Anyone know what is the best quality door jamb hardening system. I see Door Armor MAX and Door Devil as two that are mentioned a lot.
Also, any recommendations on best options for window film, solid core doors, storm doors, dead bolts, window security, other tips? Anything of value is appreciated.
Things change and I don't want to go with something that has been bested by better options.
Thanks.
Last edited by Willard; 07-10-2022 at 05:11 PM.
I'm unaware if any of the commercial door hardening kits are better or worse than the next. Realistically, a metal door secured with 3" screws into the frame will withstand any non-professional breaching attempt, and even a sturdy poly door will do a pretty good job unless someone brings tools.
ANSI Grade 2 locks are the goal to shoot for, ANSI Grade 1 if you really want to nerd out and can afford it as well as have it fit stylistically and within your desir d features of convenience and style. Example, most electronic locks and fancy looking locks can be retrofitted with ANSI Grade 2 internals, but not grade 1. Stay away from pretty much anything that can be bought on a shelf in a hardware store; all the stuff worth spending money on will usually only be available from locksmiths.
My favorite locks are Mul-t-Lok, which have fantastic security features, the best key control/integrity in the business, and are also convenient to carry in your pocket without sharp teeth chewing up your clothes.
As for windows, unless you really want to dive in on costs and specialization from commercial security firms, your best bet is buying tempered and laminated glass, which is unusual and almost always a custom option. Actual entry resistant glass will be very expensive to begin with and likely difficult to source for home use unless you have exceptional cash reserves. I'm unaware of any qualitative differences in the commercial film offerings, just realize that they don't do what companies are usually advertising them to do; when they show bare glass breaking, it's regular plate glass. When they apply a film and show the glass bouncing baseballs with ease, that's because they're actually demonstrating the capabilities of tempered glass. All the films really do is prevent the glass from falling in pieces, they don't really make the glass stronger.
"Are you ready? Okay. Let's roll."- Last words of Todd Beamer
I知 also interested in the films. Will they hinder a drunk redneck from smashing the pane by my door handle and reaching in to unlock the door at 3 AM?
I知 assuming your dead bolt has a standard latch on the inside? What about replacing the dead bolt with one requiring the key from both sides?Originally Posted by TOTS
Then hang the key with a small flashlight out of sight from anyone outside the door. During the day when home I値l have the door locked with the key usually in the lock, at night it gets removed and hung close by in case of fire.
As a firefighter I cringe at these discussions. Anything that you do to keep people out has the potential to trap you inside. I will try to be objective and lay out a few things.
First off, I want to point out that the temperature of fire gases at head height will quickly reach the point of searing your airway and killing you in one breath. Not only will it be hot visibility will be near zero. This will play into the positioning of devices.
Second, deadbolts keyed on both sides have killed whole families.
Third, bars on windows have killed whole families.
I experienced both of these on a fire that killed a family of five. All the victims were found at windows or behind the front door.
On to things I recommend to people.
Doors;
1- Quality locks, dead bolts and keyed entry should not be a bargain item.
1a- Strike plates need to be installed with screws long enough to penetrate framing.
1b- Install screws long enough to penetrate framing into each hinge, one per is sufficient.
2- If you are going to install a swing latch, chain latch or other secondary lock, make sure you can reach it from a crawling position.
Windows;
I don't have much experience with window film. The only encounter I had kept the glass intact making it easier to remove the whole pane at once. The film would have to be attached to the frame at a minimum. Just to note on this topic, we cut laminated windshields out of cars using a Sawzall and before battery powered tools they got chopped out with an axe.
The best thing I've got for windows is to put a barrier to keep from reaching them from the outside but not prevent an emergency exit. I.e., Low growing thorny shrubs, this even keeps us from trying most of the time.
A whole house alarm system with audible alarm. Monitored or not, that's up to you.
Notable things I have seen that works;
The chair leaned up under the doorknob.
The most amazing and difficult door to get through, the resident had installed a folding door stop. This was in an apartment complex with an interior hallway. After defeating the door locks we still could not pry open the door and ended up going through the sheetrock to the side of the door.
A drop in bolt in the floor. Seriously, it was a 3/4-inch bolt probably 10 inches in length that dropped right in a hole drilled into the floor. It stuck up probably 4 inches. Fortunately, we never had to break in this person's house and if we did, we had planned to go through a window.
After living in tornado country and having a small piece of debris propelled by a nearby EF-3 turn a picture window into thousands of little shards and now living in hurricane country, window and door strength is less about intruders and more about having a habitable home after a storm passes. It took almost five months to get that broken window and the bent door next to it replaced. During those five months, it was covered with plywood and did a number on the HVAC operating costs. We also found small pieces of glass for almost a year no matter how much we swept and vacuumed. The window literally disintegrated from the impact.
Miami-Dade put together a pretty good spec to make windows and doors resistant enough to survive being struck by objects propelled by storm winds. Two separate panes of glass separated by something. The idea is the outer layer takes the hit and fails, but the inner layer stays intact. Still need to replace the window, but just the outer pane and insulation system. That same system also makes the windows and doors pretty resistant to intruders. The windows and doors are not inexpensive, but they may make sense even if you are not in tornado alley or hurricane central.
We are installing hurricane shutters on our new (to us) home in FL. Some of those are marketed as being useful against vandalism. Not sure I agree nor do I want to keep the shutters closed as a matter of course, but may be useful during periods of civil unrest.
Metal roof is a plus in terms of safety as the metal roof will not burn as easily as shingles. The energy benefits and longer lifespan help offset the prohibitive initial cost.
Agreed that double keyed deadbolts are a death trap.
To clarify what I think that @Crazy Dane is trying to point out with the temperature of fires killing you in a single breath......the height at which key rings are typically placed, where most people plan to keep their double-keyed deadbolt key, can very quickly become un-survivable when the air at crawling height is completely survivable. There's some pretty gnarly fire AARs from prolific fires, like Seton Hall, demonstrating this. So, if you put a double-keyed deadbolt key at that level, plan on having another way out in case of a fire.
In addition, how often does someone in your household misplace keys? Even if you are super 0pur8tur that is well drilled and never deviates from SOP, what about your spouse? Kids? Family from out of town staying over? Friends staying over, maybe watching the house when you're out of town?
There's a reason that double-keyed deadbolts are against code in many states. There's a reason that even US Gov't agencies protecting people against persistent threats of serious terrorism and crime well exceeding the worst neighborhoods in the US do not use double-keyed deadbolts. If you're that concerned about someone breaking the glass near the door to open the deadbolt from the inside, then I'd personally suggest putting a barrier around the deadbolt handle that prevents someone from using a reach-around tool to open the deadbolt, and replace the glass around your door with an entry resistant alternative.
"Are you ready? Okay. Let's roll."- Last words of Todd Beamer
Depending on the construction of your door you can get a decorative pattern water jetted out of aluminum or steel and cover the window portion with that.
This doesn't prevent a determined entry, but if a compromise must be reached between decorative and secure it's a fairly good option.
A steel security door is a better option.
^All of this.
IZ (Impact Zone) rated doors/windows come with Laminated glass. This is usually are requirement in hurricane zones but can be ordered in non hurricane zones of you want to pay for it. Not something that you can retrofit unless you are replacing your doors/windows. It isn't entry resistant but if it is properly glazed, it will take quite a bit of abuse before someone can get through it. It will take a hit by an 8lb 2X4 hitting it at 33 MPH and still resist a 160 MPH wind cycle for several hours and requires us to use a reciprocating saw to get it out. It wouldn't be just a smash and open. A standard pane of tempered glass will just shatter when hit by the same impact test missile.
Doors are mandated to have tempered glass rather than annealed for safety reasons. Most windows/transoms/etc will have annealed glass because it is significantly cheaper and since people don't typically go in and out of their windows, it is "safe enough". It is much easier to break than tempered and it breaks into extremely dangerous shards.
Like TGS said, tempered glass much harder to break than annealed. One of the things we do to show new interns the differences is to have them take a piece of scrap glass to the scrap bin and have them hit it hard with a hammer in the center, not the claw side though. (With appropriate PPE of course) Everyone is always really tentative about it and we tell them to really hit it hard. It is surprisingly difficult break like that. Then we tell them to just tap it on the cut edge and it will disintegrate.It is always funny to see the look on their face.
We have broken annealed glass just by hitting it with a rubber mallet on the face of the glass.
In my experience, most doors are not appropriately installed per the manufacturer's installation instructions. Most of them are tacked in with a nailing fin and filled with "Great Stuff" foam. This is an extremely weak installation method and is relying almost entirely on the interior trim of the installation to hold it in place. You can give yourself some immediate hardening by just running some security screws into each hinge and the door strikes.
A door with a quality 3 point locking hardware installed with #8 or #10 3" security screws through the strikes/hinges noticeably more secure. It won't stop a determined person trying to break in but you won't be getting in with a credit card and it takes a pretty good impact(s) to force them.
Another advantage of 3 point/Multipoint locking hardware is better NFRC values. The 3 point locking will keep the door weather strip fully engaged when the door inevitably wants to cup/bow/twist as it is differentially heated/cooled. So you will have fewer bugs and less of your conditioned air leaking out, which is probably a bigger threat than the much more infamous breaking in.
Keep in mind, if you have vinyl/aluminum siding, even if you harden your doors/windows, it is probably easier to just go through the wall than the doors/windows anyway. A buddy here had actually nailed a 2X6 across his back door due to repeated kick ins so they just went through the wall by the door instead.
Personally, when I build my retirement home, I am going to have 3 point locking doors and IZ glass in all my windows/doors but it is more about NFRC/Thermal/Sound/Tornado survivability than break ins.
Last edited by Crow Hunter; 07-11-2022 at 01:55 PM.
Avoiding inward opening hollow core doors eliminates the majority of burglaries. A steel frame installed with long screws will stop all but the most determined burglars.
Check doors and window locks after hosting a party or get together where a stranger was present. You'd be surprised at the incidence of "Unknown entry method" burglaries you get after the Super Bowl.
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