Your Toronto area home is your castle, and you want it to be safe and secure. Your front entry doors need to be sturdy and secure as well as stylish and energy efficient. Nobody wants to take chances with the health and safety of their family, so you need to think carefully about what you need before you get a new front door. Remember, your peace of mind is on the line. How do you find the right front door for you? Well, here’s a tip.
Sturdy, Safe & Secure front doors
There are many things to think about before you get a new front door for your Toronto home. The most obvious question to ask yourself when shopping is, “How hard is it going to be for an attempted burglar to get through this door?” But remember, there is more to the security of your home than a sturdy door. A sturdy, well-built front door is a great start, whether it’s made from hardwood or steel but, for the most part, an intruder will try to find a less noticeable way in. Your windows need to be properly secured as well.
But we are talking about doors right now, so let’s consider the points that will make your front door the most secure it can be.
- Design – Does this door’s design add to or take away from its security?
- Construction – As mentioned before, is this door solid and well-built?
- Installation – Is your main entry area designed with security in mind?
- Access Denial – This is a fancy “industry” term for locks and deterrents.
- Safety Features – What does this door’s design do to add to your family’s safety?
For obvious reasons, a front door with a big, glass window is not as secure as one that is just a big chunk of metal. That’s not to say you shouldn’t have a window in your front door, but consider one that has small, separately framed windows that are high up. Another option would be small windows near the door that, even if broken, are too small to get through.
What a door is made from is just as important as how it is designed. Hardwood doors are sturdy and beautiful, but generally a lot more expensive than steel. Steel doors are not solid (they would weigh too much) but rather constructed from two layers of thin steel around a solid interior structure, with plenty of insulation. As a rule of thumb, steel doors qualify as the most secure.
How your main entry is laid out will affect the security of the entire area. Your front porch is most likely the last place an intruder will try to gain access to your home. A well-lit porch will do as much to deter a would-be thief as having a Rottweiler chained up out front, but there is no sense in making things easy. Avoid designing your front entry area in such a way that it will cause problems. Poorly lit, partially obscured with plants and high bushes, difficult to see from the road, or with lots of windows are examples of the kind of entryways that practically encourage intruders.
A properly secured front door makes for a safer home and family, so remember to look at strong locks. A double-cylinder deadbolt requires a key to unlock from either side, meaning that someone can’t simply break an adjoining window, reach inside, and unlock the door. A chain is always a good idea as well, and a peephole or “Judas” window lets you see who is at your door. Also consider a darker-colored door that will make the bright, brass hardware more obvious from a distance. If you can see the deadbolt from halfway up your front walk, so can criminals, and they’ll generally keep walking.
A Judas is a small door set at eye level, usually behind a metal grate, that works in the same fashion as a peephole, or a chain. It let’s you see and interact with the person on your front step without putting yourself at risk, or compromising the security of your home. Peepholes are available that offer an extra wide view and, from the viewing side, look almost like a miniature TV screen. These can also be a big help in making sure your family stays safe.
Front doors Security Starts With You
For your family to really stay safe and secure, it’s always a good idea to talk to them about your home’s security, and what you can all do to avoid danger. We all tell our kids not to talk to strangers and the same basic concepts will help keep them safe at home too. Remind them that they shouldn’t open the front door for just anyone, even a policeman or other official, and to never tell people on the other side of the door that their parents aren’t home.
Kids are generally very trusting, and may not see the harm in opening the front door to people who are dressed like a law enforcement officer, parcel service employee, or even a pizza delivery guy. Home invaders have been known to use all these ploys to gain access to homes where “latchkey” kids are present. If you are expecting a parcel delivery, make sure your children know it and, in case the package arrives while they are home alone, teach them the right way to accept delivery. They can tell the delivery driver to leave the package on the step, so they can bring it in when the coast is clear – re-securing the front door immediately afterward, of course.
As you can see, a lot of different factors go into the safety and security of your Toronto home, from choosing a sturdy, secure front door, to educating your kids on the safest and smartest practices when they are home alone. You would never compromise your family’s safety, so take the extra time to make sure they can stay safe at home all the time. If you have questions about a more secure front door for your Toronto area home, call Toronto Doors and Windows today.
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