Your home’s front door area should be friendly, but only for guests who are invited. This area is susceptible to break-ins since it is the most noticeable entrance to a house. Safeguarding the front entrance door and deterring potential burglars can help protect your family and possessions. Apart from deterring unsanctioned guests, a front entry might facilitate emergency personnel in locating you. There is no need for protecting yourself and your property to be difficult or expensive; that’s why we’ve included everything from short-term DIY projects to long-term fixes.
Wireless Video Doorbell
Even in broad daylight, the majority of burglars enter through a front door if they believe no one is there. Wi-Fi video doorbells, like the Ring Battery Doorbell Plus, are among the most widely used devices for home protection. The doorbell catches footage of the front entrance area and alerts your smartphone as someone approaches the door. As a result of these doorbells, burglars are becoming more aware of their presence and avoiding houses that may capture them in the act.
Security Door
Install a security door on your front door to add an additional layer of safety. Security doors are usually composed of reinforced tempered glass or steel, iron, and metal screens. Security doors are difficult to pry open, cut through, or break through in contrast to screen doors, which are usually made of metal and screen mesh. Even while a plain wrought iron door might not be someone’s first choice, there are many different styles available for the doors, depending on budget, with custom designs being the most expensive.
Security doors also have the benefit of being transparent, allowing you to maintain a solid barrier between you and the outside world even when you open the main entrance door to let in more natural light or a breeze. The straightforward yet reliable steel security door from Unique Home Designs has a steel frame and screen in addition to a robust lockbox. This front door addition can be more expensive and may require professional installation, but it’s a long-term option to have extra security both at home and away.
Privacy film
When the sun shines through entry doors with transparent glass inserts or sidelights, they look stunning, but they also allow intruders to see right inside. But thick curtains don’t have to be used to block an intruder’s view. By adding frosted privacy film, such as this Gila privacy window film, to the interior of the glass, you may make a window more aesthetically pleasing while still letting light into the doorway and shielding your home’s contents from prying eyes.
Motion Sensor Lights
Making it harder for potential thieves to enter unnoticed is frequently the best way to deter them. Nevertheless, leaving a front porch light on for a few days while you’re away is not the best idea. When someone is scoping a street, they will notice how lit it is throughout the day. Hardwired sets of motion sensor lights install easily at the location of existing wired lights, and they only turn on when they sense motion. Leonlite LED Motion Sensing Flood Lights are a great alternative, but they can detect motion from up to 50 feet away and emit light up to 70 feet away, which is just enough of a spotlight effect to deter would-be attackers of your front door.
Due to their lack of hardwiring requirements, solar motion sensor lights—like the Urpower Solar LED Lights—can provide greater location options. The four lights in the bundle can be used to light up windows, garage doors, approaches, and even front doors. The solar collectors on each lamp, which are positioned on an inclined top, have to be orientated to receive enough sunlight during the day in order to be charged. This is the one disadvantage. The front door should be visible when motion-sensing lights are installed there. Make sure the lights can detect motion as someone reaches the door by testing them.
Sign of Security
Burglars have no means of knowing if you pay an alarm security provider to keep an eye on your house. Thieves will be deterred from breaking into your home by genuine security yard signs like the SmartSign alarm yard sign. To ensure it is not overlooked, place a warning sign in the yard near the front steps and place the accompanying security stickers in windows all over your house.
Clearly Visible House Numbers
Emergency personnel need to be able to find your house as soon as possible in the event of a medical emergency or break-in. Emergency personnel may have trouble locating an address when house numbers are small because they are hard to see. At least six inches is the minimum height required for house numbers, such as these from QT Home Numbers, to be clearly visible from the street. Install the numbers on a contrasting colored surface for maximum visibility.
Keypad Lock
Convicted robbers are quick to divulge one of their trade secrets—they use a key—when asked how they enter locked houses. A concealed key is frequently left for family members by homeowners, however this is a bad idea because thieves are aware of the finest hiding spots. The Z-Wave Touchscreen Deadbolt from Schlage is a good option for a touchpad entry lock installation. Many of the modern keypad locks have Alexa connectivity, fingerprint recognition, and alarms in addition to beautiful looks.
Door with reinforcement
A front door that is weak can be kicked in by an experienced thief. The most effective line of defense is an installed solid-core front entrance that is tight and well constructed. Solid wood or steel provide for the safest entry doors. Stiff spots include door jambs and frames. Checking front door security thoroughly is a good idea, even if it’s normally advisable to leave tasks like replacing a door or strengthening the frame to professionals. Purchasing a door hinge jig, such as the Porter-Cable door hinge template, can improve accuracy when installing new doors.
Enhancing safety at your home’s entry point is possible even if you decide against installing a new front door: A sturdy steel strike plate should be used in place of the outdated one, and the deadbolt should be tightened. Utilizing screws that are at least three inches long, install the strike plate. Door jambs can be strengthened using an easy-to-install the chain, door shield, pivot guard, or door brace if these steps are beyond your DIY skill level or money.
Door Brace
Purchase in a door brace and store it inside your front door if you have adolescent children who spend several hours alone at home after school or if you live in a neighborhood that is high in crime. Even the most determined intruder will be thwarted by a quality door brace, like the Master Lock Door Security Bar. After the brace is inserted beneath the door handle, a lever tightens it. When a door brace is used, even a weak door is nearly impossible to break down.
Pet Rescue Decals
It may be necessary to inform first responders about the number and sort of pets residing in your home in order to keep your beloved pets safe in the case of a house fire. Pet rescue decals notify rescue personnel that your cherished animals are both inside and in need of rescue. They should be placed in the window nearest to the front door or on a glass door insert. The ASPCA offers free decals for pet rescue.