Doors

Doors

• Always keep your doors closed and locked, even while at home.
• If someone knocks on your door, you don't have to open the door, but make sure they know someone is home so they don't attempt to break in.
• Use good quality deadbolts with a 1 inch throw (the part that extends into the door frame) on all exterior doors (including the door from the garage).
• Install a Door Reinforcer Collar (see below). 
• Install a strike plate (the flat metal plate that fits onto and reinforces the door frame and accepts the deadbolt throw when locked).
• The strike plate should be 6" to 8" long and installed with 3" long screws to give maximum support.   
• Never leave a key hidden outside the home.
• Any glass around an outside door should be at least 40 inches from the lock or be unbreakable.
• If you have a glass door or if there is glass right beside the door: 
  • Replace glass beside the doors with glass bricks or put security film on the glass.
  • Glass doors should be replaced with solid doors.
• Change the locks when you move in (or have the locks re-keyed) - you don't know who has keys to the existing locks.
• Doors should be well lit or lit by motion detector lights. Install anti-tampering cages over outdoor light fixtures to protect the light bulb.
• For double doors, if one door is rarely used, secure it with a metal 90 degree bracket, using 3" screws to install the bracket. Or install heavy duty slide bolts into the unused door at the top and bottom. The bolts should penetrate at least 1 1/2" into the top and bottom of the door frame.
  
  Note: Double cylinder deadbolts (keyed to both sides of the lock) are against the City of Richmond Fire Codes.

Install a Door Reinforcer Collar: a U-shaped metal sleeve that fits over the door and increases the strength of the door surrounding the deadbolt and door handle. To install a door reinforcer collar, the deadbolt and door handle are removed, the door reinforcer collar is installed and the deadbolt and door handle are then re-installed on top of the door reinforcer collar. Door reinforcer collars are available at all hardware stores.

Exterior Door Handle Guard
 

• Used for exterior doors in apartment buildings including parkade doors
• Fits over exterior door handles to prevent unauthorized access.
• Will only allow key access to open the door.

 Peepholes or Door Viewer 

• Allow you to see who is outside before opening the door.
• Use an 180-degree view (no ‘blind spot’).
• Don’t open the door to strangers.
• Always let the person(s) outside know that someone is home to avoid a possible attempted break and enter.

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