Harden homes

[waterhouse]

Back when I worked evening shift I responded to hundreds of home burglaries. While entry can be made anywhere, I’d say by far the most common is through a backyard door (breaking in or unlocked) or the open garage door. Front doors in neighborhoods are rarely used because there are too many people driving or walking by who will call the cops, and while burglar alarms aren’t a high priority a “burglary in progress” is a super high priority.

While it happens, it is very rare to have window entry, as it often leads to cuts and DNA left all over the house. More likely the window break allows access to the deadbolt so the door may be used.

Now that I work nights, when people tend to be home, we get the “home invasion” calls. These usually involve a front door breach or a knock on the door and forced entry when someone opens it a crack. In nearly all of these cases the people breaking in are an armed team and drugs and the associated cash are the target.

If I were starting to add extra security to a house, I’d advise to lock the rear door and harden any glass that leads to the lock, to shut the garage door, and to not sell drugs out of your home.

 

[jmorris]

Some things don't add up about this story. What makes home invaders decide to invade this particular home, to the point of using three different methods?

What drives people to become criminals in the first place. Why did this guy think driving through the door into the police headquarters help him resolve any grievances he had with them?

https://www.mystateline.com/news/local-news/man-drives-through-garage-door-at-janesville-police-hq/

“a house that they can break into quickly, take something of value and leave without being detected.”

That would be a burglary a home invasion is the opposite of making sure no one is home.

 

[CapnMac]

See the bolts solution in post #13 (bottom two photos).

To be very precise here I was referring to the house/garage door not the vehicular door. Many jurisdictions, now, require a weather sealed metal frame door between the house and the attached garage. But, that leaves probably 80-90% of the remaining doors being flimsy things using interior door fastenings. And deadbolting such a door is about like deadbolting a screendoor.

Do not get me started on sliding "patio" doors, either. The glass is reasonably good--but that from generations of people attempting to walk through them and the subsequent lawsuits. The frames and sashes, though often leave a lot to be desired. The latches are also not always the best.

Replacing them with in-swing, jamb-strike, French doors of a suitable construction is much to be preferred.

 

[Dan Forrester]

CapnMac: I would love to hear what you (or anyone else) thinks makes a good sliding glass or French door. I’ve got 3 different contractors giving me bids on hurricane impact window for my house next week. This will include my 2 sliding glass doors.

My current sliding glass doors are the original doors from when the house was built 25 years ago. The locks are flimsy and the doors lift out easily for instillation (or break in).

I’m leaning towards impact resistant French doors but would like to know more about burglar proof sliders. Just because something is made for a hurricane doesn’t mean it’s burglar resistant. I’m looking for something that offers both.

Thanks,

Dan

 

[old lady new shooter]

CapnMac: I would love to hear what you (or anyone else) thinks makes a good sliding glass or French door. I’ve got 3 different contractors giving me bids on hurricane impact window for my house next week. This will include my 2 sliding glass doors.

My current sliding glass doors are the original doors from when the house was built 25 years ago. The locks are flimsy and the doors lift out easily for instillation (or break in).

I’m leaning towards impact resistant French doors but would like to know more about burglar proof sliders. Just because something is made for a hurricane doesn’t mean it’s burglar resistant. I’m looking for something that offers both.

Thanks,

Dan

I keep a heavy dowel in the track, and as noted above, installed 3M security film on the glass. This is in addition to the probably not very useful lock, and an aluminum bar about 3 feet up that is supposed to accomplish the same thing as the dowel, both of which were here when I bought the house.

 

[old lady new shooter]

Some things don't add up about this story. What makes home invaders decide to invade this particular home, to the point of using three different methods? Also appears the door from the garage to the house was not locked, after seeing the man in her garage when she drove in, she didn't lock the deadbolt when she went into the house? I'm glad the people were apparently not injured but I kinda feel there is another shoe to be dropped.

Another point, after encountering the guy in her garage, why didn't she immediately call 911?

Back to hardening methods, the photo of the damage to the garage door shows a small area not near either edge, and then either the video or the article reported that this enabled the BGs to enter the garage and subsequently the house. Not sure how that exactly worked, but for sure with bolts like the ones I pictured in my original post an injury to the door like the one in the photo would not have enabled entering the garage. Defeating such bolts by crashing a vehicle into the door would require either making a hole large enough for people to go in through, or figuring out that such bolts must be installed and proceeding to make openings at both sides of the door, then figuring out how to get the bolts open without being inside.