my 82 YO aunt had her living room window busted in by a crackhead. I am in the process of hardening her bedroom as a saferoom. Any suggestions of the best/ toughest door setup for her????

I would think a solid core door would be a good start with a good lock & kick plate with long screws. After that I'm sure others will know way more than me.

My feeling is the door frame needs most of the attention.

I've seen this question answered a few times over the years and it always seems the door frame is what gets busted when a door is kicked in or 'jimmyed'. My bet is there are makers out there that provide a door/frame combo or just a beefier frame that you then choose your own door for.

What about a bar across the door on the inside? I made something similar by welding hangers that hold 2x4s on the inside of the door for when I do on vacation. When I'm not using the hangers I can take them down.

we have a steel frame door, I am wondering about the frame as well, I know nothing about carpentry

I like these, and have installed them at my house and at my daughters.

Really tightens up the door, easy to install, and no keys needed.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/prod...05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Consider installing a steel clad exterior door AND steel frame with a nice long deadbolt. If you've never done this yourself, it's worth having it done professionally. It is your aunt after all. It won't be bulletproof, but is really going to slow a bad guy down.

If you can't do that, a solid wood door in the existing frame, along with long screws in the hinges and strike plate would be better than nothing. Add a deadbolt or replace the doorknob with a deadbolt keyed on the outside.

All the locking security additions strenths are limited by their attachment to the frame,

A solid core door which will keep people from punching or kicking though, so be sure to strengthen the frame, even if it means peeling back the wall board and adding another 2x4 in behind the original.

At minimum Long screws as mentioned on hinges and locking mechanisms will improve strength.

Steel door and steel frame,will cost about $800 at least that was the price when I installed some about fifteen years back.

Consider a solid door/frame setup but turn around to open outward to make way harder to kick in. Put hinges on it that can’t be tampered with or pins removed and one or more deadbolts with key on outside. Double cylinder could work but you don’t want her having to hunt around for key to lock or exit from inside.

We had a closet like this in a home and it was pretty solid as long as she can stay out of line of fire right in front of door.

A moderate cost steel door and frame would be stronger than any solid core wood door. I would go steel door and frame.

For the windows, security glass would be helpful. Would look better than bars.

wood door frame assy is the weakest link no mater actual door construction............ NRP (non - removeable pins) door hinges depending on diection of door swing in relation to safe area.... EXTRA long screws for hinges and lock mounting ....... just remember good security will only slow a honest person down.... good luck in helping the aunt feeling secure in her surroundings..... drill sgt.

Want to truly harden it and make it a 'safe' room, pull the door and jam and install a metal door and jam in its place. A bit out of the ordinary on the inside of a home, but it would solve all the weaknesses found in wooden doors and jams.

As the others have said, frames are often the weak point. The dead latch on most knobs is also pretty weak. When you strengthen part of the assembly (door, frame, knob, etc) you are potentially moving the weak point to something else.

I think it might be a little extreme, but a set of brackets in studs or the door frame with long screws and a 2x4 would probably be one of the most secure things. The brackets would probably be a little unsightly, though.

A Dade County approved fiberglass impact door and door frame. It will stop a 9 pound 2x4" shot from a canon at 50 FPS twice. The hinges cannot be taken off unless the door is open, even if they're off you can't get the door off unless it's in the open position. The door and frames are only around $300 or so. They go for about $650 installed for a front exterior door.

quote:

Dade County approved fiberglass impact door and door frame

Jimmy,
Do you have a link to some of these doors?

My 2 cents. I've purchased/used a few items from the following company that's based in Nashville. I just happened to find them while doing a search a few years ago. The items I've used have been well-built//nicely finished.

https://www.armorconcepts.com/

quote:

Originally posted by c1steve:

quote:

Dade County approved fiberglass impact door and door frame

Jimmy,
Do you have a link to some of these doors?

Home Depot has a bunch if you search "Impact doors" this is a cheap steel one that meets the code and $166.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Ma...mold-76637/301344155

Here are fiberglass ones. They also are very quiet with really good gaskets...…

https://www.etodoors.com/impac...-doors-windows.html/

I like BHIDoors. Here is their website.
https://www.windowanddoorrepla...8WEB.compressed_.pdf

They're tested against impacts like this:

https://www.bing.com/videos/se...8E040FFC&FORM=VDQVAP

Here's another test, very impressive 2x4 at 100 mph:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwZ6MBYziyA


Here's a sliding door burglars shot up with a handgun and still couldn't get through the glass:

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

This message has been edited. Last edited by: jimmy123x,

Impact or security door and frame
Out swing door (very important), with tamper resistant hinges
36" wheelchair accessible so aunt can age in place and it doesn't need to be redone later.
Deadbolt with thumb turn on interior of door
and/or heavy duty slide bolts on interior
Peep hole with cover

Landline phone in room. Preferably a separate one from any line in rest of house.

If you can...
1/2" or 3/4" plywood screwed to wall studs. Better if applied to outside. Drywall can be over-layed for finished appearance. It is ridiculously easy to bust through simple drywall.

If aunt won't have a gun, get her a starter pistol. The noise may dissuade an intruder.

A large dog. Either in the room or chained for the night right outside door.

quote:

Originally posted by Georgeair:
Consider a solid door/frame setup but turn around to open outward to make way harder to kick in. Put hinges on it that can’t be tampered with or pins removed and one or more deadbolts with key on outside. Double cylinder could work but you don’t want her having to hunt around for key to lock or exit from inside.

We had a closet like this in a home and it was pretty solid as long as she can stay out of line of fire right in front of door.

^^^
This is what I would recommend as well except do not install a double dead bolt. The last thing you want to worry about is trying to find the key in an emergency (it is also against code for that very reason).