Originally Posted By: yeti
you can have the strongest deadbolt made, and it's useless if the door jamb is wood, and the strike plate is fastened with the typical 3/4" screws.
a metal door frame is the only "reasonably" secure setup.if you must work with a wood frame, secure the strike plate with 4" screws (predrill to avoid cracking the wood). this way, the screws go through the jamb, and through the jack and king studs.it's the next best thing to a metal framed door.
grade level and first storey windows should have some form of decorative bar setup. it depends on what level of security you want. an alarm setup is an excellent deterrent.
picking locks is a joke. a typical thief will boot in your door, or bust a window. this is where the alarm excels. a couple of loud sirens, in a residential area, will make a thief leave immediately.if you make it difficult and time consuming for a thief to gain entry, he will go elsewhere.
again, it depends on what level of security is desired.good luck, and have a good night.
A carpenter will properly shim the striker and deadbolt solid and use at least a 3" screw,colour matched to the lock sets finish of course and I guarantee it's going to take enough sledgehammer blows that someone will hear it,to get through that door. Or of course vice grips.
A steel jamb doesn't guarantee security either. Locks are for honest people.
A set of vice grips will open any locked knob,and twist over any deadbolt,in seconds,so security is only as strong as the person monitoring it.
