Security doors - why do they have to look like a security door?

[Todd Burch]

Will be moving out to the country soon. Want to get nice, thick, heavy, secure entrance doors.

First google hit was some cheesy surface-applied, retrofit metal brackets so the door couldn't be kicked in. The actors, attempting to kick the door in, weren't even trying. (And the doors they did kick in, seemed to have already had the metal catch and deadbolt brackets removed - the frame was splintered up and there was no sign of metal brackets at all! What goobers. ( http://www.armorconcepts.com/ )

My second hit on google for this was a supplier to penitentiaries. Go figure. Not really the look I had in mind.

Anyone ever use any, or know of any, makers of doors/frames with super-secure anti-break-in features, or, techniques to make such?

I guess I could use angle and flats to weld up a frame that could be laminated in wood and never seen, and also laminate some steel flats or rods inside a custom door I make. (Again, time vs money).

Thanks.

[Jamie Buxton]

Are going to have windows in your house? Y'know, the kind with glass in them? Glass that can be broken with darn near anything? Investing a lot in a super-secure door just forces the bad guy to break a window.

[Chris Padilla]

LOL, Jamie!!! Gotta love us West Coasters, eh, Todd? :p

I was going to say that Lowes has some nice security doors but they do have that "security door" look about them although they are pretty nice. My wife and I have been kicking around if we should put one on our home although I will admit that I want it mostly as a fancy screen door since we don't have anything right now to let air in.

[Todd Burch]

har har har. ;)

Yes, I would much rather force a crook to enter through broken glass and load his truck going back and forth through broken glass than a doorway.

So there!

[Chris Padilla]

I know crooks tend to be dumb but he could simply open up the door once he entered your house through those windows with glass in them.

Oh, double-deadlock...gotcha! ;) But then he could open the garage door!! Oh, lord have mercy!

Get a dog. :D

[Todd Burch]

Double dead bolts. Detached garage. Got a dog - she'll lick them to tears.

Back to doors....................

[Gary Max]

To funny------ it's a perk of living in the country----you don't need security doors. Whats next---locks??????????:D

[Larry Edgerton]

I made a safe room door that had 1/2" armor plate in the door and jamb but was indistinguiseable from the rest of the doors in the house. The safe room was 1/2" plate on all the walls and had a tunnel to another building. One of the houses that I am working on now will have a saferoom tunnel.

But really, moving to the country is supposed to take you away from that sort of trouble. I don't have enough money that I worry about it, and my neighbors all know that I can out shoot them.;)

Larry

[Jay Jolliffe]

Todd are you paranoid or is there really a call for security doors where your planing on moving. If that's the case I'd think about moving....Maybe your afraid of the animals out in the country:D

[Ed Aumiller]

Live in the country.... was victim of one attempted robbery about 27 years ago... someone broke LR window and met a very protective German Shepherd... we followed the blood trail for about 1/2 mile to where the car was evidently parked... What really upset me was that it cost almost $300 (probably now about $600) to fix a window when if he/she had simply opened either the front or back door they could have walked in and the dog would have probably ignored them...

If you are moving to an area where you need secure doors, think twice.....

[glenn bradley]

Are going to have windows in your house? Y'know, the kind with glass in them? Glass that can be broken with darn near anything? Investing a lot in a super-secure door just forces the bad guy to break a window.


har har har. ;)

Yes, I would much rather force a crook to enter through broken glass and load his truck going back and forth through broken glass than a doorway.

So there!

Quite correct. The officers I've had check my houses have all stated that things like a double deadbolt (inside and out) and security doors are to make it hard for the bad guys to get your stuff OUT. It's pretty easy to get in if you want to. All my doors have deadbolt cylinders in and out (including the door between the shop and house). If they get in through the window, they're gonna play hell getting any door open. I'm not making it easy for them. Of course, you should arm yourself too ;-) The best protection is to make your house harder to get into than the next guys. Burglars are basically lazy and not real sophisticated (there are exceptions). It's not like the guy from "It Takes a Thief" or James Bond are gonna bother with my house. If anything it'll be your usual idiot.

[Todd Burch]

Yes, I suspect living in the country will be less "crime" eventful than this suburban neighborhood (shooting directly across the street in 2006 - homeowner capped two people in 1 shot when they broke into his home the 2nd time in the same weekend - long story). Anything I do will be more for peace of mind, I suppose, like when/if I travel and the Mrs is home alone.

Here, if strange events are happening, there are a lot of potential eyes to witness. Out there - the coons and possums don't talk much.

I do have more than 2 arms though... if you know what I mean.

Not paranoid - just cautious.

[Art Mulder]

Are going to have windows in your house? Y'know, the kind with glass in them? Glass that can be broken with darn near anything? Investing a lot in a super-secure door just forces the bad guy to break a window.

Rolling shutters are fairly easy to come by to protect windows. I see them on various houses regularly.

[Jamie Buxton]

Rolling shutters are fairly easy to come by to protect windows. I see them on various houses regularly.

Shutters presuppose that you know when the bad guys are arriving. If you don't know when they'll arrive, you have to keep the shutters closed all the time -- and live in a sunless cave.

[Moses Yoder]

I used 3/4" quartersawn white oak for my door jamb on the front door. The glass is leaded, in between 2 layers of regular glass, so it would take a bit to break out but could be done with a big hammer (perish the thought). I have a deadbolt with a knob on the inside. The door stop is dadoed into the jamb (just an added feature to make it solid), and the jamb is screwed to the framing with stainless steel screws. Yes, it could be broken into, but it would be 3 or 4 times as hard as your average door. It shuts with a nice "ker-chunk" which I like.

[Dave Lehnert]

Something to be said about peace of mind.

Have you thought about a Security storm door? Some of them don't look like a security door.

[Jason Roehl]

If I were wanting to boost security on an entry door (kick-in prevention), I would probably trim the king and jack studs on the strike side to fit inside some steel studs, then through-bolt them in about 4 places, plus use some angle braces top and bottom. (I'd put the C-shaped studs together so that the open sides are together). I'd also put some 1/4" plate on the framing side of the strike side of the jamb, then I'd rout out the vertical rail on the strike side of the door and replace it with some steel, probably at least 1/2" deep, and as thick as possible to put as much metal around the deadbolt as possible. I'd want to drill the deadbolt strike through the steel in the jamb so that the deadbolt engages it when locked, and probably weld that steel to the steel jack stud. Similar operations for the hinge side...

But, that leaves the thief exit problem. I'm just not a fan of double-cylinder deadbolts. If there's a fire and the key's not in the deadbolt...(windows may be difficult for children to open). If a burglar is already in and wants to carry large stuff out the door, a double cylinder probably isn't going to slow him down much.

[Greg Portland]

Will be moving out to the country soon. Want to get nice, thick, heavy, secure entrance doors.

First google hit was some cheesy surface-applied, retrofit metal brackets so the door couldn't be kicked in. The actors, attempting to kick the door in, weren't even trying. (And the doors they did kick in, seemed to have already had the metal catch and deadbolt brackets removed - the frame was splintered up and there was no sign of metal brackets at all! What goobers. ( http://www.armorconcepts.com/ )

I retrofitted the Door Armor product (on that website) to our entry door because it has glass on the top and sides (i.e. framing is weak). IMO, the product definitely adds strength to the door assembly. I also installed a deadbolt that can't be turned from the inside when key-locked (prevents breaking the window to the side and turning the knob). All of these products are designed to make it harder, not impossible, to break into your home. At this point, I figure a thief will make enough noise breaking in (probably through a window) that someone would call the police.

If you're installing from scratch, just get a steel framed door --> http://www.doorcomponents.com (http://www.doorcomponents.com/).

Frankly, some NRA stickers and a big dog will be more of a deterrent to your average meth head than your locks or a reinforced door.

[Greg Portland]

If I were wanting to boost security on an entry door (kick-in prevention), I would probably trim the king and jack studs on the strike side to fit inside some steel studs, then through-bolt them in about 4 places, plus use some angle braces top and bottom. (I'd put the C-shaped studs together so that the open sides are together). I'd also put some 1/4" plate on the framing side of the strike side of the jamb, then I'd rout out the vertical rail on the strike side of the door and replace it with some steel, probably at least 1/2" deep, and as thick as possible to put as much metal around the deadbolt as possible. I'd want to drill the deadbolt strike through the steel in the jamb so that the deadbolt engages it when locked, and probably weld that steel to the steel jack stud. Similar operations for the hinge side...
This solution is very similar to the Door Armor product mentioned in the 1st link. They basically screw steel plate reinforcements around the hinges, deadbolts, and strike plates. This forces you to break the kingstud (or tear out the screws).