How to Secure Your Apartment Door

Whether you’re moving into a new apartment or just looking to improve the security of the one you’re in, it all starts with the front door. If you’re not sure how to take preventative measures to secure your apartment door, keep reading.

About two thirds of all residential break-ins involve some kind of forced entry. The weaker your door or its door frame is, the easier it becomes for burglars to break in and take off with your valuables. Did you know that a lot of standard door locks are actually inadequate? Quite often, all a determined burglar has to do is kick the door hard and it’s open, just like in the movies. Some doors are even weaker and the intruder simply prizes it open with a tool. It’s no use having a strong front door only to be let down by a weak lock.

In this video, the presenter shows you how to replace a front door lock with a keyed deadbolt:

Don’t Second-Guess Security

It’s a sad fact that too many of us think our property is secure when in fact it’s anything but. Burglaries occur because the intruder knows a lot more about home security than most of their victims. They can spot a weak door a mile off. This is why your first point of focus has to be on front door security, making it as protected and as strong as you can.

There are all kinds of locks and many different types of doors. Only you will know what you have. Once you understand your door type, you then need to check its security and see if it’s up to par. If it’s not, then the best thing to do is to make it stronger so that forced entry is far less likely to happen.

The five types of door lock to consider are (in no particular order):

Grade 1 Deadbolt
Portable lock
Lockitron Bolt
Kwikset Kevo
Swing lock

Just as a robust door is useless without a strong door lock, so is a strong lock hopeless if it’s fitted to a weak door and/or door frame. Even if you have a recognized strong door, the type alone isn’t going to be much good if it’s in poor condition. Likewise, if you have a strong door and a decent lock, they’re not going to protect against a determined burglar if the frame is weak.^[1]

Good apartment security starts by securing the front door. How secure is yours?

Resources

http://bccpa.org/crime-reduction/apartment-security/

Tags: Doors

Mark Bickmore

Hi, my name is Mark Bickmore. I'm an Engineer, who has a keen interest in home security and keeping my family, property and valuables safe from burglars. This website was set up to help me explore the research, facts and myths about burglars and burglary. Please feel free to contact me should you have any questions, comments or suggestions.