In my Mom's gated community, there were some break-ins by robbers who stole jewelry, etc. In both cases, the robber(s) broke in the front door. The police department had a meeting with residents about preventing break-ins, and a deputy recommended having the front door reinforced, or to have it replaced with a metal door. There is 1/4 overlap, wood door on doorframe. Is that enough? I thought if you had a deadbolt, which we do, it was almost impossible to break in through the door.
Is 1/4″ overlap, front door to door frame enough to prevent break-in
front-doorSecurity
Best Answer
There is no such thing as an "impossible to break in" door short of something like the NORAD facility in Colorado. That sort of thing would be quite impractical for the average home.
The best choice, however, is a door sturdy enough to discourage the garden-variety OPPORTUNISTIC thief. Generally they will move on if they can't get in quickly and the best thing you can do is make gaining entry difficult enough they will go somewhere else.
A steel-clad door with a steel frame is an excellent choice but you need to ensure that the frame is well anchored into the wall of the home. A proper installation may take some construction work and if you aren't familiar with this kind of construction you should hire a qualified installer.
Keep in mind that thieves also look for other weak points to enter like windows, sliding doors, hidden keys (they know ALL the spots), etc. So check and reinforce those as well.
Thieves like to come back to places they have hit after a few months looking for insurance-paid replacements so don't think that just because you were hit that you are in the clear.