OK I had a hard time thinking of a good title but here's the gist of the problem/concern I have which I can't find an answer to anywhere online. Please note that this is a very specific but common circumstance so please read every detail of the post.
Many front doors have glass. That glass can be knocked in or shattered. From there the burglar can either squeeze through the hole where the glass once was, if it's a large enough hole, or the burglar can slide his or her hand in and unlock the door giving them access to the house. I am affected by this scenario because I have a wooden door with a large glass oval in the center and I don't feel safe with it.
I've been looking at steel door cages and steel window cages (since I don't technically need to cage the entire door I just need to cage the window part of the door). You can find examples here, http://www.homedepot.com/b/Doors-Windows-Doors-Security-Doors/N-5yc1vZaqqe.
The Problem:
Now yes, these steel cages will prevent the burglar from knocking out the glass and squeezing through the hole but it will still not prevent the burglar from knocking out the glass and sliding his or her hand through one of the gaps in the steel cage and unlocking the door. I can't imagine that I'm the first one to think of that flaw so what is the answer to that problem? Ultimately I'm looking for any suggestions someone may have. I understand that I could just buy a new door without any glass but that's my last resort because I love the look of having glass and I like the fact that it brings in more sun light. I also understand that I could get a mesh design steel cage but I honestly think that would look horrible and it would not match the neighborhood I live in. I'm actually in a very nice neighborhood and the house is pretty nice so I probably have no reason to be this secure but I feel like you can never be too safe.
Thanks to Bib's answer below I just purchased two of these Schlage B62621 Distressed Nickel B-Series Double Cylinder Grade 1 Deadbolt from the B-Series B62 from Amazon, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004L1UD4M?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=od_aui_detailpages00. I like this solution because it's simple and all I have to do is replace the existing Deadlock Bolt. I am a bit concerned about fire safety e.g., if there is a fire and I cannot find the key I will have to jump out the window from the second floor. I decided however that I can screw in a 12 inch chain to the wall and pin the other end to the key. This will ensure that the key is always present but that it's far enough away so that even if the glass is busted in the intruder will not be able to reach it.
I'm still open to other solutions and I think more solutions will benefit the community so please share!
Best Answer
You could consider attaching a thick acrylic or other plastic panel that covers the interior of the glass and is firmly screwed to the door. The edges can then be covered with molding.
Such plastics are shatter resistant. While they can be broken, they will not yield to the tools of most casual home intruders (unless they carry sledge hammers or blow torches).
No entry is totally burglarproof, but this would substantially reduce the risk (although many would consider it overkill).
An alternative is the use of double cylinder deadbolt. This replaces the interior deadbolt thumb turn with a keyed cylinder.
While this increases security, it poses a significant risk in case of emergency such as fire. If the key is removed from the interior cylinder, the occupants cannot get out of the house through that exit quickly. Some people using double cylinders leave the key in the cylinder when at home and remove it when they are away. Some also hang a key near the lock, but out of reach of the door window.