I’m interested in replacing our cheap, hollow core bedroom door with some type of lockable security door. While it would be cool to have a “panic room” type door, the money just isn’t there for what I’m seeing online ($2000+). So I’m curious, what should I be looking at? It would be really nice if this could be done for under $1000, but I have no idea…. Would the frame be replaced as well? Are interior “security” type doors available at Home Depot, etc. I know pretty much anything would be stronger than what we have. Heck, just a solid wood door would be an improvement.

Bedroom security?
A SIG in the sheets.

My bedroom security is my wife ... piss her off and one will wish they were looking at the business end of a Sig instead.

Oh, and I always sleep with one eye open.

Lol, not bad ideas. I think I have those covered.

Replace the door with a solid core door of the same size and run three or four inch screws into the hinges so that they get into the framing. Then replace the screws that are in the strike plate with the same long screws...

There are some places you can buy a longer/larger strike plate that will spread a hit/kick across the frame....same thing about the screws....

Velcro a rubber (not wood) doorstop (big old school rubber triangle shaped) to the back of the bedroom door and insert it to help prevent attack against kicks..

You could even add a deadbolt to the door after or in addition to the longer screws and longer larger strike plate

^^ good ideas. I’m thinking just a solid wood door with better hardware like you mentioned will suffice.

Yup, I’ve done it to every home I’ve lived in (the exterior doors)

I was a cop for many years and I used to take new baby cops to abandoned houses and have them try and kick doors....turning around and mule kicking a door is far easier to get the response you want.....but doors with long screws in the frame (replacing all the hinge screws and strike plate screws defeated most kicks) held tight. Adding a rubber door stop made them almost invincible. Imagine three hinges and a door knob bolt AND a door stop...all that energy is distributed on those points versus just the short screws of the strike plate and you see ten dollars will let you sleep well at night

If you don’t get a whole new door, make sure to upgrade the latch/lock. Most interior doors don’t have the catch that keeps a credit card entry from happening.

If you have an alarm, see about having an instant alarm set up if the door is opened when armed. I forget what they call them, but there’s no delay, last line of defense in case it’s breached.

quote:

Originally posted by tanner:

quote:

Originally posted by chongosuerte:
If you don’t get a whole new door, make sure to upgrade the latch/lock.

https://www.asafehome.net/PAGE...inforcement-Kit.html

I’m talking about the dead lock plunger. Most interior door knob latches don’t have the little slidy outy thingy that catches on the strike plate to keep the latch from being very easily manipulated open by a card or a hook.

A door with one, and the 3” screws all around, can hold up to an amazing about of beating. Add a deadbolt and doorstop, and maybe one of the elongated strike plates, you’ll need an axe to cut through the door before you can open it by bodily force.

I’ve watched a husky fella beat a door with a ram for 2 minutes that he couldn’t open just from a deadbolt and 3” screws. Took some scientific application of a halagan bar and another three minutes to get it open after tearing the deadbolt and knob from the door itself.

Good stuff guys, I appreciate it greatly. What y’all are describing is what I’ve done to the front and back exterior doors. I’ll hit up Home Depot tomorrow and check out some solid wood doors, etc.

Slight drift… what type of warning do y’all think is best for an alarm system throughout the night? Instant siren? Silent, but some type of phone alert? I know if the siren started going off in the middle of the night it would scare the SHIT out of me…then I’d be frazzled, waking up, etc. Being alerted is the idea though…

You could add 2 more deadbolts. One about a foot to 18 inches or so above the floor, another one about a foot or 18 inches or so below the top of the door frame.

If you want to see something kinda unbeliveable, mosey over to Youtube and search for Fireman's tools for opening doors. Not the Haligan tool beast bar, some of these guys have tools that will open a locked door (in a home) without any damage or evidence it ever happened. Also search for "shove knife" and "swipe tool". It's shocking how easy these firefighters can get into a home. They should be working for the CIA.

Here is just one example:



Here's another video of how easy it is to get into a locked bedroom door. That's why I recommend 2 extra dead bolts.


If I had a door like this second video, I'd pull the trim and glue it and add nails about every half inch to defeat that tool.

Outward swinging door? They can just pull the hinge pins.
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Yep, I was a Paramedic for the better part of a decade. Always laughed at how easy FD could get inside a structure.

EASY. A Dade county approved impact door with frame. My front door cost $650 installed about 5 years ago and is fiberglass. You cannot pull it off, even if you take the hinge pins out, it has clips so it has to be open and hinge pins off to take it off the hinges and it's made to stop an impact from a flying 2x4". Can get fiberglass or steel.

So both those videos perfectly depict what I’m talking about. In the first, the plunger was not engaged (he actually zooms in and talks about it). The door in the second is what I meant by most interior doors not having one.

If that pin is engaged a good pry tool can still defeat the latch, but it’ll wake you up first hopefully.

As far as an alarm, if they’ve made it to my bedroom I want it loud enough to wake me up, and it’s 12 gauge in reply at that point.

Frankly, if you really want to freak yourself out about how a professional can enter your home…from physical manipulation to simply getting a picture of your house key…spend a couple of hours watching videos by Deviant Ollam on YouTube. I’m not going to say his videos are life-altering…but I’ll say it’ll really open your eyes about some aspects of security you may never have even thought about.

Agree about the minimum 3-inch screws, also about making sure your deadlatch is engaged. In addition, make sure it's a high-quality doorknob, the consumer kwikset and Schlage (F series) are no good:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggxAv8jY-Ns

I've been a fan of these type of locks, put one a third of the way up and another a third of the way down:

https://www.amazon.com/Door-Lo...dExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

One last solution is the one-sided deadbolts where you can't see the deadbolt from the outside.

Thank you guys for all the info and links.

Don't forget about the walls on either side of the door.... If the door is not located at or near a corner you'll have a 14.5" opening between studs covered with only drywall which will lead into the room. You could have all the security you want on the door but a few kicks or punches through the drywall and someone can walk/crawl right into the room. We practice this pretty regularly for egress out of a room if you're trapped by fire.

You'd be surprised at the places you see drywall as the only security to residence. In some places you could be walking down an apt bldg hallway and kick your way into a unit through the hallway wall. Even the exterior walls of your house.... Rip of the siding, go through the .5" plywood and drywall and you're looking into the house. Very easy and fast with a haligan or similar tool