Hi Guys (and Gals),

Just bought a new (old) house. (47 years old).

I wanto to solicit some suggestions on replacing/upgrading doors of the new Bulldog residence to make it harder for ne'er-do-wells to come in and play with my toys w/o authorization (ie.) keeping the scumbuckets OUT!

Any Security pro's here have any advice about upgrading/replaceing locks on doors?

Replacing the doors themselves? Solid Wood, Steel, composite?

What about upgrading the frames?

I just want to secure my family and have good piece of mind.

Thanks!

Bulldog OUT

I'm sure there are many here who are better versed in this than I, but the basis is always a solid core door with a steel frame.

Ditto, if you dont like the looks of a steel door, get a wood door with a steel core, a steel frame is a must.  Those bars that stick in the floor and block the door are excellent for when you are home.

Excellent, the wife didn't want a steel door, (I , on the other hand, wanted a vault door...lol)

Keep 'em coming...locks?

ASSA (Swedish company, I think) makes an odd sort of double key which is supposedly nonpickable.  Expensive, and the number of locksmiths out there who can create new keys is pretty small.

Looking for a good security door. Heres one [url]http://www.vaultstructures.com/thorvaultdoor.htm[/url] Wait till the ATF reno raiders come and try to knock down you door !!

Bulldog,

You've received some good advice so far regarding your entry door.  Now, what are you doing to secure other points of entry to your home?

You can put the strongest steel door in an opening that has been framed out with iron I-beams, and a thief will bypass that security and enter through a basement window.  It's important to consider EVERY point of entry into your home.

Double cylinder deadbolts are great for preventing a thief from taking your stuff out the front door after he has gained access through a window, but if you have to leave your house in a big hurry (fire, etc.) they lose their appeal quickly.  I'm not against double cylinder locks at all, but you have to weigh the risks versus benefits.

What have you done to secure the windows in your house?  Most thieves aren't going to enter through the front door, so you need to consider this fact.  Do you have an attached garage with access to the house?  How strong do you think your garage door lock really is?  If you have a garage door opener, forget about it, they most certainly can get into your garage.  Concentrate on securing the door from the garage to the house.  And don't put anything you're not willing to lose in the garage.

Since your house is older, you probably don't have egress windows in your basement (if you have a basement).  Consider putting lockable iron grates over window wells if your local fire code will allow it.  Again, it limits your chance of escape from the basement in an emergency, but honestly, most people couldn't jump up five feet and pull themselves out of a 2 to 3 square foot opening anyway.  Thieves love basement windows.

Consider more than your front door and the lock installed on it in your burglar-proofing plan.

Thanks Yankee (and everyone else!)

Its a Bi Level, so there isn't a basement, but the ground DOES rise to the back lower windows like a basement would.

I guess I'll be puttin' bars on them.

The windows are all casement type, and are OLD, so they need to be replaced with energy efficient ones anyway, any good windows (including Anderson) that also provide good security features?

No garage.

Thanks again!