According to FBI burglary statistics, about 65% of break-ins happen as a result of kicking in the front, back, or garage doors. So if we are talking about how to secure a door from being kicked in, I believe we are talking about the right thing at the right time.
Having doors kicked in is an old gimmick the bad guys often used to gain entry into a house. Even in movies and TV crime dramas, we have seen it being used by FBI agents to ram their way into the villain’s den. But our doors are meant to protect us and help keep our family and properties safe. We close, lock, and most times, alarm them – all in the effort of keeping the bad guys away.
But since it now looks as though doors are just as easy to kick in as we do see them play out in movies, then we need to find a way to up our game and make our doors more secure.
So how do you secure your door and protect it from being kicked in? Here are some useful tips that can help you reinforce your door and get it ready to withstand kicks from anyone.
Table of Contents
Ways to Secure Your Door from Being Kicked In
Replace the Deadbolt Strike Plate
This is the first thing you should think of if your door is the type that only has a cheap cylinder lock because it is usually an easy target for the bad guys. If you fail to replace it, it is only a matter of time before they come visiting your home.
In this case, you will need to use a grade 1 deadbolt as it is the most recommended when it comes to preventing a break-in. low category deadbolts are usually not as strong and will easily give in after a few pressure, which makes them an easy ride for criminals and burglars. But grade 1 deadbolts are very strong and durable. They are able to take up to 10 strikes of 75 pounds of force without breaking. Because of this, when criminals see them, they simply walk away.
However, when replacing your deadbolts, look out for the type that has a reliable strike plate. The strike plate is the metal piece where the latch of the deadbolt secures into the door frame. Check for boxed strike model and install because they have proven to be more resistant to kick-ins and other force attacks than any other models of strike plates.
Also, one thing you should also do is to get the hinges and all the original screws of the strike plate replaced. The screws are usually shorter than 1 inch and so are usually not easy to anchor the hinges and the strike plate to the door frame very well, which hence increases the chance of a successful break-in. so change them to screws that are at least 2 ½ inches long. It won’t cost you much to install a new box strike and reinforce the hinges with longer screws. With about 10 bucks, you can get them done, and in less than an hour.
If The Door Swings Out, Secure the Hinges
This is another way to secure a door from being kicked in. if your door is the type that swings out and has its hinges exposed, you need to secure such hinges. If an experienced burglar noticed that your door swings out, it may be a welcome note to him to try to attach the hinges and get the door kicked in. To improve security at this vulnerable point, you should either setscrew in the hinge or use safety studs to prevent the burglar from removing the hinge pin and then easily lift up and off the door.
Reinforce Your Door Frame
In order to improve the overall security of your door and cut down the chance of a kick-in burglary, you need to think of reinforcing the door jamb. Even with a box plate installed, it wouldn’t take too long for a persistent burglar to break down the frame with an onslaught of forceful kicks.
With enough kicks, you will be surprised how easily even your box plate will give way to the law of physics. Because of this, you need to reinforce the door frame and that is where you will need a reinforcement kit.
Reinforcement kits are basically metal shields or strips that you need to install on the door jamb, hence fortifying the ability of the door to withstand forceful entry. There are many ready-to-use door frame reinforcement kits available at the stores and for less than 100 bucks, you can add an extra layer of steel that will prevent your door frames from splitting and so making it tough enough to withstand kick-ins.
Replace Cheap Hollow Core Doors
Hollow core doors are only meant to be used for interior spaces and not for exterior entries. Even though they may be a bit cheaper than solid wood doors or doors with solid metal cores, they are also not as strong. Hollow core doors are really easy to break through.
The most affordable of wood options are the Pine doors but doors made from hardwoods are preferable. Steel doors are also not very expensive. They won’t break your budget and they are considered the most secure option. They are also built to withstand even environmental factors.
Use a Horizontal Door Security Bar
This is no doubt one of the most reliable solutions to secure a door from being kicked in by burglar or any unwanted visitor. Here, you are simply securing the door from the inside. A steel horizontal security bar is an extremely reliable option when you are looking to prevent kick-ins. It can stand against really high forces, so you can bank on it.
It is very easy to install, and in a few minutes, you are done with the process. You can fix it with two lag bolts that go into the jack studs close to the door frame. Securing your door is as easy as sliding the slots of the bar over the lag bolts. With this is securely in place, then you can go to bed with your two eyes closed because you can be sure no one is going to be able to kick-in your door.
One interesting thing about this option, which also proves to be one of its advantages over some other options is that fixing and using a horizontal security bar is completely independent of the door or the door jamb. This means even if the burglars are able to destroy the hinges, deadbolt, or the door frame, they still won’t have the chance to get into your home. If you are looking for a highly reliable solution to secure a door from being kicked in, you can completely rely on this option for magic.
Use a Strike Plate Lock Instead of Standard Door Chains
Although standard door chains have earned huge popularity in several households, the truth is that they don’t provide any substantial protection against force attacks. If your aim is to secure your door from being kicked in, you may need to install a strike plate in place of a standard door chain.
Wondering what a strike plate looks like? It is pretty similar to a normal door chain. The only difference is that strike plates are more durable and provides better security against kick-ins. It can withstand up to 50 full force kicks. Your burglar would have been tired before reaching that extend and let your door be.
It is quite easier to install a strike plate compared to installing a standard door. In less than 30 minutes, you can get it installed. Using a strike plate may not be the regular method of securing a door you used to know, but it is definitely a very effective method to help reinforce your door from the inside.
Reinforce Your Glass Door
Only a few doors are resistant to force attacks but some doors are much more vulnerable than others and one of them is the glass doors. A standard glass door is vulnerable to kicks, hence making it an easy ride for burglars to gain entry into your house. But you also need to secure your glass doors too. So how can you do that?
While there are several ways through which you can reinforce and improve your glass doors, one effective option to get this done is by installing a steel security grille. The only thing about this is that not everyone finds grilles and bars to be attractive. However, it doesn’t have to be so. There are many security grilles available at the stores that can add to the beauty of a door.
This method does not only prevents kick-ins but also serves as a deterrent to burglars and intruders. You can also install security film on your glass door. That can help prevent the glass from shattering even in the face of fierce attacks. So if you don’t like the look of security grilles and don’t want to change the look of your door, this can serve as a great alternative.
Use A Door Barricade to Secure Your Door From Inside
One of the best options available to you when looking to reinforce your door from the inside is to use a door barricade. This method doesn’t rely on how strong or in place your door is but uses the strength of the floor instead.
There are lots of door barricades available in the market and they can all be installed without hassles and without a waste of time. When you have the barricade in place and you want to open the door, all you need to do is to slide the barrier out of its base plate. That is what can be done with just a single motion – it is that easy.
Increase Visibility
When your door is very visible to the public, then there is a high chance that someone in your community will see and contact the right authorities when burglars are attacking your door. The truth is that even the best method to secure a door from being kicked in is not completely flawless. You are most times buying time with these additional protections, so it’s important you make things easier for a third-party to intervene.
So when it comes to increasing visibility around your door, good lighting and a well-maintained garden are very important. Having too much darkness around your door may be a welcoming note to burglars and strangers. I’m sure you won’t want to have that.
Consider your gate or fence. While it is good to have a fence provide some level of security and privacy, if the fence obscures the home, it can provide a cover for criminals while they undermine the security of your door.
Bottom Line
Now, you can see that there are several options available to you make sure your front door is well secure and kick-proof. So you don’t have to keep asking how to secure a door from being kicked in. you only need to choose one of the above-mentioned methods and reduce the risk of having your door kicked in by a burglar or an intruder. But remember that you can make things even more difficult for burglars when you combine two or more of the techniques.
If you are looking for where to start, I will suggest you begin with some inexpensive modifications you can easily and quickly achieve, such as reinforcing your hinges and strike plates. If you don’t have a deadbolt in your door, you will need to add one. But go for a grade 1 deadbolt above any others.