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We are looking at buying an old historic home and all the doors are the original wood doors with multiple glass panels. We want to keep the original look but provide security as well. There are 5 entry ways all with similar doors. Any thoughts? Thanks and Merry Christmas!
Double keyed dead bolts on all doors.(keyed on both sides). You can also key them to use the same key. No need to have multiple keys. I've had the same concerns and double keyed dead bolts will deter the lazy burglars.
I would also secure a key inside, near each door and out of sight. Let each occupant of the house know where near the door the key is located. That way if there is a need for emergency escape, each person will know where the key is located in order to escape....hopefully, never needed.
I had the same problem with an old house I wanted to keep original. I never needed to escape but felt secure knowing I could get out if needed. I never had a break in either. I guess it worked.
Beautiful place by the picture. Enjoy it.
Right off the top of my head, a reenforced door frame, new strike plates, double cylinder deadbolts with at least a 1" throw, and some window security film would be a start. Your doors are an easy access point to your home and, from your photos, so are your windows. Pin your windows and get security film for those as well.
Time and time again it's been proven that double cylinder deadbolts are not worth it.
That's why laws were passed that homes NOT HAVE double cylinder deadbolts.
In the heat (pardon the pun) of the moment, people want OUT- they don't think about a key to unlock a door.
If you want to retain the look but increase the security, look at getting the tempered glass replaced with something like Lexan. But, I'm sure a security system would be a better AND less expensive alternative.
Good friends of ours just got broken into. They used a crowbar and busted out the glass in the middle of the door and stepped thru the opening.
The home had an alarm and double keyed deadbolts.
They were in the house for less than 5 minutes
Time and time again it's been proven that double cylinder deadbolts are not worth it.
That's why laws were passed that homes NOT HAVE double cylinder deadbolts.
In the heat (pardon the pun) of the moment, people want OUT- they don't think about a key to unlock a door.
If you want to retain the look but increase the security, look at getting the tempered glass replaced with something like Lexan. But, I'm sure a security system would be a better AND less expensive alternative.
And I can say that time and again it has been proven that double cylinder deadbolts are worth it. It is up to each homeowner to decide whether they are "worth it" or not.
The useful info might be NOT was "went through" but whether or not the home had...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Barking Spider
Good friends of ours just got broken into. They used a crowbar and busted out the glass in the middle of the door and stepped thru the opening.
The home had an alarm and double keyed deadbolts.
They were in the house for less than 5 minutes
...things like a simple set of FLOOD LIGHTS so that the bad guys would not know if the place was vacant / being recorded.
...a nice LOUD claxon / siren activate by motion detectors -- that usually get the neighbors calling the cops and the bad guys on the run before they do more damage get too many valuables.
... exterior SIGNS / window stickers for a monitored alarm or autodialer type service to have cops alerted to the break in and WARD OFF any bad guys with the brains to find an easier target.
And I can say that time and again it has been proven that double cylinder deadbolts are worth it. It is up to each homeowner to decide whether they are "worth it" or not.
There are also high end double cylinder with key retention from the inside that are code approved...
In other words when the key is used to lock the door from the inside, the key stays in the lock...
My 1980 Oakland Police Department Neighborhood Watch booklet with McGruff the take a bit out of crime mascot says the number one thing a homeowner can do is install double cylinder deadbolts on solid core doors...
Chet,
This was in the middle of the day. My friend had just driven off and was gone about 15 minutes. His alarm is very loud.
They kind of figured out that it came from a service provider that was in their house recently and knew exactly where the laptop and iPads were located. While he does not appear to have been the actual smash and grab culprit, he had to be somehow involved. They are very careful about who comes in their house, and this guy was the only one that could have known about the location of the laptop.
I don't want to go into details, but the location of her workstation (laptop) is very unconventional and this guy went directly to it. A neighbor did see an individual walking around the side of the house carrying something, but did not see the car to get a license number. While the police were called, and got there quickly, they were long gone.
They went to the back door, smashed the glass out, went directly upstairs to grab the computer, and grabbed the iPads on their charging station in the living room (near back door). Drove out the driveway thru a neighbors yard to the road close by instead of back out the way they came in (past neighbors).
Double dead bolts, flood lights, alarm, and watchful neighbor didn't stop these guys.
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The useful info might be NOT was "went through" but whether or not the home had...
