How To Burglar-Proof Your Doors



The majority of devices mentioned in this report cost very
little. All of them will help reduce burglary and make your
house or apartment more secure.

Begin with a home "security" check. Start with the front
door and work clockwise around the entire inside of your
home, finishing with the back yard, fence and shrubs,
gates and garage.

Shrubbery should never block the view of your front
door. This allows an intruder the opportunity of privacy
to gain entrance. A wide angle viewer in the door lets
you know your visitor in advance. This item is recommended
over a chain lock.

LOCKS, BOLTS AND HINGES -
A DEAD-LATCH is an inexpensive lock set which keeps the
burglar from simply slipping your door open with a plastic
credit card. This method of entry is common in many areas,
but very easy to prevent.

AUXILIARY DEADBOLT: 1" deadbolt, single cylinder with
hardened cylinder guard, and thumb turn.

For extra security, a single cylinder dead bolt lock, with
one inch throw and case-hardened insert, is recommended for
all exterior doors. If you have easily breakable glass
within 40 inches of a deadbolt lock, it should be augmented
with a stronger type of glass or plastic to provide adequate
security.

Most police departments do not recommend deadbolt locks for
residential use. You may be adding additional security at
the expense of personal safety with a double cylinder dead
bolt. For example, you could lock yourself in and not be
able to escape in case of fire or other emergency.

THE RIM LOCK is a 1" dead bolt lock which is installed
on the inside surface of the door. It is less expensive
than other types of locks, but equally effective for security.

THE "JIMMY-PROOF" RIM LOCK is another lock which is installed
on the inside surface of the door. But this lock has vertical
dead bolts, which is an approved locking device.

CANE BOLTS: 1/2" in diameter by 12" high installed at the
top & bottom of the inactive door offers minimum security.
Many homes with pairs of doors, use half-barrel slide bolts
on the inactive door. These are weak and totally inadequate.

FLUSH BOLTS: Installed at the top and bottom of the inactive
door or a pair of doors, flush bolts offer additional security,
since the intruder cannot get at these devices to tamper with
them if the doors are locked.

HINGE PROTECTION:
Some exterior doors are improperly installed so that the hinges
are installed from outside. To protect such a door from being
lifted from its hinges by pulling the hinge pin, follow these
simple steps: (1) Remove two screws, opposite each other,
from both leaves of the hinge. (2) Insert screw or concrete
nail into jamb leaf, protruding 1/2". (3) Drill out the
opposing screw hole in the door. Do this in the top and
bottom hinge of the door. When closed, the hinge pins may
be removed, but the door will remain firmly in place.