The front door to my home appears to be made of a metal shell with wooden interior. (Is this called a "steel door"?)

If you look along the edge of the door where the latches protrude, there is a crack in the wood around the main latch in a direction that would be made if the door were forced open while locked. The latch is loose and flimsy. The door does have a deadbolt however, this portion of the door edge does not have a crack. (Apparently, the deadbolt wasn't locked when the door was forced open.)

I'm looking to strengthen this door. I've seen the metal "wraparound" plates that are used for this purpose at the local hardware store. The problem is, my wife doesn't want to use something like this because it "looks ugly". I even suggested painting it to match the door color once installed and she didn't like that either.

So now, I'm trying to figure out if there is anything else that I could do to strengthen this door. Clearly, replacing the door is an option... but I'm wondering if there is something else... Are there metal plates that can be attached to the edge of the door... Would such a plate be strong enough to do any good once you cut a hole in it for the latch and deadbolts?

 

Pop the trim off the latch side of the door. There is probably a space visible to you now which I fill with plywood. I then go to the inside of the doorframe (like I was installing a lock receiver) and put long screws through the frame, plywood and into the studs in the wall. Make sure to predrill your holes.

 

Ace Hardware sells extra long brass jam plates that serve as more strength and to hide previous screws ups on shorter jam plates.

 

Let me clarify... While I do want to strengthen the door jamb as well, that's not where my problem is. The jamb appears to be OK.

The crack I'm talking about is in the edge of the door itself. This door is metal on both the inside and outside of the house. However, the edges are wood so you can drill holes to mount the latches, and hinges. If you open the door and look at the edge so that the latches stick straight out toward you, there appears to be an "arc shaped" crack around the latch that goes to the regular doorknob. The arc begins about 2 inches above the latch on the left side, sweeps to the right side of the door edge about the location where the latch is screwed into the edge of the door, and then sweeps back to the left side about 2 inches below where the latch goes. There is enough play in the hole that the latch sits in that you can stick a small screwdriver into the hole beside the latch without removing it.

So the question is, are there any alternatives to the metal plates that you install by removing the door lock and latch, wrap the plate around the door, and then re-install the lock and latch?

 

There are door reinforcing plates you can put over the lock(s) on the door. In your case, however, I would consider replacing the door.

 

I would set up a router with a fence / guide attached & route a deep slot out of the center of the edge of the door. Make a filler block from hardwood & glue it in with urethane glue & clamps. Rebore for your lockset.

the wood used in metal skinned doors is pretty crappy stuff & it would not have taken much of an impact to split an average one.