Knowing how to keep your home safe and secure is one of the most important things you can do as a homeowner. It can seem a little daunting at first, with all of the statistics and coordination you have to consider but once you know what you’re doing it’s relatively easy. Let’s start at the most basic part of the home, the place that essentially acts as your first line of defense. Yes, the first thing you need to do is consider the quality and health of your doors. As important as doors are, they are often overlooked when thinking and planning for home security. What follows is a short list of things to consider what inspecting the quality of your doors.
- The Type of Door
Of course, this is the most basic question you have to ask yourself, especially if you’re thinking of replacing or installing a door. Knowing what kind of doors are installed in your home will help in all sorts of unexpected circumstances, from finding a locksmith to buying commercial replacement doors. As important as it is to know what kind of door you have, most people don’t even know the difference behind many and varied different kinds of doors. Screen doors are not the same as back doors which are not the same as front doors and so on. Though locksmiths might know the difference it’s important for the homeowner to know the difference as well. Even among different classes of doors, there are subtle differences in hinge, lock and knob structure that might affect the overall health and quality of the doors. What are these subtle differences, exactly? Well let’s look at some examples.
Porch door
The porch door is often going to be less secure than its front counterparts. It’s made for easy access and possibly slides rather than opens in or out. More often than not the porch door will have a swinging or sliding screen installed just on the outside. This allows for ventilation and stops insects and pests from entering the home.
Front Door
One of the most common types of commercial replacement doors is the front door. There are many different types of front door but out of all the doors in a home the front door is often the most secure and solid. It ought to have a secure and heavy deadbolt and, should it not, it’s up to the homeowner to get it replaced. Often times it has a secondary lock as well though this isn’t completely necessary. The main function of the front door is, in some fundamental ways, the opposite of the porch door. It isn’t there for ease of access but rather for security and defense. It’s made to be hard to get through. And for good reason.
Garage Door
Of course, in any home, there are a large and surprising number of secondary and specialty doors as well. From side to basement to attic doors, there are more than you might think. Garage doors, like porch doors, are made for easy access, in this instance for cars. The irony is that a lot of people let their garages get cluttered with junk and completely defeat the point of a garage or a garage doors. Don’t let this happen to you! Make sure your garage doors are solid and greased properly. If they’re electric, check the rotors and motors every few months to ensure that they’re working properly.
Components of a door
Though there are many different kinds of doors, that doesn’t mean that all doors are completely different. In fact, most of them share a fair number of simiar component parts. This is so when you purchase any commercial replacement doors you don’t have to waste your time with unnecessary complications. Most commercial replacement doors all have the same basic mechanisms within them. The knob opens the door, the hinges swing the door itself. The lock is located within the knob or the door itself. These three areas are the places you should inspect monthly for proper door health.
