Are you looking to replace the interior doors in your home and want to make sure that security isn’t sacrificed in the process?
Many doors that have been designed in the last ten years have built-in security features that the average homeowner is unaware of, meaning it can be worth knowing what is what when you are choosing to have all your internal doors refitted.
So, here, you will be walked through what to look for in an internal door that will double up as a security feature.
Door Handles
One way that modern interior doors can up the security of your home is by having locking door handles. Should someone manage to get into your home, this option will save you time, by allowing you to lock the door from the inside by turning the handle up or down.
Reinforced Hinges
If you have ever watched a movie that has a break-in, you will know that one of the things on a door that is targeted is the hinges. Ergo, to ensure that your home has higher security against break-ins, you will want to make sure that the new doors have reinforced hinges. Simply ask the installer about longer screws, hinge pins, and reinforced hinge bolts; while these may sound insignificant, put together, they can make it impossible to remove a door’s hinge!
Reinforced Door Jambs
Another option to ensure that your interior doors are strengthened is to make sure that they have had the door jambs reinforced. The door jamb is the part of the door that supports its weight and enables the door to be opened and closed effectively. By reinforcing it with sturdier metals and supporting the weight of the door with more screws, many modern interior doors can be the difference between preventing a break-in and allowing intruders access to your home with one swift kick!
Hardened Materials
Many internal doors are made from simple wood, which can mean that if there is an internal door that is locked during an intrusion, all the intruder would need to do is have an axe or a sledgehammer.
If you want to ensure that your interior doors cannot be hacked open, or can at least make this a bit tougher to do, then you should seek to have doors fitted that are made from professionally hardened wood. This will also double up as a safety feature if there is a fire in the home and you need some time to evacuate.
Toughened Strike Plate
Your internal and external door strike plate is the metal panel that is installed in the door frame that secures the locking mechanism. Therefore, the strike plate on a door is a crucial part of its security. You may have seen it in movies where someone who is trying to break into a property simply removes the door from its hinges or cuts uses an axe to hack off the strike plate. Modern interior doors have a toughened strike plate, which is reinforced with longer security screws. As well as this, the plate itself can be made from multiple layers of metal, as well as being secured by fasteners, making for one very tough strike plate!
