Holiday and Year-Round Security
Home security should always be a priority, and almost always should be installed and maintained by professionals. If you’re going to upgrade your security, it can be helpful to know a bit about what goes into that security. Today’s focus is on doors, but we’ll talk about windows and sliding glass doors in the future. Settled into a new house, relaxing after the process of buying and moving, the last thing you want to do is worry about your safety.
Doorknob locks are the most basic type, and on doors leading from the outside comes the inherent problem that they are easy to defeat. They aren’t really enough to provide reliable security. They should always be paired with a deadbolt. An attachable chain lock on the inside might make you feel safe, but is easily overcome by physical force.
A study by the city of Chula Vista discovered “that 87% of the break-ins … targeted the one door that had no deadbolt lock.” The deadbolt lock is a physical safety lock, securing the door in the frame with a metal bolt that slides into a receptacle in the door frame. The bolt itself should be steel and at least an inch long. The strike plate, where the deadbolt locks into place, should be securely set into the door frame with screws that are strong, durable and at least three inches long. Shorter screws are easily torn out of the wood. You might consider two deadbolts in the same door, one above the door handle and one below it.
Another option is to replace your entire door and door frame with a steel security door and a steel frame.
There are also a variety of high tech lock systems on the market. Keypads are the most common of these, and are widely and successfully used in commercial settings. Biometric deadbolt locks read your fingerprint before they release the bolt, but these locks are not perfect, and some of them failed in tests conducted by Consumer Reports.
A good alarm system is the best back up for any door. The major reason for this is that very few criminals want to get caught, and the alarm is going to scare most of them away quickly. But, alarm systems can come with problematic contracts with alarm monitoring companies, which are beyond the scope of this post.
If you’re in the market, security is something that we can prioritize as we look at possible homes. If you want to do more research, try Consumer Reports which offers a buying guide and a set of reviews. Contact me today for a referral at 817-690-0976.
Pam Snowden
Realty World Professionals
817-690-0976 (cell)
