You Just Backed Into Your Garage Door; Now What Do You Do?

Keeping your home safe from burglars is one of your biggest goals when owning a home. However, your very own windows and doors can work against you, which potentially gives criminals easy access to your home, belongings, and family. Luckily, you can do a lot to better secure your doors and windows, so check out these four tips to improve your home's security. 1. Choose Wood or Steel Doors You can choose from many types of doors and garage doors, but the strongest are wood and steel. If you prefer wood doors, just make sure you don't get cheap plywood. You want solid wood, which is strong and durable. Steel isn't as durable, but you can request additional interior reinforcement. For additional security, avoid doors and garage doors with windows. Wood doors usually are more durable, but they also require more maintenance to keep them in good condition. Unlike steel, wood is prone to decay and rot if not maintained. Steel doors can't rot, but they can dent if hit hard enough. 2. Maintain the Frame You can have an incredibly strong door, but if the frame and door jamb are weak and worn, you are vulnerable to intruders. With a good kick, the door may simply burst open because of the weak frame. You may also want to ensure your strike plate is properly secure to the frame, and consider reinforcing it with a deadbolt lock. Door hinges aren't usually a cause for concern because they are usually on the inside of the house. However, some exterior doors open differently, so you may have hinges on the outside. If this is the case, replace the door or upgrade the hinges. 3. Secure Sliding Glass Doors Properly Many homeowners also have sliding glass doors, which can be a huge vulnerability if you don't properly secure or maintain them. The first security problem with a glass door is the lock. Sliding glass doors usually have inadequate locks that can easily be unlocked by jiggling the door a little. To prevent this, upgrade your sliding door's lock. If they can't open your door, a criminal may revert to a more noisy solution: such as breaking the glass, which gives them direct access. Since sliding glass doors are usually out of sight, your neighbors might not notice. If they don't want to break the glass, criminals can also knock the door off the track. Since both of these options are more noticeable and loud, however, the intruder will likely use these as their last tactics. 4. Consider Reinforced Glass Windows You can also choose reinforced glass for your sliding glass door. In fact, you can choose reinforced glass for all your windows too. Tempered glass is one of the cheapest types of reinforced glass, and it is much stronger. Laminated glass is a more expensive option, but it is also stronger. With two layers of glass and a sheet of resin, the intruder would have to hit the window repeatedly to break it. If you want really strong glass, consider polycarbonate or Plexiglas windows. Plexiglas is 10 times stronger than regular glass. Polycarbonate windows are the strongest choice because they are 250 times more impact resistant that safety glass. Unfortunately, they are also the most expensive. Keeping your home secure requires a lot of work, but replacing and maintaining your windows and doors is one of the best ways to protect your home and family. If you would like to know more about how to secure your windows and doors, or if you would like a quote on new windows and doors, contact us at Edelen Door & Window today.