As a professional locksmith I can get through most knob locks
and deadbolts in 5 minutes or less... frequently less than a minute with just a
few simple tools. If I can't pick it, I can use a cordless drill and defeat your
locks almost as quickly. The disturbing thing is that there are people out
there... LOTS of people...who are better than I am, and they're not interested
in your security, they want what's in your house. Who else has a key to
your house? Neighbors? The person who feeds your fish or waters your plants
while you're on vacation?
How secure are your doors?
You can spend over a hundred dollars on really good door hardware, and it's
still as
weak as a piece of pine wood. What should concern you even more, is that your door locks are weak to
begin with, not the locks themselves but the way they're installed.
Here's the problem:
Most housing tracts since the 1970's use what are called pre-hung doors.
Contractors use these because it saves several steps in the construction process
and lots of time.
The door is factory mounted or hung in a pine frame. The entire frame is then
installed in the door opening in the house and screwed to the jack studs.
Your hinges, knob and deadbolt usually only go into this pine frame, not all
the way into the studs. Pine is a very soft wood and can be broken fairly
easily with a good kick or strong shoulder. So, you see, no matter how good
your deadbolt is, if it only engages the pine frame, it's not very strong.
Little safety chains are a joke. They either snap or the screws pull out or
shear off with very little pressure.
It's called the bar-ricade. It's an old concept and low tech, but it
will keep someone from coming through your door quickly, no matter what they do
with the locks and even if they break the frame! The heavy
gage, specially flanged steel lag bolts go into your 2X4 jack studs, not the 3/4
inch pine frame. The square tubular steel bar is incredibly strong and
prevents the door from opening. When you want to go out, simply lift the bar-ricade
off of the bolts and set it in the corner. When you're inside, slide the
bar on to the mounts.
NOW, your door is secure!
Whether you own your home or rent, you can use Bar-ricade!
It's simple to install without cutting your door molding. All you need
is a drill and a 1/2 inch wrench. There are 2 different sizes for either 32 or
36 inch doors. Custom sizes upon request.
