Maximizing Your Home Security With The Right Locks And Installation

You can buy the best quality and most expensive deadbolt on the market, but it still won't protect you from a break-in if it's not installed properly. Where it is installed, the durability of the door and frame, and the hardware used are all factors of whether or not that lock will deter a burglar. Here is now to make sure you get the most protection from a new deadbolt on the door.

Choosing the Right Lock for the Door

The standard deadbolt mounts inside of the door with the bolt extending out of the side and into the door frame. If you're in an older home and the door has settled in the frame, there may be enough space for a thief to get a hacksaw blade onto the bolt and cut through it. If that's the case, consider an externally mounted deadbolt. This mounts on the surface of the door inside of the house. The bolt slips into a component mounted on the wall next to the door. This moves the bolt further away from the reach of a burglar's saw blade.

Making Sure the Bolt and Frame Prevent a Break-In

When using the standard deadbolt, it's recommended that the bolt extend into the door frame at least one inch. Less than that and the door may be able to be forced away from the frame enough to push the bolt passed the frame. You can also try to prevent the door from being pried away from the frame by installing metal strips along the edge of the door and frame. This closes up the gap and makes it harder to move the door and frame apart.

If the frame is weak, a thief may try to kick the door and push the bolt through the wood to get into the house. To prevent this, use a modified strike plate on the frame. The rectangular piece of metal through which the bolt slips into the frame is the strike plate. Reinforced strike plates come with a metal box built around the hole. The bolt rests in this steel box, making it unlikely that someone can push the bolt through the frame.

Using The Right Mounting Hardware 

Even the choice of screws used in a deadbolt installation affects your security. Standard wood screws may be able to be pried out of a weak wooden door frame to loosen the strike plate and compromise the bolt. Use extra long, hardened steel wood screws with extra wide threads to hold the lock and strike plate securely.

If you're concerned about the durability of the door frame, you can buy metal inserts for the screw holes. These brass or steel inserts screw down into a pre-drilled hole. A machine screw is then used to anchor the parts to the frame through the metal insert. The components can't be pried away from the door frame without major damage to the frame.

For more information and tips, contact a local locksmith from a company like Fradon Lock Co Inc.