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Burglary Prevention
Exterior DoorsMany residential doors feature hollow-core construction and poor locks, which are easily forced or kicked open. For additional protection, you need solid core doors and quality locks. Double DoorsThese doors need solid security as they are easily jimmied or forced open. Flush lever bolts installed at the top and bottom of the doors are recommended. Make sure the bolt is long, sturdy and mounted into a solid door frame. Arcadia DoorsMany burglars enter homes through improperly secured arcadia doors. Additional locks and security measures will prevent the door from being opened or lifted out of the track. Screws installed in the track above the sliding door frame will prevent the door from being lifted out of the track. Drill a pilot hole in the top track above, and slightly in, from each corner of the sliding doorframe section and install a screw into each hole. Adjust the screws so that the head of the screw just barely clears the frame when it is moved back and forth. Doors with WindowsDoors with glass windows or glass ornamentation require double key deadbolt locks. This prevents the burglar from breaking the glass and reaching inside to unlock the door. The key to a double key deadbolt lock should be left in the lock at all times when someone is home to ensure easy exit in the event of a fire or other emergency. Garage DoorsStandard locks on garage doors are easily pried, allowing a burglar access to your home without detection. Cane bolts and hasps are excellent protection. Make certain each side of the garage door is secured to prevent prying open a crawl space. Any door leading from the garage into the house should be securely locked. The more barriers you provide against the burglar, the better protected you are. HingesMany homes have doors that open to the outside, exposing the hinge pins. Despite a good strong lock, the burglar can remove the pins and lift the door from the frame. To prevent this, remove two opposing screws from each leaf of the hinge. Screw a long lag bolt into the frame side of the hinge leaf and saw off the head leaving about 1/2 inch protruding. Drill out the opposite hole to allow the bolt to enter when the door is closed. Do this to the top and bottom hinge plates. The burglar can remove the hinge pins, but the door will remain firmly in place. This technique is good for any door, no matter how the hinges have been placed. Door ViewersTo avoid opening your door without knowing who is there, install a door viewer. This device has a wide-angle lens to let you see someone standing outside your door without opening it. Spring LatchSome homes come equipped with this lock. It offers very little protection since the bolt can be slipped with a credit card or knife. This same lock, with a deadbolt latch, provides more protection, but it too can be forced open. Deadbolt LocksA deadbolt lock can provide good protection. When you turn the key, the lock mechanism slides a strong metal bolt from the door into the frame. When you buy a deadbolt lock, make sure that the bolt extends at least one inch from the edge of the door, the connecting screws that hold the lock together are on the inside of the door, the strike plate is attached to the door frame with screws that measure at least three inches in length and that the cylinder has a steel guard around the key section. The cylinder guard should be tapered or rotate freely around the key section to prevent wrenching if it is twisted. Single Cylinder DeadboltA solid bolt, activated by a key from the outside or a knob on the inside, slides into the doorframe. The lock cannot be slipped or easily pried. Deadbolt locks are only as good as the door and frame they are installed in. PadlocksWhen selecting padlocks to secure your garage door, storage shed, fence gate or toolbox, do not economize. Low-priced locks are made from low quality materials and easily pried open or cut with bolt cutters. Look for these features when purchasing a padlock:
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