your iphone.

Alarm systems can be a good choice.

Get to know your neighbors. We did and when our house got egged they came over and told us who did it. The Police rounded them up and exchange for me pressing charges the parents brought the boys over with cleaning supplies and under mine and the officers watchful eye they cleaned the mess up.

 

[duns]

Have no expertise on door strengthening but a peephole is an important feature. I don't currently have a peephole and I always feel a bit foolish answering the door with my hand on my gun -- every time do this I think I really should get a peephole soon.

An alarm system is an essential IMO. Costs a few hundred for installation and around $45/month for monitoring. A backup cellular system is a good idea in case BG cuts the phone lines or the phone line is down. (Have a traditional landline not a cable phone for vastly increased reliability), Put sensors on doors and windows and motion detectors in the rooms most likely to be entered. You can have the alarm on but the motion sensors deactivated when you are in the house. If you have pets always in the house forget the motion sensors because you will never be able to have them activated. I'm a heavy sleeper and I like having the alarm just in case anyone quietly forces an entry. Also I could concentrate on picking up a gun and defending myself knowing that the monitoring company will be calling the police.