Do you ever wonder just how safe your house is, against the eventuality of a robber trying to get in? If you haven, this article will guide your through the basics of making your home a safer place for everyone who lives there.

Standard doors feature very basic locking mechanisms. They aren’t terribly effective at keeping the criminal element out, and they do very little to keep little ones safely inside. When considering home safety, take a good look at your doors and consider making some smart changes.

Patio Doors

Pools are a danger, as well as trampolines, swing sets and other playground equipment. While you love taking the little ones on this equipment with your supervision, you don’t want them playing on it by themselves. Patio door locks are typically easy to figure out, even for toddlers. However, you can easily call your locksmith to add a safety door lock to your patio to eliminate this concern. One option is the bar that swings down to lock in place. It can be set high on the door to keep it out of reach from little hands. Another option is a peg that attaches to the sliding door and will push into the top of the frame to lock the door. The children will be too short to reach it, and thieves will not be able to break past them by jiggling the door.

Garage Doors

The garage is a prime target for criminals. The exterior doors are not usually well secured, and the door going into the home is typically unlocked completely. The interior door leading to your garage should be a steel door for safety from intruders and to help slow the spread of a fire that might start in the garage. This door should also feature a high quality lock, and a wide-angle peephole. The walk-through door for the garage should also feature a steel door with a high quality deadbolt.

If your garage has windows in the walls or doors, have the glass frosted or covered with curtains. This will prevent thieves from looking in and seeing when you are out of town. A better choice is to invest in a garage door that doesn’t feature windows. When you are going to be out of town, put a padlock on the garage door throw latch. This will prevent someone from breaking in through that door when you are on vacation.

Kick Plates

Install kick plates on every exterior swinging door. You can have the strongest door in the world, but it is only as strong as the doorframe that holds it in place. Most door frames are simple pine that is easily blown out with a solid kick. A kick plate is not visible on the outside of your door. The 48 inch plate is actually installed on the door frame in place of your strike plate. It is attached to the framework of the house using 3.5 inch screws. The hinges are also reinforced with three inch screws. When the door is kicked, the force of the kick is distributed along the plate, diffusing the energy and allowing the door to withstand the kick. It is an easy improvement that is affordable and effective.

Keeping your home safe involves a little more than just locking the doors at night and putting child safety locks on the cabinets. The right hardware on your entry doors can effectively keep the children safely inside and allow you to protect your family by keeping the criminals out. The upgrades are affordable and extremely effective.