I have been wanting to do this project for years, but one thing or another kept me from getting around to it. I finally bought my " forever house " the first of march though, so, these things will be for my benefit, and I will be enjoying them for the rest of my life. Knowing your going to be staying in the same house for the rest of your life, makes you think about things a little differently, than when you know you will likely be moving in a year or two. such as.. why the hell do I want to spend XXX $$$ on things I will not be able to take with me?  like landscaping, bathroom mirrors, security type stuff, etc.  we live in a pretty low crime area, far from the " hood", so I'm not super paranoid about a home invasion, etc, however, we all know crime has no borders, and shit happens. my biggest self defense / home security fear, is waking up to someone standing over my when I'm still in bed. someone either getting in quietly, without waking me, or someone kicking in the door, and being in my bedroom before I can react.

obviously I watch too much tv, and watch the news too much.. arfcoms obsession with showing home invasion videos does not help at all either.

a arfcom home invasion video is what finally got me to order a set of door armor. having amazon really helps as well, as it makes finding things like this super easy. I also ordered a circuit interruption, and a temp alarm for my freezer as well.. another thing I'm always worried about, the freezer either dying, or the breaker popping, and me not noticing. in the old house this was a big fear, as my garage was way in the backyard, and I didn't go to it for  weeks at a time sometimes.. and didn't open the freezer for 2-3 weeks at a time..  again, the new house fixes this. the freezer is on the same outlet as the garage door, which we use every day, multiple times... this makes a freezer alarm a great option as well.. because we go in the garage around 7:30 am... noon, and 6pm pretty much everyday, so we will definitely hear it.. at the old house, again... maybe not for 2 weeks.

anyway... back to the door armor.. it was pretty easy to install.. took me about  hours , but that's because I have some funky hinges that required me to drill some holes in the armor hinge protector, and in the hinge as well.. then I had a couple of the old, door hinge screws strip, and I had to fuck with them for 10-15 minutes each to get them out.  everything was simple though, looks nice after installation, and seems to be pretty tough.

I replaced all the 3/4" door hinge screws with 4" long screws.... ( 24 of them), and the door frame now has 8, 4 " long screws keeping the door shut, vs the original 4, 3/4" screws that only held in the thin strip of wood most do.

door armor.  IIRC the kit is $70.00... kits for two doors was approx. $140.00

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old 3/4" screw, next to the replacement 4" screws

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new 48" long steel strip that replaces the 2 small lock plates.

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door lock reinforcements, that are held in place with 4, 3" long screws...

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and the original house hinge.... vs the upgraded hinge plate... ( the old hinge had 4, 3/4" screws securing it )  the new armor plate now has a approx. 10" reinforcing plate, that spreads everything out, and takes 2 extra screws... plus I replaced the original 4, 3/4" screws, with 6, 4" long screws.

before...
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after

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I'm really happy with the finished product... however, I still have some issues I need to deal with in the near future.

1.  I am planning to replace the dead bolt locks with some higher grade deadbolts, that are stronger, with longer throws.... the current deadbolt has a lot of slop in it)

2.  I think I am going to add a second deadbolt to each door... since my front door, only has the deadbolt, all the force is on that one lock, a second deadbolt would be 2x as strong...... my rear door, has glass right next to the lock.  I think the extra deadbolt on that door, will be a key only lock, and I can have the key just out of reach to the door window, on a retractable key ring.. ( this lock would only be locked when we are sleeping )

3. my front window, is really low to the ground... and its a full length window.. it would be way faster to bust the window and step thru, vs kicking down a hardened door... so, I am going to put window film in all of the front windows, to make the windows harder to break, keep broken glass from flying in a storm, and slow down anyone trying to enter thru the front window.

4. I also need to get approx. 4 fire extinguishers. one for kitchen, one for laundry room, one for upstairs closet, and one for the garage...

5. a driveway alarm is coming soon as well.. rural king sells them for like $10.00, wireless and runs on batteries.

I feel a lot better now, and a lot more confident that no one will be able to get inside the house, before I would be woken up and have a chance to throw on my IBA vest, and get the ar-15 out from under the bed.   I don't have a dog, mainly because I don't want to have to mess with a dog... however, my woman is a super light sleeper, and she alerts on small noises about as well as most dogs iv ever had.  this helps as I sleep like a rock, and have gotten a little hard of hearing as well.

Nicely done OP, looks like a good investment. I love these types of DIY projects, thanks for sharing.

great job, did you have to cut an inlet the wood on the door or the jab to clearance the hardware?

nope... everything on my doors went great. back door was a little snug, but not hard to close.  did all of it with a cordless drill.

Looks good!  What stops them from going through the windows?

nice

This is an excellent upgrade, because most thieves simply kick in the front door. I used the door devil brand, because it's a little more subtle and blends in with the original door.

Even if you don't have the money for one of these, 4" screws are cheap, and are a vast improvement over the junk the original builder installed.

I've been happy with the Chamberlain CWA2000 driveway alert.  Not a lot of false/missed alerts, good wireless range, and you can add additional sensors for other parts of the property.

For an additional upgrade to your doors, consider NightLock
https://nightlock.com/

windows are harder to protect obviously. I damn sure am not going to put bars on mine. currently the windows we have now, have built in tint in them, which are a little reflective. you cant look into the house easily thru them, and cant see anyone sitting or standing in the living room from the outside.. not easily anyway. its nice as we have deer, and turkeys and such wander into the yard a lot, and they cant see you watching them.

as far as security for the front windows... I think I will have some security window film installed. it makes your windows act more like a car windshield.... than a regular window. sure you can break them.... the film holds the glass together though, and it takes a lot more effort to get thru a window with film on it.

I don't really believe it will work as well as some videos show it to work / SUPER hard to get thru, etc... HOWEVER, I think it will do 2 things.

1. hold the glass shards to the film, to prevent flying glass in a storm etc.

2. slow down anyone trying to enter the house thru a broken window... they can realistically break the window and still get thru it, but it will slow them down.. instead of breaking it and stepping thru, they will have to kick / smack it a few extra times .. even if it takes only a extra 5-10 seconds to get thru the window... then that's a extra 5-10 seconds for me to wake up, and grab a gun. my big front windows are double pane windows... so, they should be harder to get thru, than a single pane.. plus I can probably add film to the inside and outside... which would be even slower to get thru.

I'm still going to install better locks... extra locks... driveway alarm... and some security cameras..  when I get done I will be reasonably secure..

When I replace exterior locks I use those on interior doors.

I used a solid exterior door with old locks and deadbolt for a closet door where the gunsafe lived. 

In many cases upgrading one area gave me stuff to upgrade other areas.

And the more I learn the more I realize it is hard to get everything done at once, and you must use em.

I like stuff like door armor, it is done and works all the time.

Those door stops linked above, have to put em in at night for the residential ones and if I had people over or something I would wonder about em having problems if there was a fire because those need removed before you open door.

That's probably the most bang for the buck security upgrade one can do.
I like that window film.  Hopefully the thief is too tired too steal anything after he gets in.

They take two seconds to put in and it just becomes part of your routine of shutting the house down.
If you are not going out at night then you can drop them in.

You can swipe them out of your way with your foot in one quick movement as you open the door in an emergency.

Your guests might forget to undo your dead bolt too.....

Seriously, one they are installed you won't even notice using them. They become part of the routine, like locking your door.
And they complement door armor nicely..........

Ost

I'm doing this.

Thanks OP.

That's the tricky part. Locally we have these guys and they have had a pretty good success rate. I'm sure there are other similar products out there by similar companies all over.

http://www.securityscreenmasters.com/product-info/

We have a modest 1,800 square foot one story.  We were quoted about $30k to put these security screens on every door and window.

These are great if you have windows in or next to the door, the jam reinforcements don't really do any good if someone can just break the glass and reach in to unlock the door.

Windows.............................

I've got a 1600 sq/ft house with 13 windows. My quote was a little less than that. I didn't fo but I have friends who did. They are very pleased with the results. Like most everything that is effective, it's rarely ever cheap.

Sure it would be amazing to have that kind of security and we really wanted it.  But just couldn't justify the price given the area we live in.  I know, go be poor somewhere else.

I'm poor right there with you.

I couldn't justify it simply because the house is stucco. I don't need to bust in a window or door. 90 seconds with a sawsall and I can just cut a door anywhere I damn well please in the side of the house.

I'm with y'all. I would love the screens and the security doors. Security solid wood doors with multiple locking points where $7500 for 2 doors and me installing. I have layers of security but Windows are weak point. Maybe one day I can afford it.

Heck, I never even bothered to change the locks when we bought the house.  

I should replace the kwikset locks though.

My house is the typical 70's tri level setup, windows at ground level, dark back yard, easy pickings for a thief.

Got my door guard from the OP today, will install tomorrow morning after work.

OP what bit did you use to drill deep enough pilot holes?

Nice job.  I looked at those for quite a while.  Ace Hardware carried them here in Vegas, but I never "got around" to doing it either.  I eventually had an outward opening security door installed by Lowe's.  Now you can't get to the front door to kick it.  I want to say I paid about $400 installed, so it was a bit more than the hinge reinforcements, but there's a deterrent factor too.

Get both.

You expecting a SWAT raid Buck?

I like that you have layers. Nothing is fool proof and crooks will always find a way to defeat your security plans if that's their goal. But if it makes it harder for them than the next house then it's money well spent.

Alarms, hardened doors and windows, dogs, thorny landscape, lighting, good insurance, a strong safe bolted to the floor.

All layers in good home security.

Ar15 with a 30 round mag.

nice set up, we did this too. First thing I did when I bought the house, replaced the locks and used 4" screws for everything.

you can't make a house totally safe. My house isn't impossible to get in, since with a chain saw or gas circular I could cut right through the side of the house. But i'm better protected and more visibly security aware (cactus at windows, cameras, dead bolts, all blinds, motion lights, etc) than my neighbors. go rob them with their unlocked doors and dark ass entry ways.

Not the most legit video ever... guy could have simply peeled the outside sheet (idk if there's an inside sheet or not) off when the edges were flapping in the wind for over have the video.

Nice door upgrade though. Very interesting, but I'm renting. I'd do the parents' house, but their windows are way too vulnerable to make it worth while.

Good point. Just need to make it look much harder than your neighbors place to rob.

Kind of hope the cameras are hidden. They can make it seem like you have a lot in there to protect. Places with this kind of stuff are then subjected to home invasions instead, making you or a family member disable security features and surrender loot while at gun point.

Like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyuWwYppgxQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ak1r4bKJ0Bc

and there was one more... reported in the news as a 'military style assault/raid' on a home. Several masked dudes with various firearms came in with stealth, using the terrain, and killed I think like a husband, wife, and like their 5 kids.

Screws are the week point,in any mount.
Look at security chains or levers. 1/2 inch baby screws placed into door casing alone.
Use 3-4 decking screws (example) so your able to grip into the actual jamb/frame. Same with hinges.
Deadbolts . Besides  good set, gets guard for it.
They are similar to what buck posted but cheaper 8-12$ iirc. They wrap around the door edge.
And as TJ said a second deadbolt (non keyed) on the inside at foot or so up or down from the normal lock set.
Check k your deadbolt throw as well. Does no good if the door can be flat barred enough to allow it to be pushed in. Same with entry knobs.

I will tell you a simple 20$ kiwkset deadbolts are easy to defeat.
Weve got the class 3 dual cylinder easy key ones on site.
They are a bitch to drill out,and your not hammering them off to shear the bolts(they are twice as thick as standard deadbolt).
Plus they are hard to pick...and with the easy key system. If your paranoid you can change your keysets in a minute...lol.

Metal Bahamas shutters for windows?

I’m not trying to sound pessimistic but -> what is the point. All you going to do is slow them down and have bigger mess to clean up.

OP - your front door has panels that are easy to kick in - then reach over and unlock the dead bolt.

You can get a battery powered grinder for $120 at Home Depot. In few minutes you can cut through anything….

All security is theater.  You're just trying to put on a better show than your neighbors.

So we should just leave our doors open ?


Wtf should we do?  You got genius idea?


20% discount for those of us that enjoy the theatre.

Jamb reinforcement kits.

Are you reassured by TSA's security theater?

TJ nailed it:  Alarm & lights

Plus - get good home owners insurance with 100% replacement cost. Either photo or video document all your stuff. It takes time and is a thankless job but one that might pay off someday.

I have one of the dewalt 18 volt xrp cut off tools similar to what is pictured above.  Great for short cutting jobs.  Give it something to work on and you need a few batteries.

I agree anyone can get through anything.

But I would rather wake up to someone cutting the dead bolts apart or whatever than to have a single good kick or shove pop my exterior door open.  If I am not home, oh well.

If I am home, I want time.

With sufficient motivation and tools they can get through anything, but like folks said, if it takes more than a few seconds and makes a bunch of noise your "armor" did the job. It's not there to stop someone from coming in if you aren't there, it's to give you time to respond.

I agree with TJ, light, whether motion activated or just left on, is a great deterrent if you are in an area visibility matters. Obviously if no one is going to see them from outside the house then it won't help much, but maybe it spooks them a bit.

Looks like a good project and well executed, Buck.

I think he is saying, "put on the better show - to drive them elsewhere."

My general thinking is that people who are REALLY serious about security have a layer (or more) that you can see, and many more you can't.

-shooter

Thieves purposely targeted houses with bars on the windows because they knew they had stuff to protect.  Pulled them off with their car and a rope.  It happened a lot of times in my AO.

Who runs your "AR15 with a 30 round mag" when you are at work or on vacation? 

Alarm.  Cameras. Neighbors.  Adequate homeowner's insurance. 

We really need remotely controlled WiFi armed home security robots you can control w/ your cell phone.  Burglars are the only game animal you can still hunt w/ them in Texas.  

They put that on all Gov't building where I work. We had a Fire in one of them and we were swinging axes at full force trying to break the windows without success. We laughed when they installed them, wasn't so funny when we were trying to ventilate. We had to take the windows out by the frames....

OST

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_1_5/2010290_Ok---so-what-would-a-home-security-robot-look-like--and-what-would-you-arm-it-w--.html

This is so important.  Having had a break in 5 years back- 2 Meth heads who hit us, another home, and a car on the same day on our street.... the fact that I had everything documented (and carried addditional insurance on the firearms) was critical.  Ended up getting paid out around 20k in both stuff (replacement items) and cash.

ETA-  in 10 minutes, 43 seconds they stole from us:
14 firearms
35,000+ rounds of ammo
3 big bags
comic books
all wives jewelry
class rings
porn stash (no really)
couple tools
video games

Came into our house via a ground level basement window that was barely big enough for my 11 year old to fit through.  Based it with a rock, bashed off the bars behind it, climbed in it (leaving blood on the sill and floor) then unlocked the walkout door.

They hit a house about 7 down right after, owner had them in there for about 8 minutes- same story.  Hit a car a house down from that (jeep) cut the sidewall and robbed it blind.  Never caught btw even though on my camera, neighbors camera, another neighbors camera (not hit) perfect descriptions and make of the car.

A professional thief will get in your house no matter what you do if he is determined and targeted your house...you can't stop them unless you sit at home all day.
For amateur thief (most are amateurs) you can stop them with by just making it more difficult to break in than your neighbor.  One of the simple method I was told for windows is to plant a rose bush or other thorny bush under each window and put a solar powered motion light above each window.