There are many ways that crooks break into private homes, but having exterior doors that are not very secure is like sending out an open invitation for any thief to just walk right in. It puts your family in danger and greatly increases your risk of losses due to theft. Most non-secure doors have a few simple things in common, and fortunately these issues are very easy to rectify. Here are a few ways to bolster your home security by making your exterior doors more secure.


1. Get rid of hollow doors. Hollow doors make it very easy for crooks to break through. Check your doors, and if any seem flimsy, replace them with more solid versions that are heavy and thick.

2. Avoid openings: Make sure there are no openings that are large enough for people to reach their hands through. For example, a large mail slot may be wide enough for a small person to reach an arm through. Pet doors can also be problematic, as can glass windows in doors. If you want to have glass in your door for design purposes, make sure it is unbreakable.

3. Secure sliding doors: Many sliding doors are unfortunately not too sturdy. If you have to have one, make sure it’s made of unbreakable, double-paned glass and has a heavy-duty lock. Also be sure to secure the door with a length of wood in the sliding channel.

4. Install motion-sensor lighting. Criminals find a darkly lit entryway to be quite appealing, but you can counter this effect by installing motion-sensor lighting at all the doors.

5. Lock outer doors: If you have two doors in the entryway, don’t neglect to lock the outer one. It may seem superfluous, but two locks are always more secure than one.

6. Install three locks on the main door: Every external door has a standard bolt lock above the knob, but it’s a good idea to install at least two additional locks, including a deadbolt and a latch.

7. Secure your garage door: These days, not too many people still have those garage doors that can be opened by hand. But if you do have one, install a heavier-duty version that can only be opened electrically, and remove any backup mechanisms for opening the door. If your electric opener breaks down, you’ll get in another way.