Do you want to enhance your front door, back door, or the door to a bedroom?
Doors are essential for inviting guests and keeping others out of your home. They also affect the aesthetic of the entire house, especially the exterior doors. However, 34% of burglars enter the home through the front door.
The easiest way to reinforce a door is by installing hard-quality wood like an oak door. The sturdiness and density of the wood make it ideal for reinforcing a door. In addition, the wood is also aesthetically pleasing, adding to the overall look of the door. The installation process is relatively straightforward, and the finished product will significantly increase the door’s strength. Although more expensive than other options, hardwood doors are the best choice for reinforcing a door and ensuring its long-term durability.
You can avoid this by reinforcing your door. Keep reading for a quick guide on how to reinforce a door.
Table of Contents
Things to Consider When Reinforcing a Door
Let’s discuss a few technical facts about doors to secure yours better. Most door types have a variety of points designed for security. These points include:
- Door locks
- Door edge
- Door frame
Pay attention to these points to ensure your door is secure and sturdy. Also, remember that the first step to home security starts with your chosen materials. The door type also matters whether it’s a double door, panel door, windowed door, or others.
Look for doors with high-quality materials and make. A steel door with a steel doorframe will cost a pretty penny. However, it’s one of the most secure and durable options for a front door in the long run.
How to Reinforce a Doorframe?
If you often watch action movies, observe how doors break when someone forces them to open. You’ll notice the doorframe or its pieces come off when the door opens. No matter how secure your lock is, people can open your door the same way.
To reinforce a doorframe, look at the screws coming with them. If the screws for the door frame measure less than 3 inches, throw them out. Replace them with 3” screws or longer (up to 3.5”).
Half-inch screws will only enter the door frame, and that’s it. If you use a longer screw, its body will also penetrate the drywall beyond the frame. It’s the cheapest and easiest way to reinforce a door.
Level up the reinforcement with a strike plate replacement on the door frame. Get an elongated strike plate to attach four or more screws. If someone tries to kick your door, the strike plate will keep the doorframe from breaking.
How to Reinforce a Double Door?
The weak point in French doors is the part between the two doors. Since only slide bolts at the top or bottom hold each door closed, it’s easy to force open. Here are some methods to reinforce a door with a double-entry design.
Consider using only one of the doors while keeping the other “inactive” or closed most of the time. Unless you often haul furniture, it should be easy. You may get used to the new setup, but it’s worth the security benefits.
Change the hinge attachment screws for the active door and corresponding door frame. Use longer screws, as mentioned earlier. Next, install a heavy-duty deadbolt on end to connect it to the inactive door.
French doors are the least secure door type. The best way to ensure they remain closed is to place a beam over them. Get a reinforced single door if you don’t want to backtrack to an ancient locking style.
How to Reinforce a Garage Door?
Besides the front and interior doors, you also use garage doors a lot. Heavy usage can cause sagging and make it weak. Also, garage doors without regular maintenance checks are more likely to break.
One way to reinforce garage doors is to add a reinforcement bracket. Depending on the door type, you can also find different reinforcement brackets. For example, the opener reinforcement bracket offers vertical reinforcement.
Adding insulation can also improve some garage doors. Polyurethane insulation can increase the rigidity of the door. However, ordering a new garage door with polyurethane-injected insulation is best.
Secure The Door Frame’s Edges
The edge of the door, which the bolts pass through to lock into the door frame, is one of its potential weak points. When the door is attacked, only two force regions need to be distributed because the door’s edge is only held to the frame by the bolt and the door’s handle latch.
The bolt and lock don’t effectively distribute the force because they have little surface area. The ideal solution for this is to install an aluminum or steel door wrap around the edge of the door. A door wrap is designed to expand the surface area over which any applied force will be dispersed.
When applied more widely, more force is required to inflict harm and open the door. To further secure the lock, replace the screws holding the metal strike plate that supports the lock latch. The lock will be strengthened and made more resistant to forced entry by substituting long screws for the current ones.
Secure The Door Locks
Grade 3 door hardware is commonly used for residential doors. The weakest grade of the lock is that one. These locks have the shortest bolts, plastic components, low-quality materials, and no lock bumping resistance. In contrast to what you want, they are the opposite.
Security should be a factor when selecting a deadbolt, along with aesthetics and style. The deadbolt is tested to a higher standard for lower grades. Better than grade 3 locks are lock grade 2. Grade 2 or higher is required for residential. Replace and put in the trash where they belong all deadbolts from grade three are.
More Tips on Reinforcing Any Door
The best way to reinforce a door is to install a durable, high-quality lock system. A deadbolt is an excellent way of keeping strangers out. Your deadbolt should have at least an inch throw or its extension out of the door into the frame.
Speaking of deadbolts, don’t settle for deadbolts with a grade-3 rating. The lower the number, the more rigorous the testing for the deadbolt in the grading system. A grade 1 lock is the best choice, but a grade 2 lock will do the job well.
If you don’t want the doorframe to break open when forced open, get a metal frame. Do you think metal frames will look terrible for the house’s aesthetic? Metal frames can get galvanized and painted to look like wood or other materials.
Finally, consider adding a smart lock to your door. Some smart locks don’t have a keyway so that no one can pick or bump them. The drawback is the battery or power source required to operate.
Why Do You Reinforce Your Doors?
We already mentioned various reasons to reinforce a door. First, it’s a precaution against burglars and other criminals. Installing a sturdier and more secure door alone acts as a deterrent.
You also reinforce your doors to protect them against bad weather. Thousands of tornadoes occur in the U.S. every year, especially in Tornado Alley. They’re powerful enough to bring debris into the air and cause them to fly into your doors.
A broken door during tornado season can create a lot of other problems. If you live in Tornado Alley, always reinforce your doors. Tornadoes can damage garage doors because of their placement and size.
Secure Your Property With the Right Door Reinforcements
We hope this guide on reinforcing a door helps keep your property and loved ones safe. Security is essential nowadays, so look for the correct door reinforcements. Use what you gleaned to get the most out of your investment.
However, it’s best to work with a reputable door company. They have the expertise and products necessary for a reinforced door.
Conclusions
The front door is their initial entry point for criminals trying to break into your house. Consequently, you ought to take every precaution to secure it. The good news is that you have many options for bolstering your entrance. Your wishes will determine the ultimate decision.
Understanding how to fortify a door is the first step in securing your company against trespassers. Your commercial door will turn into a fortress that even the strongest thieves won’t be able to breach with the door’s reinforcements mentioned above.
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