Door Crime Prevention Advice
Two thirds of burglars gain entry through a door so if your front and back doors
are not secure, neither is your home. When fitting a door fit it with a chain or
bar. If it doesn’t have a window or other means of checking who’s at the door, fit
a door viewer. Glass panels that are on or around doors are especially vulnerable,
so consider replacing them with laminated glass. Or for a more cost effective solution
you can buy special film to stick to the inside that will do the same thing.
Make sure the doors and frames are strong and in good condition. Wooden doors should
be solid and at least one and three quarter inches (44mm) thick. Don’t fit anything
less than five-lever mortise deadlocks to all outside doors, including French doors.
And of course, make sure you use them. By fitting a steel strip and plates to the
door frame and around the lock, you can make wooden doors stronger.
Even when you’re at home, it is worth keeping your doors locked. Use the mortise
deadlock on wooden doors and for PVC-U, or other enhanced security doors, use the
fully or double-locked mode especially at night.
Fit mortise bolts to the top and bottom of all outside doors, including both sides
of French doors. Remember to fit all security devices with strong screws or bolts
and before fitting locks to PVC-U or metal doors, check with the installer to make
sure that this will not affect your warranty.