Picture this: you leave for an evening out with friends. As you leave, you click your key into your front doorknob and scurry to your car, eager to begin the fun. Just a few hours later, your front door is wide open, and your possessions accounted for are scattered through your now-tattered home. A commercial door replacement is the least of your worries: your memories and prized possessions are missing, and your peace of mind is gone.
For two million Americans each year, this is reality. Home burglaries account for 74% of all burglary crimes committed in the U.S., and for many, this can be devastating. Luckily, there are ways to prevent this event from happening to you.
1. LOCK YOUR DEADBOLT
We’ve all done it: just jammed the key into the knob and ran off to work, school, happy hour, etc. Many commercial door locks come in kits with both a knob and a deadbolt, which works as an added level of security for your home. If your door is not equipped to handle a deadbolt in addition to a lock on your knob, consider a commercial door replacement. Make sure not to skip locking it on your way out!
2. MAKE SURE YOUR LOCKS ARE PROPERLY INSTALLED
While you can buy commercial door locks at most hardware stores, installing them is a harder task. Considering that about 59% of burglary cases involve forced entry, proper installation of your best defense is key. A locksmith can make sure that your doors and locks are properly aligned and optimized and may even suggest commercial door replacement to keep you and your things safe.
3. LOCK YOUR DOORS ALL THE TIME
Home burglary doesn’t just happen under cover of night. In fact, an estimated 63% of home invasions happen during the daytime. So as you’re spilling coffee out of your travel mug, hoping to beat traffic, take a beat to make sure your home is secure to avoid theft.
4. HAVE A SOLID DOOR
Sometimes, the door to your home may be to blame for a burglar’s entry. Many wood doors are subject to dry rot, and misalignment from hinges also weakens the door’s structural security. If your door is starting to sag or split, consider a commercial replacement door to optimize structural stability. If a commercial replacement door is a must, make sure you’re installing a door that fits your home in order to create a good seal.
5. DON’T USE THE SAME KEYS
Some homeowners and landlords use master keys, which unlock all the doors to a home. Although this may seem convenient, using different types of keys for each door reduces a burglar’s chance for entry. You might be able to simply change the locks on a door, but a commercial replacement door might be needed in order to make sure the new locks fit and work properly. If you’re concerned about locking yourself out (we’ve all done it at least once), have you keys duplicated for a local locksmith for backup.
We spend about ten minutes rummaging through our own things every day trying to find our keys, our wallet, sometimes even the glasses sitting on our face. Who has time for someone else to do that to them? Home invasion and burglary is scary, but leaving the house doesn’t have to be. Commercial lock and commercial door replacement are easy steps to take. Be safe and smart, and burglars won’t stand a chance.
