Having a solid door, lock and frame on all outside connecting doors is essential to your home’s security. Many burglaries occur from break-ins through doors, especially side, rear and garage doors. In many instances all it takes is a screwdriver or crowbar applied to the lock to force entry. A door that's not properly protected can easily become a target, even more so if it's concealed by a solid fence or high shrubbery.
Potential weak points of a door
Three components go into making a securely locked door; the frame, the lock and the door itself. If any of these three are weak, the other two will not be as effective. The best kinds of doors are ones that are made of a solid material. Solid wood, UPVC and fibreglass are all excellent materials for security as is steel, though it can be quite heavy and expensive. While some wooden composites with resin are reasonably strong, hollow core doors and façade doors can crack and split given enough force.
Security and locks
The best kinds of locks to equip your door with are deadbolts. Even the mere sight of a deadbolt can be a deterrent to thieves, preventing a break-in simply with its presence. Deadbolts are much harder to pick than a standard lock too, and often have restrictions around who can request a key to be cut for it, which can be especially important for rental homes which may have had many previous tenants who could potentially have a copy of the keys. Sliding doors should have some sort of pin lock to prevent them from being rocked off the rails they slide on.
Door frame strength
A deadbolt can be defeated, if the frame the lock is attached to is flimsy. Since framing is often overlooked by those seeking to secure their doors, it can be a known weak point for thieves to target. A door may be solid enough to withstand a good kicking, but this is useless if the hinges are kicked right out of the frame. There are steel frame door frames that can be equipped to accommodate an existing wooden frame, but they can also be installed from the start and provide an excellent measure of security.
Security doors and security devices
Security doors that are built and installed to adhere to Australian Standards provide excellent measures of security. Likewise, door viewers, cameras and alarm systems can all increase the security of your doors significantly, both in terms of the jobs that they do, and in terms of their deterrance factor. Your individual security needs will differ from house to house, but it's always worth investing in making sure your family, home and contents are protected from intruders.
