Shelter · Home Security
Door security. The highest-return upgrades.
Deadbolts, strike plates, door frames, and hinges. What the standards actually require, what the research shows, and where a $15 fix does the work of a $500 one.
By Dan Whelan, founder of New World Survival
Researched from government agencies, university extension services, and other published sources. See our sources
Why doors matter most
Doors are the primary entry point in residential break-ins.
Bureau of Justice Statistics data shows that a door was the way in for about 73% of forced-entry burglaries of empty homes, and in about 44% the door itself was damaged or removed.1 In a Chula Vista police study of 569 burglarized homes, the point of entry was a door 52% of the time, and 65% of all entry points were at the back or side of the house.2
Most of those entries succeed not because the lock fails, but because the door frame splits. Standard builder-grade strike plates are installed with short screws that anchor only in the jamb, a thin strip of softwood. A kick or a pry bar splits the jamb around those screws. The lock never had to be defeated at all.
The upgrades on this page address the most common failure points in order of cost and impact. Most households can finish the first two in a single afternoon for under $30.
What this page covers
Strike plates and door frames
The single highest-return upgrade. Why screw length matters more than lock brand, and how to do it in 20 minutes.
Deadbolts and lock grades
ANSI/BHMA Grade 1, 2, and 3 explained. What the numbers mean, which grade fits your door, and what the certification actually tests.
Door construction
Solid-core versus hollow-core, steel edges, and what to look for if you are replacing an exterior door.
Hinges and sliding doors
Hinge pin protection, outswing door considerations, and the three security points for sliding glass doors.
What this page does not cover: firearms, physical confrontation, or force options. Doors are a deterrence layer. The evidence-based case for door upgrades works independently of anything beyond the door. For the full security framework, see the seven layers of home security.
Start here
The strike plate is where most doors fail.
This is the single highest-return security improvement per dollar spent on any exterior door.
The problem
A standard strike plate is a small metal rectangle held in place by two short screws, often under an inch long. Those screws grip only the door jamb itself, which is typically 3/4-inch softwood (pine or finger-jointed lumber). It is strong enough to hold a door closed against the weather, but not against a focused kick.
The same Chula Vista study interviewed victims and found that in 87% of break-ins where burglars defeated a locked door with a tool, they went through "the one door that had no deadbolt lock." The most common way burglars beat a locked door was prying it open with a screwdriver or crowbar, and a deadbolt on the front door only was among the measures the study found least effective.3
The fix
Replace the strike plate screws with 3-inch screws. The longer screws pass through the jamb and anchor into the structural framing (the jack stud or king stud) behind it. This changes the failure point from a thin strip of softwood to the wall framing itself.
For even better results, replace the entire strike plate with a reinforced version. Heavy-duty strike plates are longer (often 12 inches or more), use four to six 3-inch screws, and distribute impact force over a wider area of the frame.
Cost: $3 to $5 for a box of 3-inch screws. $10 to $25 for a reinforced strike plate with hardware included.
Time: 15 to 20 minutes per door with a drill or screwdriver.
Skill level: Anyone who can use a screwdriver.
What to buy
A reinforced strike plate kit typically includes the plate, 3-inch screws, and installation hardware. Look for plates made from 16-gauge or heavier steel, at least 10 inches long.
If you are in an apartment or rental, ask your landlord about installing one. Many landlords will approve the upgrade or do it themselves when asked, because it protects their property. Keep the original hardware so you can restore it when you move.
Full-frame reinforcement
Door frame reinforcement kits wrap a steel channel along the full length of the jamb, typically covering the deadbolt, knob, and hinge areas. They provide the most complete protection against kick-in attempts.
Cost: $30 to $110 for a full-frame kit.
Time: 30 to 45 minutes per door.
Best for: Primary entry doors and any door not visible from the street.
1 Bureau of Justice Statistics. "Victimization During Household Burglary." BJS Special Report, NCJ 227379, September 2010. National Crime Victimization Survey data for 2003 to 2007, Tables 1, 5, 7, and 9. 2 Chula Vista Police Department. "The Chula Vista Residential Burglary Reduction Project." Herman Goldstein Award submission, 2001, Center for Problem-Oriented Policing. Review of 569 burglarized or attempted homes, plus interviews with more than 300 victims and offenders. 3 Chula Vista Police Department, same report as note 2, findings from victim and offender interviews.
Deadbolts and lock grades
What ANSI/BHMA grades actually measure.
The Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association (BHMA) writes the American National Standard that deadbolts are tested against. Three grades exist. Most households need Grade 2 on exterior doors and Grade 1 on the primary entry.
Grade 1
Commercial / highest residential
Best for primary entry doors and any exterior door you want at the highest standard. Worth the additional cost on the door used most.
Grade 2
Residential standard
The right standard for most exterior doors. More than adequate for residential use and widely available at hardware stores.
Grade 3
Basic / interior
Designed for interior doors, closets, and low-traffic areas. Not suitable for exterior security. If your exterior door has a Grade 3 lock, replacing it is a priority.
What to look for when buying
Look for the ANSI/BHMA grade on the packaging. Manufacturers who have earned the certification display it prominently. A lock described as "high security" with no ANSI/BHMA grade and no UL 437 listing gives you no independent test result to go on.4
For a standard bored deadbolt, the kind most homes have, the standard requires a 1-inch bolt throw at every grade. The grades differ in how many cycles and blows the lock survives and how much force the bolt holds. A shorter bolt engages less of the frame, making the door easier to spread apart.
Some residential locks carry a different BHMA rating instead: separate letter grades for security, durability, and finish under the residential deadbolt standard, A156.40. C is good, B is better, A is best, so AAA is the top rating in all three.4
UL 437 is a separate certification that tests resistance to picking, drilling, and other bypass methods. A Grade 1 or Grade 2 lock that also carries UL 437 certification provides the highest combination of physical and technical security available in residential hardware.
4 ANSI/BHMA A156.36: American National Standard for Auxiliary Locks. Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association. Bored deadbolt values from the 2010 edition, Sections 4.2, 10.5, 11.2, and 12.10; BHMA's summary of the 2020 edition confirms the Grade 1 figures (250,000 cycles, 1,350 lbf). Residential letter grades: ANSI/BHMA A156.40, Residential Deadbolts, and Schlage, "BHMA Residential Security Grades." Accessed October 2026.
Door construction
The door itself is the second weak point.
A Grade 1 deadbolt in a hollow-core door is a strong lock in a weak container. Door construction determines how much force the assembly can absorb.
Solid-core wood
Solid wood or engineered solid-core doors are the standard for exterior residential use. They resist splitting and absorb impact significantly better than hollow alternatives. Most exterior doors installed by builders are solid-core. If yours feels light when you knock on it, it may be hollow.
Steel-edged doors
A steel edge reinforces the strip around the lock where wood doors tend to split under a kick. Most insulated steel entry doors include this construction at a comparable price to wood.
Hollow-core doors
Hollow-core doors are designed for interior use: bedroom doors, closet doors, bathroom doors. They are lightweight, inexpensive, and provide no meaningful resistance to force. If your exterior door is hollow-core, replacing it is a priority before any lock upgrade.
Glass panels and sidelights
A door with a large glass panel or adjacent sidelights can be broken to reach the lock from the inside. Double-cylinder deadbolts (keyed on both sides) address this, but they create a fire safety risk because occupants cannot exit quickly without a key. A better approach: use tempered or laminated glass, or add a window security film.
Sliding glass doors
Sliding doors have three security points: the latch (often a simple hook), the track (where a security bar or dowel prevents the door from being forced open), and the frame (where anti-lift pins or screws in the upper track prevent the door from being lifted out). Address all three. A wooden dowel cut to length for the track costs nothing, but the Chula Vista study found dowel braces less effective than a channel lock or pin lock, so treat the dowel as a stopgap.5
Garage entry doors
The door between an attached garage and the living space is often treated as an interior door with a basic knob lock and no deadbolt. It deserves the same treatment as any exterior entry: a solid-core door, a Grade 2 deadbolt, and a reinforced strike plate. Garages are a common secondary entry point.
5 Chula Vista Police Department, same report as note 2. Sliding door braces such as wooden dowels were among the measures with relatively low effectiveness, compared with channel or pin locks.
Hinges and hardware
The part of the door people forget.
If the hinges can be removed from the outside, the lock is irrelevant.
Inswing doors (most residential doors)
Most residential entry doors swing inward, which places the hinges on the interior side. This is the safer configuration because the hinge pins are not accessible from outside.
Even on inswing doors, upgrading to 3-inch hinge screws (the same principle as the strike plate) strengthens the connection to the wall framing. Standard hinge screws are often 1 inch or shorter, and the top hinge bears the most weight and stress.
Quick check: Open your exterior door. If the hinges are on your side (inside), you have an inswing door. Replace at least the top hinge screws with 3-inch screws.
Outswing doors
Some exterior doors, particularly in hurricane-prone coastal areas and commercial buildings, swing outward. This exposes the hinge pins on the exterior side.
Three options address this. Non-removable hinge pins use a set screw or crimped design that prevents the pin from being tapped out. Security studs (also called hinge bolts or dog bolts) are small metal pegs installed opposite the hinge that interlock when the door closes, holding the hinge side in place even if the pins are removed. Fast-riveted pins have the hinge pin permanently fixed in place during manufacturing.
Cost: $5 to $15 per set of security hinge pins or studs.
What the research shows
Most entries are opportunistic, not planned.
The profile of a typical residential break-in suggests that visible, basic door security changes the calculation in seconds.
41% are spur of the moment
A UNC Charlotte study of 422 incarcerated burglars found that 41% described their crimes as impulsive. Only 12% planned the entry in advance.6 A locked, solid-looking door with a visible deadbolt moves an impulsive decision toward the next house.
Unsecured doors are the easiest entry
In the national crime victim survey, about a third of completed household burglaries came through a door or window that was open or unlocked.1 The best deadbolt in the world provides zero benefit when it is not engaged. Consistent locking habits are the foundation everything else builds on.
Visible security shifts targeting
In the same UNC Charlotte study, 83% of burglars said they checked for alarm presence before attempting entry. 60% said they would move to a different target if they found one.6 The principle applies to door hardware: visible reinforcement signals effort and increases the chance of moving on.
The CPTED principle behind door security
Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) is an established field of urban planning and criminology. One of its core principles, natural access control, applies directly to doors: make it clear which entries are monitored, maintained, and controlled.
A well-lit entry with a visible deadbolt, a reinforced frame, and a house number clearly posted communicates that the property is maintained and its entry points are cared for.7 CPTED research consistently finds that this kind of visible attention to entry points reduces targeting risk.
6 Kuhns, Joseph B., Kristie R. Blevins, and Seungmug Lee. "Understanding Decisions to Burglarize from the Offender's Perspective." University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 2013. Funded by the Alarm Industry Research and Educational Foundation. 7 Cozens, Paul, Greg Saville, and David Hillier. "Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED): A Review and Modern Bibliography." Property Management, vol. 23, no. 5, 2005.
Door security audit
Check every exterior door in your home.
Walk through these items door by door. Most problems can be fixed in an afternoon. Start with the door that gets the least attention.
Does every exterior door have a deadbolt?
Include the door between the garage and living space. A knob lock alone is not sufficient.
Is the deadbolt ANSI/BHMA Grade 2 or better?
Check the packaging, the manufacturer's website, or the stamping on the lock body. Replace any Grade 3 deadbolts on exterior doors.
Are the strike plate screws at least 3 inches long?
Remove one screw from the strike plate and measure it. If it is shorter than 3 inches, replace all strike plate screws on that door.
Is the door itself solid-core or steel?
Knock on it. A hollow-core door sounds noticeably different and feels light. Exterior doors should be solid-core wood, steel, or fiberglass.
Are the hinge screws on exterior doors at least 3 inches?
Particularly the top hinge, which carries the most weight. Longer screws anchor into the wall framing, not just the jamb.
If any exterior door is outswing, are the hinges protected?
Non-removable pins, security studs, or fast-riveted hinges prevent the door from being removed by pulling the hinge pins.
Sliding doors: is there a pin lock, channel lock, or bar in the track?
Also check for anti-lift screws in the upper track. Both measures together address the two most common sliding door vulnerabilities.
Do you lock every exterior door every time you leave?
This is the single most effective door security measure and costs nothing. Include the back door, the side door, and the garage entry.
Common mistakes
Five things that waste money or create risk.
Buying an expensive lock without upgrading the strike plate
A $200 lock installed in a frame held by short screws will fail the same way a $40 lock will. The frame is the failure point. Upgrade the strike plate and screws first, then consider the lock.
Using a double-cylinder deadbolt without a fire safety plan
Double-cylinder deadbolts (keyed on both sides) prevent someone from breaking glass near the lock and reaching in to turn the thumb turn. But they also prevent occupants from exiting quickly in a fire. If you install one, keep a key on a hook near the door, out of reach from the glass but accessible to everyone in the household. Some jurisdictions prohibit double-cylinder deadbolts on primary exits.
Ignoring the garage-to-house door
An attached garage often has a wide, easy-to-force overhead door. If the interior door between the garage and the house has only a basic knob lock, the garage becomes the path of least resistance. Treat the garage entry door as an exterior door: solid-core, deadbolt, reinforced strike plate.
Assuming a smart lock is automatically more secure
Smart locks offer convenience: keypad entry, remote locking, activity logs. Their physical security depends on the same ANSI/BHMA grade as any deadbolt. A Grade 3 smart lock is less secure than a Grade 2 manual deadbolt. Check the grade first, then consider the features.
Upgrading the front door but not the back
In the Chula Vista study, 65% of entry points were at the back or side of the house.2 They are often less visible to neighbors and may have weaker hardware. Apply the same standards to every exterior door, not just the one facing the street.
Related guides
Doors are one layer.
Door security is most effective when combined with the other layers of residential security: lighting, habits, awareness, and community.
Security Without Paranoia
The evidence-based case for calm, layered home security. Start here if you want the full picture before going deep on any one topic.
The Layers of Home Security
The full framework: property, lighting, locks, alarms, cameras, habits, and community. Doors are Layer 3. Context for every other upgrade.
Daily Security Habits
The routines that close the gaps hardware cannot. Locking discipline, package management, travel protocols, and visitor awareness.
Lighting and Visibility
Motion lights, placement strategy, timers, and how lighting supports both door security and neighborhood awareness.
Common questions
The questions that come up most.
What ANSI/BHMA grade deadbolt should I buy for my home?
For exterior doors, buy a Grade 2 or Grade 1 deadbolt certified to ANSI/BHMA A156.36, the standard deadbolts are graded under. Grade 2 deadbolts are tested to 150,000 cycles and 6 bolt-impact blows, and the bolt must hold 1,125 pounds of force. Grade 1 deadbolts are tested to 250,000 cycles and 8 blows, and the bolt must hold 1,350 pounds. Grade 1 is worth the additional cost on a primary entry door. Grade 3 locks are designed for interior use and should not be relied on for exterior security. Look for a 1-inch bolt throw.
How do I know if my door frame needs reinforcement?
Remove the strike plate from your door frame and check the screws. If they are shorter than 3 inches, the frame is the weak point. Builder-grade strike plates are usually held by short screws that reach only the jamb, a thin strip of softwood. When a door is kicked or pried, the jamb splits around those screws and the lock is never defeated at all. Replacing them with 3-inch screws that reach the structural framing behind the jamb is the highest-return door security upgrade: a box of screws costs a few dollars, a reinforced strike plate with hardware about $10 to $25, and the job takes 15 to 20 minutes per door.
Are smart locks as secure as traditional deadbolts?
It depends on the specific lock. A smart lock that carries an ANSI/BHMA Grade 1 or Grade 2 certification meets the same physical security standards as a traditional deadbolt. The electronic features, keypad, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi, are convenience layers on top of a mechanical lock. The lock's physical grade determines its resistance to forced entry, not its connectivity features. Choose a smart lock for convenience, but verify its ANSI grade first.