Home Safety | 4 Smart Tips to Fortify Your Doors from Burglaries

Front and back doors are commonly used to break into homes, so you'll want to ensure that they are properly fortified for the safety and security of your family. Hiring locksmiths to install robust door locks is an important step for protecting your home from potential break-ins. Here are some smart tips for installing locks on doors.

Install Locks with Deadbolts

Be sure to affix deadbolt locks on your front and back doors to properly secure it from potential break-ins. Deadbolt locks are a necessity for most Australian insurance companies for you to get insurance cover. A deadbolt lock consists of a key and knob set mechanism on the door. It requires you to physically lock the deadbolt with a key when the door is shut. A high-quality deadbolt that's properly installed by locksmiths will be very difficult to break through, so be sure to fortify your doors with deadbolt locks.

Affix Cylinder Guards to Protect Lock Cylinders where You Insert Keys

Burglars can break through lock cylinders by wrenching or prying them open from the door. To protect these cylinder locks, install protective rings or metal cylinder guard plates around the lock cylinders on the door. Use guards with rounded carriage bolts, since these are more difficult to unscrew. Freely spinning rings around cylinder locks will thwart the burglar's attempt of using a wrench to pry out the cylinder lock.

Strengthen your Doorframe

Even if you've installed locks that most prison cells would be proud of, a weak doorframe will assist the burglar in his or her efforts to gain entry into your home. Doorframe mouldings are usually nailed into the wall with small nails, which could easily come undone with a crowbar. A weakened doorframe will ultimately weaken your locking system, giving the burglar easy access. Secure the doorframe firmly to the wall by using heavy-duty nails along the doorstop and frame. Make sure that the nails are embedded deeply into the wall, so they cannot be wrenched out.

Use Strong Strike Plates

Strike plates are the metallic objects that surround the door hole where the lock enters. Flimsy strike plates will compromise the safety of your lock and can give the burglar an opening into your home, since the lock is not firmly secured against the door. Make sure your door is fortified with heavy-duty metal strike plates that are nailed sturdily onto the door with strong screws.

Get the locksmiths to fortify your doors, so that you can protect your family from any dangerous break-ins.