On the subject of dogs, I have long noticed two dogs (especially if related) tend to work better at security than one - like they each heighten their senses due to the others presence.

I work at a plastics distributor so I grooved out a piece of UHWM for my door jam about a 4' long and stuck a bunch of 4'' screws in it.

Anything specifically for renters, when you can't make any alterations?

I think as a renter you can make alterations as long as you are not devaluing the property.

+1.    Good idea.

At the old house we left a set of keys in the front door (inside) at night. The door had a keyed lock on both sides.

Infrared tripwires with non lethal deployment.
Example- Train Horn, Multiple Pneumatic Compressed Air Released Darts Containing A Knockout Agent, Taser Activation, Compressed Super Glue Deployment, Human Cage Trap Made Of Thick Steel, etc
Lethal although illegal depending on your country would include the basic bullets/explosives  or for some fun, Compressed Gasoline Deployment Then Ignition lol.
I remember reading about a yacht installation using multiple 12 gauge cartridges hidden behind the drywall firing at the same time for pirate defense lol.

BLUF- Your house is weaker than you think, despite locks being functional.

An incident at my house this week got me heavily interested in this topic once again. I was a moron and accidently locked myself in my garage with my phone and my keys in the living room. All other doors were locked in my house so I couldn't simply open the garage door and walk into the front door. I could have waited an hour for my parents to drive over with the spare, but because I was needing new doors for my house anyway, I tried a little experiment and tried to break into my garage door that leads into my kitchen.

Result- I didn't even have to kick it. It took one shoulder hit to pop the door entirely open and broke the frame, sending the little screws and plate flying. The door was perfectly fine, but the 1989 original to the house frame shattered instantly from a mild hard shove. Now I realize that my back patio door even double locked could be easily taken down. So this week I'm buying a new front door, back patio door and kitchen/garage door with extra attention being paid to the new frames. I was going to buy these anyway, so it timed out pretty well.

Lessons learned-
1) Don't be tard and lock yourself out of your house.
2) Don't just be aware of surface issues. My doors were solid but the frames sucked, enabling an easy break in.

Anyway, hopefully that was at least semi-useful for one of you.

I may be really late on this discussion, but if not mentioned before, this sliding glass door defense is extremely easy to install and will prevent a crook from prying or lifting out your door.  Still, for breaking the glass, go with a glass film.



I have this company's door defenses in both the EZ Armor and the Door Jamb Armor installed on every outside door in my house.  When it was being built, my builder commented that it would take an APC to open my door and the door would probably give way before the hinges or framing.  It's great stuff!

Thank you for the link.

Another good one are those instant fog machines with dye pak sprayers. White smoke fills up the place rather quickly and makes them unable to see.
Dye paks/mace/pepper sprayers located at doors and windows spray the target to be readily identified. Safe, harmless, legal, and effective.
A nice bright orange should do the trick.

I live alone and regularly leave my rented house for days, weeks, and months.  I'm in the process of hardening as much as I can for cheap.

Using the master lock door security bars to jam under the door knob, using random lights and timers, and using clock radios set on random times similar to my normal patterns of life.

My current project is preventing the windows from opening(not much I can do against breaking though).  I bought 1" dowels from Lowes and 1" rubber chair tips from Walmart.  Cut for a tight fit and paint as needed and jam into the window.  The rubber chair tips prevent marring anything and also keep things from slipping.  Cost maybe $2 per window.

Before my next trip it will be bracing the doors with 2x4s so the only door I'm able to get in will be from the garage.

On rare occurrence where my house will be empty for more than a day, I put a tv on a timer, too.

haven't figured out how to do that with my current TV and Direct TV.  Of course it could be my current 6 year old 27" Visio isn't high tech enough.

Police studies show that almost never is entry gained by breaking glass.  #1 is doors being kicked in.  #2 is doors or windows being pried open.

1.  Alarm:  Install a very loud police siren sounding alarm and use it!

2.  Sliding glass doors:  Install a wooden 1x2 in door track 1" shorter than track and camo paint it grey or black.  It needs to be 1" short so a burglar can slide the door open far enough to set off the alarm, but no farther.  Drill two holes through the lower metal track rails and through the 1x2 so that you can insert 1/4 inch thick carriage bolts into and through both holes so the 1x2 can't be lifted out of the track from outside.  Install 1/4" bolts through the upper track rails immediately above the doors so doors can't be lifted up and out.

3.  Exterior doors:  Install a kick-proof "Bar-ricade" door security bar on all exterior doors to prevent kick-ins when you are home.  Install a Dead Latch Strike Plate and a "Strikemaster Pro" to prevent kick-ins when you are away.  Install #3 deadbolts and #3 door knobs.  Install everything with 3" - 4" screws that embed into wall studs.

4.  Install a barred and screened burglar-door so you can answer the bell and talk to whoever is there and still be behind a locked and barred door.

5.  Install 3" lag bolts through window casements so windows can be opened far enough to set off the alarm, but no further.  Drill screw holes slightly oversize so lag screws can be pulled out and window opened in an emergency.

6.  Plant dangerous-to-humans shrubs (prickly pear cactus for example)  in front of all windows.

7.  Bolt your gun safe to a concrete floor and don't leave pry bars, saws, sledgehammers, or wheeled devices readily available to burglars.

8. Install real or fake security cameras front and rear.

9. Disconnect your automatic garage door opener and install 4 (2 on each side) heavy duty manual locking bolts.  (Available at Lowes)

tag

Don't bother get a fake tv at http://faketv.com.

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_1_5/1725940_Home_break_in_captured_on_Dropcam__thief_steals_Dropcam.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7mspVXGoik&feature=youtu.be

Shows a typical entry -- thief spends several minutes loitering at front door; leaves for several minutes; comes back and kicks in door; takes a quick look inside; then closes the door and leaves.

After several minutes, he returns to begin exploiting the house. First thing he does is grab a laptop left on the coffee table.

Also notice how the dogs ran away when the door was kicked in. Your dog may not be the stone cold killer you think they are!

Concerning sliding glass doors: Mine came with two plastic inserts that fit into the upper track and I positioned them near each end of the door ( closed ). Then the bottom rollers are adjusted high enough so  lifting the door will still not clear the bottom track.
To remove the door both the rollers must be screwed down to their lowest setting and the plastic insert must be slide over. Not 100% impenetrable but better then nothing.
I also installed a board with a grove cut into it so it fits snugly into the bottom track so the door can only be opened a few inches. Painted white, same color as the framing and track, so it's not readily visible,  Enough opening to let the cats out and for ventilation.

I have been checking this out and from what I have read this might be false information. Anyone else get to the bottom of this?

I've heard about using the wasp spray from several sources. Having actually used it to spray wasp nests I can attest to the volume and distance of the product. As to incapacitating a two legged critter.......TBD.

The problem is on the can it says this: "It is a violation of federal law to use this product in a manner inconsistent with its labeling." So if you spray a perp, you could be held liable. They would probably consider it trying to poison someone regardless if they were committing a crime. I could be wrong though.

I live on the end of a cul-de-sac. I get a lot of passers by that watch the house as they make the circle. Took my old punching dummy "Bob" and put a shirt, hat, and sunglasses on him and stood him behind the trash cans, parked truck, hedges etc. I move him around and he gets a regular change of clothes to match the season. The UPS guy got into an argument with him because he would not come to the gate. Laughed my ass off. My yard guy got spooked regularly at first then he got used to Bob. Then one day  I traded shirt and hat with Bob and stood still in his place as the yard guy walked by. All it took was a little boo! and the poor bastard about crapped his pants. At night when walking in the driveway Bob would sneak up on me (forgot he was there)... Makes for great high stress pistol draw practice. Fortunately / unfortunately he is not that sneaky all the time. But when you least expect it...

Anyway the passers by won't keep looking once they see that someone is "looking" back. They just move on. Also, Fake TV is worth every penny.

Here is what I did with my windows in my last place and will be doing it this week in my new place.  I mentioned it earlier.  1" wood dowells from Lowes, 1" rubber chair tips from Walmart, one can of the cheapest spray paint out there.  Cut, paint, place in windows, and it doesn't look too out of place.





Now the problem I have with my new place is the front door.

What non permanent window covering options do I have?

Don't know what to tell you with a window that big. Last place I had had a small window on the door and had to have a key to unlock the door from the inside so someone couldn't just break the window and turn the knob. Royal pain in the ass for me and too easy to just push the door in anyways.

Honestly, with that window, I'm more looking at keeping folks from looking in.  The glass patterns obscures what you are looking at, but it is pretty easy to see that there is something inside.  Not to mention, it is easy to see what/where something is moving inside.  

Might break out some arts and crafts skills and go with velcro mounting some heavy curtains over it.  Something that doesn't look too tacky but will block folks from looking in.

Kind of handicapped until either I pick my tools and stuff on Monday and the rest of my crap is delivered Tuesday.

You can buy stuff that comes in a roll and gives the window a frosted look. I did that, too. Put it on the inside and cut to fit. Forget what the shit was called but it comes in a roll like lamination paper. Looks nice enough and you can't see through it.

Security door is about your only good option to harden that front door glass.

I had a front door like that - I did blinds on the inside, and security door on the outside.

On my front door I have the window film from 3M that keeps the glass from being shattered.
It's like window tint film but much thicker and clear.  Although, having a tinted version installed may be something you want to look into....

I was actually able to find magnetic mount blinds for the door.  here at Amazon  Price has changed, and it was 19.97 when I bought it.

I didn't know they made the magnetic mounts.

While not light blocking blinds, only light filtering it does a great job of keeping anyone from seeing anything in the house.

----Ezekiel 38:11


Folks, we gotta get serious about this stuff. I don't think the Bible is referring to the state of Israel in this case.

From EZ Jam armor to Lexan slabs, harden your homes.

SLIDING GLASS DOORS:  

(1)  If you have an alarm leave door unlocked (to encourage burglars to try and slide door open) and use a wood 1x2 in the door track cut 1" short so the door will open far enough to set off alarm, but no farther.

(2)  Drill 1/4" hole through both sides of track and wood 1x2 so a 1/4" bolt can be slipped through both sides of track and the 1x2 so it can't be lifted up and out with a knife from outside.

(3)  Drill a second set of holes like in #2 above and insert a second bolt 6" away from the first as back-up.

(4)  Drill through both sides of the upper track and install one or two bolts & nuts so door can't be lifted up and out of track.

(5)  Do the same as in #4 above with non-moving side of sliding glass doors so it can't be lifted up and out.


WINDOWS THAT OPEN BY LIFTING UP:

Drill a 3/8" hole in frame and studs 1" above top edge of lower window on both sides and insert 3" lag screws or bolts that protrude far enough so window can be lifted up high enough to set off alarm but no further before being stopped by the bolt heads.  Enlarge bolt holes slightly so bolts can be pulled out by hand from inside in case of fire.


EXTERIOR DOORS:

(1)  Search net for steel door and door frame guards and install with long lag screws, replace all door and hinge screws with heavy duty longer screws, install deadbolts.

(2)  For when home, install steel cross bars on inside of all exterior doors (plus bedroom doors) so they can't be kicked open.  (Available on net).

(3)  If you have glass panel in front door (a no-no!) install a bar & screen burglar door outside to protect it.  (Available from LOWES).

I had my hinges and strikeplate screwed in with 3" screws several years ago, and it did not seem to slow the thieves down much.  My door was kicked in, and they hit it hard enough to splinter the door jamb and the 2x4 behind it that the screws went into and bust out the strike plate.  Cracked the door, but didnt break it or break out the deadbolt.

It may have taken them an extra kick or two,  and clearly made it harder for them than the useless 1/2" screws that usually come with a strike plate,  but it definitely did not deter them,  and actually resulted in more damage for me to repair afterwards.

I think big screws in the strike plate are not a bad idea, and way better than nothing,  but a jamb reinforcement plate is probably going to be way better.

I have one of the bars that wedges between the door knob and the floor now,  and it seems like it should probably work pretty well, but luckily it has not been put to the test yet...

Strikemaster pro does all of this (hinges and strike plate) AND reinforces the crap out of the door jamb and deadbolt.

I'd like to thank the Arfcommer who posted the simple project for a window jammer earlier in the thread. Rubber chair tips from Walmart, a dowel rod, and some spray paint. I didn't bother with the spray paint. The guy at Home Depot in the lumber area asked if I wanted him to cut the dowel rod for me, so I didn't even have to do that. Works very well and it's cheap.

I had forgotten I started this thread years ago. Unfortunately I was reminded of it today through a neighbor's misfortune.

This weekend someone in our neighborhood had their home burglarized and it has me all fucked up. Trembling with rage is probably a good way to describe it. This stuff is super important to me, so I'm going to run stream of consciousness and try to salvage this turd of a day in hopes it might help someone in the future. I've talked about some of this in the past on FB and if you dare get me talking about it in person you had better bring snacks and a comfortable chair. This is all my opinion, I might be off base, but I don't think so.

This burglary was most likely a day time job or a day time case and a night time burglary. The day time guys are the ones that come and ring your doorbell, wait, ring it again, wait, ring it again, then walk around the back of your house, look through a window to see if it looks like anyone is home, then throw the propane tank off your grill through the sliding glass door. All that high speed home defense gear you have doesn't help much when you're at work and dude is breaking in to your house with your "puppies leave paw prints on our hearts" garden ornament.

I'd like this shit to not happen to any more of my friends. A lot of this stuff doesn't cost anything or much of anything. The reality is your house is probably made of a bunch of soft wood and glass. Hammer > Glass. You don't have to be impenetrable, just not worth the hassle.

"I live in a nice/quiet/rural/country/small town/tight-knit neighborhood" is bullshit. Tell that to the people in the country who have had the top cut off their safe with their own tools or the guy in the duplex complex whose neighbor didn't hear a peep. That fallacy lets you feel like it can't happen to you, and it can. We live miles from the heart of the city and it just happened 3 doors down from the person ranting right now. Denial is dangerous and we are all guilty of it.

Make it look/sound/feel like someone MIGHT be home all the time. It costs pennies per day to leave a light or two on that can be seen from the front and/or back doors or leave a radio on; a radio on loud enough to be heard from the front door, you know like how you do when your vacuuming the house and jamming Tesla. Dark house + no answer at the door + no sound or movement from inside = no one is home.

Ground level doors and windows need blinds/drapes. You know what an empty house looks like and so do shit bags.

Stop posting on your public (or not) FB account that you can't wait for your week long vacation in "16 more days! Cancun here we come!" You don't really have 1,600 friends, you have 900 people you kind of know and 14 of them are meth heads, so cut that shit out.

Alarm systems, signs and stickers have a 100% track record of showing up after people I personally know have been burglarized. That is like putting the toilet lid up after you've taken a dump, it just doesn't do you much good. Furthermore, I DON'T WANT THEM IN MY HOUSE, which is when an alarm starts doing its job. I'm all for alarms. Which company do I have? None of your business on an open forum. :D

I feel like I'm cursing myself when I make posts like this. I'm a realist, this COULD happen to me. My goal is to do things to reduce the odds of that for myself and people I care about. I can't imagine the sense of violation that comes with a home burglary and I dearly hope I never do.

An open letter to perps: I have home security measures far beyond this that I'd never post openly and honestly, none of my stuff is worth stealing. Most of that stuff is at Goodwill or at other people's houses now. Night time guys...just don't. When I should have been reading books I was just training to kill you. It's one of my many flaws. It ain't Christian and I don't care.

/rant

@M4A1
Can you provide a link of the product you used?

http://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/building-window-solutions-us/solutions/security/?WT.term=3m%20security%20window%20film&WT.source=google&WT.campaign=Brand%20Building&WT.medium=cpc&WT.content=text&WT.srch=1&WT.mc_id=3MWindowFilms_Paid_Search&cshift_ck=4c989896-b3c2-4350-8ef4-9b6d8b10619acs#MobVID

Does anyone know if there is such a thing as a steel exterior door that has a shatterproof or shatter resistant window in it that opens with a screen? I'm trying to get my wife on board with an outswing steel door but she wants a window in it. I have seen ones with built in blinds but they are just tempered glass, not very strong.

An easy way to mask windows has already been covered above...a thin plastic film.

The one I tend to use because it is very cheap and easy to find is sold by IKEA.
It is also very easy to apply; clean the inside of the window, then spray the clean glass with a fine mist of water.
Apply the film & make sure any air bubbles are wiped away to the edge...as per the included instructions.
I use this on all ground floor windows where possible....where not I make sure the blinds are closed, even when we are home.

The film is non-permanent so can be removed in seconds.


Mate lives in a very quiet area outside edinburgh, overlooking the sea. Very pleasant.
His garage, due to a move up in dwelling sizes, is 100 yards or so from his house.
While he was away for a week elsewhere someone tried to break into the garage...seriously tried.
LUCKILY in his younger days he taught at some less esteemed schools & colleges: a couple of said miscreants happened to call to see him for some project or other.
They noticed his standard "up & over" style door.
Being a trusted friend, they did him a very solid favour - in detailing how to stop the door from being "popped": several added strong points around the frame top & sides, plus a couple more along the base-line into the concrete floor. The strong points are not high dollar outlay items, just simple hasps for normal padlocks to fit into.
A low budget fix, but it stopped his door from being pried....AND it even stopped them trying to use a large vehicle to force the door in...as the top frame had some serious bending damage to it = but everything held.
They also tried to kick in the wooden side door.

All this in a garage that is on the other side of a wooden fence from a house occupied 24/7 - and is overlooked by several properties, within 20 yards or so - one of them being occupied by his best friend, who is a key-holder for the the garage. All this happened in line of sight of his best friend, nobody else living there noticed anything (mostly retirees).
Random neighbours that you may or not get on with should not be seen as a viable option....unless your neighbourhood has a Mk.1 "little old lady" sitting behind the curtains from dawn to dusk keeping an eye on the world

We're moving to a new house in a different town in a different neighborhood soon, and I'll have plenty of psychological insecurity about the new place, even though it seems very squared away and has no history of problems that I am aware of.  I'll be taking every opportunity to bolster security there in the new place, and I'm really interested in the window film.

Can anyone that's had an installation give a rough roundabout cost projection for your standard sliding glass door? I have a feeling it's expensive.

Bumping this thread from the dead..

I am going to move to a new house, so I am looking at new generation of deadbolts besides locking the garage door, glass door and strengthening the entry frames.  One lock I found is BiLock which is said to be bump-proof. http://bilock.com/pickbumpproof.html  My idea is to stop them from using any door.  BiLock has one true gate and one false gate on the pins.

I am going to use double-cylinder deadbolts so they can't use the door from house to garage to stage it, since they won't have a key to unlock the door to the garage.  Garage will have hard plastic zip ties on the over-ride to prevent coat hanger entry to the garage.   Not sure about the 3M window film since I don't know the cost of installation.

The other thing I am looking at is near IR illuminators for cameras.  I want it to be overt without looking overt.

Anyone know what the first link was?  Link is broke.

Replace screws in doors (hinges and strike plates)
Door handle bar that wedges against floor (between handle and floor)

main site:  https://www.armorconcepts.com/

new link for that product:  https://www.armorconcepts.com/shop/category/sliding-glass-doors-12

Mine is surrounded by cactus.

Cameras (Wyze).

Renter's insurance.

Some landlords will absolutely fuck you for your deposit when you move.  Anyone during move in should take video of every single thing, inside and out.  

I currently have 24 hour on site security staff, so I will also recommend that.