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 what is the solution? Well there are quite a few solutions, and they are not all that expensive either. For those who have wooden doors; especially if they are made of cheap wood and not strong solid wood, I would highly recommend installing a reinforcer; also known as a wrap-around. This reinforcer comes in a variety of dimensions to fit most configurations and is available in various finishes as well. It will help resist any attempt at prying the door open with a crowbar or screwdriver and will protect your door as well. This little addition can make a huge difference, especially if you have a weak door.
You must make sure that the strike for your latch and bolt are secured properly. I 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 that make it highly secure. Kicking a door open that has a high security deadbolt with a properly installed strike box would require an enormous amount of force and would probably even be impossible. Of course this would also require that you have a sturdy frame. Having a the most secure lock installed and having a thin frame that is not properly secured at the same time completely loses the value and purpose of having a high security deadbolt at all.
Another tip is to regarding “metal” doors. A lot of people have doors which are filled with Styrofoam but have a thin aluminum coating all around it. Don’t kid yourselves, these doors are not “metal” doors, they are literally tin cans. They can be dented, bent and even ripped apart with common tools. In my opinion the best door for a residence would be a solid wood door which is at least 1-3/4” thick, along with a high security deadbolt , a reinforcer and a strike box. Not only will your door be very secure but it will also look like a door that belongs on a home and not on a jail cell. I 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 as well, which completely loses the point and in addition makes a home look too much like a jail cell – but that’s just my opinion.
