Improving door security...
Discussion
Hi all.
After seeing someone that had their front door smashed in by undesirables it made me think how easy my own doors would be to breach.
I thought I'd show you pics of my doors and then you could offer advice?
Most of these doors do have bolts top and bottom, but they are puny, not aligned well and as a result not used.
Front door:
Side door:
Back door:
Another back door:
Many thanks,
Nick
After seeing someone that had their front door smashed in by undesirables it made me think how easy my own doors would be to breach.
I thought I'd show you pics of my doors and then you could offer advice?
Most of these doors do have bolts top and bottom, but they are puny, not aligned well and as a result not used.
Front door:
Side door:
Back door:
Another back door:
Many thanks,
Nick
We use security film on the inside of our windows in our offices which stops the glass being smashed. Google it and loads come up, for example, http://www.directa.co.uk/site/scripts/product_brow...
S
S
skeeterm5 said:
We use security film on the inside of our windows in our offices which stops the glass being smashed. Google it and loads come up, for example, http://www.directa.co.uk/site/scripts/product_brow...
S
Interesting thanks!S
DocJock said:
Don't forget hinge bolts on the hinged side of the door.
Stops the scrotes kicking the door off it's hinges.
This sort of thing? http://www.screwfix.com/prods/17201/Ironmongery/Do...Stops the scrotes kicking the door off it's hinges.
Security lights with sensors for the doors will likely help, acts as a deterrent and makes the house less of an easy target - Fairly cheap to buy and install.
Alarms that sense the glass being shattered will be helpful since all that glass is going to be an easy point of entry and will provide a nice man shaped hole to enter. An alarm isn't a visual deterrent but if you have helpful neighbours who are often at home, it will help.
Check with home contents insurance to find out if they require British Standard locks to be fitted or other hardware, if not then it may not be worth bothering, the door and frames look flimsy which will likely render them far less effective.
The glass is the weak point since a piece of ceramic material, say from a spark plug, for example, will shatter the glass with ease and with less noise than other means of entry.
Alarms that sense the glass being shattered will be helpful since all that glass is going to be an easy point of entry and will provide a nice man shaped hole to enter. An alarm isn't a visual deterrent but if you have helpful neighbours who are often at home, it will help.
Check with home contents insurance to find out if they require British Standard locks to be fitted or other hardware, if not then it may not be worth bothering, the door and frames look flimsy which will likely render them far less effective.
The glass is the weak point since a piece of ceramic material, say from a spark plug, for example, will shatter the glass with ease and with less noise than other means of entry.
B3njamin said:
Security lights with sensors for the doors will likely help, acts as a deterrent and makes the house less of an easy target - Fairly cheap to buy and install.
Alarms that sense the glass being shattered will be helpful since all that glass is going to be an easy point of entry and will provide a nice man shaped hole to enter. An alarm isn't a visual deterrent but if you have helpful neighbours who are often at home, it will help.
Check with home contents insurance to find out if they require British Standard locks to be fitted or other hardware, if not then it may not be worth bothering, the door and frames look flimsy which will likely render them far less effective.
The glass is the weak point since a piece of ceramic material, say from a spark plug, for example, will shatter the glass with ease and with less noise than other means of entry.
Thank you for that. At this point then I'm looking at security film (I see M.O.D rated material) and hinge bolts. Also think a pair of these top and bottom? http://www.c-p-p.co.uk/product/asp/ProdID/2291/Ctg...Alarms that sense the glass being shattered will be helpful since all that glass is going to be an easy point of entry and will provide a nice man shaped hole to enter. An alarm isn't a visual deterrent but if you have helpful neighbours who are often at home, it will help.
Check with home contents insurance to find out if they require British Standard locks to be fitted or other hardware, if not then it may not be worth bothering, the door and frames look flimsy which will likely render them far less effective.
The glass is the weak point since a piece of ceramic material, say from a spark plug, for example, will shatter the glass with ease and with less noise than other means of entry.
Those mortice bolts are rather good value for security, as are the films that you will have looked at. Both of these measures will improve the security of the doors to an extent that they work well enough. You have to accept a compromise if you want to keep the existing doors/frames, but you likely already knew this.
So long as it's acceptable to your home contents insurers there probably isn't anything much more cost effective than what you have already suggested, barring relatively cheap upgrades to the door hardware such as strike plates/boxes for the lock bolts etc...
So long as it's acceptable to your home contents insurers there probably isn't anything much more cost effective than what you have already suggested, barring relatively cheap upgrades to the door hardware such as strike plates/boxes for the lock bolts etc...
All the glass is obviously vulnerable, whether it be double glazed or not. So make sure no keys are left in the locks on the inside so if a hole is made in a glass panel big enough for someone to get a hand through, they can't unlock the door and enter.
Keep all door keys out of sight or hidden so if anyone gets in through a window, that's how they'll have to take anything out.
Make sure the windows have locks on them.
The side door looks like a weak point, especially as you say it's single glazed, but also the bottom panel with the cat flap would probably give way with a good kick. Does this door give enough light for you not to replace it with a solid door?
Other things are like making access to the rear of the property more secure, like higher and more secure gates or fencing, alarms or cctv.
Keep all door keys out of sight or hidden so if anyone gets in through a window, that's how they'll have to take anything out.
Make sure the windows have locks on them.
The side door looks like a weak point, especially as you say it's single glazed, but also the bottom panel with the cat flap would probably give way with a good kick. Does this door give enough light for you not to replace it with a solid door?
Other things are like making access to the rear of the property more secure, like higher and more secure gates or fencing, alarms or cctv.
Its expensive but you could look at shutters. I go to northern France on a regular basis and everyones seems to have electric roller shutters on doors and windows. I think they are brilliant. Much more aesthetically pleasing than the shop type but obviously going to set you back a few thousand.
EDIT - This kind of thing
EDIT - This kind of thing
Edited by richyb on Sunday 13th February 20:12
MJG280 said:
Your doors should really be either laminated or have film on them for safety. Laminated glass also keeps the heat in better.
Building Regs say that if you were having to replace that glass a glazier would only put in laminated.
....or toughened, which is a lot tougher than laminated, and a lot lighter.Building Regs say that if you were having to replace that glass a glazier would only put in laminated.
Laminated, would be the best choice for security.
If you look in the corner of the glass, there will be a kite mark, saying either toughened or laminated.
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