How Do I Make My Home’s Front Door More Secure?

How many burglaries happen in the UK?

According to The Office for National Statistics there were an estimated 800,000 home burglaries in England and Wales in the year up to March 2015, a worrying statistic that means the risk of burglary is an issue we should all be paying attention to.

How do burglars enter the home?

Another troubling statistic is this: 67% of burglars gain access through a property’s front door. Only 3% of those occur as a result of the door accidentally being left open. This is why it makes sense to ensure every home’s front door is secure as possible.

How to make my front door more secure?

Here are 9 simple ways to improve the security of your front door:

1. Installing a door viewer - so you can check who’s at the door before answering
2. Mounting a cage on the inside of your letterbox - this prevents thieves from reaching in and grabbing keys that may be near the front door
3. Fitting a strong door chain -to prevent thieves from forcing their way into the property
4. Re-key the lock - if you’ve just moved, a new cylinder lock means no one else has access
5. Add a strike box - a more robust locking mechanism which heightens home security
6. Replace the door’s glazing panels - upgrade from tired single glazing to high-performance double glazing
7. Add a reinforcer plate - they reinforce your door with a three-sided metal plate
8. Add a new deadbolt - low-cost, they secure the door using an outer key cylinder
9. Replace the old front door - the best way for the ultimate peace of mind that your home is secure

Most burglars, however, are opportunists. Little thought goes into who they target or when. They simply pick the easiest option, with badly maintained doors and poor locking systems being key attractions.

If you want to reduce the odds of your home getting targeted by thieves, carefully assess your property’s doors.

Hinges should be held in place with strong, long screws and ideally, should be reinforced with hinge bolts or security hinges.

At a minimum, wooden doors should have 5-lever mortice locks plus a night latch that has been tested to British Standard 3621 (most home insurance policies will require this). uPVC and composite doors should be fitted with a multipoint lock that also meets British Standard 3621.

However, while these measures can reduce the odds of your property being targeted (and the chances of a would-be burglar being successful if they try) the best way to secure your home is to have a complete assembled frame and door installed by a reputable home improvements company. This would be known as a ‘door set’. It will boast a host of security features and will have been tested by an independent third party.

Upgrading your property’s external doors will go a long way to helping ensure you don’t become part of next year’s crime statistics. Find out how Stormclad can upgrade your front door