In part 3 of this occasional series on home security we are going to look at the main points of entry to your home the doors.

It makes no sense to have flimsy weak doors on your house, what you really need is something that a House Breaker will bounce off when they try to force it. In the next article in the series I will deal with the locks and hinges fitted to your doors but for now I would like to concentrate on the physical construction of the actual doors themselves.

The back and front doors to your home should be built of solid hard wood at least 1 3/4" thick or be of metal wrapped construction. The door should fit tightly into the frame with no more than 1/8" clearance between the door and the frame to prevent attempts to jemmy the door open. Not only will this give you a secure door but it will also help to prevent drafts and cut down on the heating bill.

Some doors have a decorative glass panel this can make it very easy to break into, it's only a few seconds work to break the glass and unlock the door. If you decide to keep this type of door why not fit a break-resistant plastic panel, or decorative grille over the glass installed with non-removable screws, on the inside of the door of course

The very best protection is achieved by fitting a strong wrought iron security door in front of the house doors. This has the advantage of not only providing an extra level of security against intruders, but it will also protect you by letting you vet callers before deciding to open your front door.

The next area to consider is the soft under belly of your home, your garage door. This should be kept securely locked at all times, even when you are home, particularly if the garage is attached to your home. Once a burglar has got inside your garage they are out of sight and can work uninterrupted to break into your home.

Remember home security statistics show that approximately 40% of non-forced entry residential crime is through via garage doors.

Finally if you have installed a dog or cat flap make sure it is not a way in for burglars as well as your pet. It is surprising how a small pet flap can be vulnerable, burglars come in all sizes! I would recommend that you do away with any pet flap that you may have fitted, the small inconvenience this will course will be more than made up for by the added security you will achieve.

In the next article in this home security series we will be looking at the locks and hinges fitted to your doors, see you then.

Roger Overanout

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