Hi Guys and Gals,

I'm having a new front door and frame installed, and I want to secure it against a potential Kick in. I know that I'm supposed to have 3" wood screws/deck screws used to secure the frame to studs with shims in place where screws go. I'm also going to have the installer use 3" inch screws for either a box strike

MAG Engineering & Manufacturing Company, Inc.

or a jamb reinforcement type system

DIY Installation of StrikeMaster II Pro Door Frame Reinforcement

I'm wondering which system is better/more secure. I'm also planning on installing a hotel latch with long screws for an added layer of defense.

Let me know if you think there are other steps to take in securing my front door.

Thanks,

Wes

 

Anything you can do to reinforce the lock area is woth the effort, but don't forget the hinge side. It is also vulnerable. The harder you make it for forced entry, the better the chance they will go somewhere else.

 

I can't speak for the link you mentioned, but I've recently had to repair / replace 2 doors that were either broken into, or attempted to have been broken into.

In one house, the 3" screws did nothing to prevent the door from being kicked in, it simply broke out a bigger piece of the jamb.

In the 2nd house, the burglar gave up about one kick too soon, the door was beginning to split in half, and the latch had bent and jammed itself into the mortise which actually helped prevent the door from being kicked in. I had a heck of a time getting it out it was mangled so bad. They could have just broken the glass. If someone really wants to get in, they usually will.

At any rate, the door that was used to replace these was a ThermaTru door equipped with "security strike plates".

The wrap around metal reinforcement (page 2 in that PDF file) helps prevent the door jamb from cracking in half when the door is kicked or pryed, since each strike plate has 4 screws holding it... two 3" screws into the studs, and two 3/4" screws holding it to the door jamb. There is no way in HADES that a person could kick a door in that has TWO of these installed, one on the latch and one on the deadbolt. It is by far the best system I have seen, and simple too.

To my knowledge, however, these parts only come with their new doors. I don't know if a person could get them to add onto an existing door. Installation would require uninstalling the door, since 2 of the screws need to be screwed into the OUTSIDE of the door jamb (the part that faces the rough opening). However, any millwork salesman could probably make a few phone calls and see if he could get you those parts if you are interested in retrofitting them to your existing door.

What JustBill mentioned about the hinge side is a good reason to install at least one 3" screw into the studs through each hinge location.

 

The ThermaTru doors look like a good pick...I did some more research on them, and they have impact resistant doors along with the multipoint locking system and security strikes...I wish the jambs were made out of something stronger than Pine, but I guess you can't have it all.

-W

 

I think most of these things are over rated. A small security strike with the longer screws is helpful of course...but I think most breakin people would be concerned about noise..unless you are out in the country.

I can just take a 4 ft wrecking bar and bend the door or jamb out of the way and be a lot quieter than trying to kick it in.

A multipoint latch that locks into the top and bottom would be best...I saw many of those in buildings overseas.

 

Kwikset sells those strike plates, like the MAG, with their commercial grade locks. I put two sets on my house and I like them quite a bit. In that video the guy is using #8 screws. You can always go for a #10 or #12.

 

These type of break-in's happen a lot in urban areas. Especially with everyone at work and not in their homes during the day. And that noise of a door getting kicked in could sound like any type of legitimate construction noise to someone near by.

I personally consider things like this to be crack head and juvenile secure. Any thief with a decent head on his shoulders will find a way to work around your security and they aren't that common.

 

Doorjamb reinforcement plates do actually work well to keep theifs from kicking in your door. Some are easier to install than others. Look for reinforcement plates that don't require you to cut your door frame. Check out*********. I found this company online and they have high quality plates at decent prices.

 

Just to point out the obvious most of the alleged metal doors BigBox sells aren't really metal doors. They are Styrofoam with wood rails and stiles with a thin metal cladding. A solid wood door which is usually a particle board core with wood rails and stiles and a wood veneer outer layer would probably stand up a lot better to kicking.

As stated the door frame is usually the weakest link. Now if you bought a commercial fire rated door in a steel jamb i suspect that would take a heck of a kick.