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My mother’s home was broken into last night. It turns out this was really easy to do because the solid maple door was mounted in a wimpy jamb (strike plates in 3/4 in of softwood). The door is undamaged. The deadbolt and latch simply tore out of the jamb. The house was built around 1960.
Given that she wants to keep the door (it would be very hard to buy today) the current plan is:
– cut out the existing prehung door frame
– remove the splintered jamb leg
– replace it with a new one (custom, I couldn’t find the same size premade)
Any suggestions on how to make the reinstallation more secure? The millwork shop suggested that they make the jamb out of maple. Also, I notice that the rough opening was too wide, which means that there was a 1+” gap between the jamb and the stud. Since the jamb has to be made up anyway, I thought it would be worth making the new one thicker than the original. Any other ideas?
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Pete, one of the easiest things to, is reinforce the jamb with a piece of angle iron. You need a piece about 16" long drilled out for the deadbolt and lockset. I installed one on a clients cottage door after a break-in. Thieves tried unsuccessfully a second time to gain access. (went through a window instead)
*Pete, Sorry to read of you and your families frustration over this. When you are finished with the remodeling of the door jamb and have selected all of the hardware, pay attention to the hinge side of the door. Reinforce those hinges with something a bit more beefy than what comes with the hinge hardware. Of course this goes for all of the hardware too, too often I have seen the hinge side of doorways give way vs. the deadbolt side. I can't give dimensions but certainly some longer and stouter screws that are going to span any unforeseen gaps, weak wood or any other defects. You could also go with an all steel door, security bars and I've seen dead bolts mounted on the hinge side of doors too. Overkill, no?, yes?, maybe?, unfortunately like in Ken's case they'll come thru a window. No matter what, make it tough for the bastards. Happy holidays.
*I install heavy duty strikes in most jambs. Most include 4" screws that go thru the jamb into the framing beyond. Costs about $8.00Also, I substitute the hinge screws for 3" sheetrock screws (gold) for the same result.
*I would make the jambs outta maple use longer screws to run into the trimmers. It sounds like the dead bolt and lock did their job but the jamb did not. There actually isnt a lot you can do. If they want to get into the house they will. To make your mom feel a bit more secure may a alarm system would her also.
*A maple jamb will rot quicker than a pine one on an exterior door, Ron. The quickest easy is to mount the striker with long screws to take a hold in the stud with shims tight right there. Then buy or make on your printer software a sticker that says "BEWARE! This home protected by such and such security alarm company" to stick to the door or nearby.
*A Stanley distributor could give ($) you a jamb reinforcing backer plate. This metal plate, relieved at the places the deadbolt/latch would go through the jamb, is mounted on the backside of the jamb. Have installed them on new Stanley prehungs, but know nothing of how they would hold up. It is an easy way to reinforce the jamb. Coupled with long strike screws through to the trimmer, should provide added security. You have to decide when you have reached your goal. Somebody wants in, there's always a way. Best of luck.
*A long throw deadbolt will extend into the trimmer too.
*I feel for ya, Pete ........ some years back when I lived in the big city my home was broken into 3 times in 4 years ....... and my new truck with 700 miles on it was stolen (recovered the next day minus a few parts). They make striker plates with pins that go into the studs ........got it from a local locksmith ....don't know what brand. As Calvin says, if they want in bad enough they will. The final time they snapped the jamb and split the stud. Think your best defense is good neighbors and an alarm system.
*Pete, I have not used Stanely reiforcing backer plate, bu have used the mortise cups that they make. I wasn't very impressed with them. The three inch screws provided more security than the metal cup that the deadbolt slid into. Here are a couple of more suggestions: 1. Before you install the new jamb leg make an L shaped piece of metal from 22 or 24 guage steel. The long side of the L shoul be about 3 inches wide and the short side at least 1 1/2 inches wide. This L should be marked and drilled for the deadbolt opening and screw patern at the correct setback off of the face of the stud. I ussually make the total length of this strap tall enough to catch the both the deadbolt and latchbolt of the lockset with another inch or so added on each end. Install this on the stud with two inch screws in both faces before you install the new janb leg. You can get the exact location from the existing hardware on the door. I use this type of back reinforcing plate because it is almost impossible to shear the face of the stud and jamb leg when the stud is reinforced in two directions. I have seen the inside face of studs split off when a large pry bar was use to jack the door open. Using 3" screws on the strike hardware helps, but remember they are ussually within an inch and a half of the edge of the stud. My reinforcing plate on the stud increases the force needed by over 200%. 2. For hinge side security add two 3/8 inch lag bolts drilled and driven into the hing side of the door, but leave the bolt heads proud of the door edge by a half inch or so. Drill the hinge side jamb to accept the bolt heads as the door is closed. You now have a door with three solid locking points when it is closed. (The deadbolt and the two lag bolt head.)This has the added benefit of scuring the hinge side of the door even if the hinge pins are removed from the inside (assuming you use a doulble cylinder deadbolt.To address the window entry problem a lot depends on the type of windows. Most of the 1960 era houses in my area have double hung windows with typical cam and hook type latches. A short jimmy bar beneath the lower sash is enough to pop the sash locks loose from the sash. Even the key type locks mounted on the sashes won't withstand the forces involved. A low tech./cost solution is to drill a hole at a slight downward angle form the lower sash into the upper sash where they meet. Make the hole slightly larger than an 8 penny nail. Cut the head off of the nail and drop it in the hole. Keep a small magnet in your "junk drawer" to extract the nail when you want to open the window.The last two items come from a "crime stoopers" pamplet that our local police gave to victims of breakins. There are tamper proof hinges with pin and mortise configurations available for commecial doors that you may be able to use on a residential door. They would be far less unsightly than my lagbolt heads above.Last item. Get your mother a dog! It dosen't have to be big or trained to guard, etc. Just loud! All dogs become territorial, so it will at the least raise enough racket to discourage a thief from comming on in.Talk to your local ploice and her insurance company. They will both have additional information on low tech. home security.Dave
*Put in a metal door frame. 4" screws. And don't use drywall screws.
*piffin,maple jambs will rot faster than pine. i learn something new everyday. i thought if you treat the maple correctly it will hold up as well as oak.
*I think all of your posts are right as far as secruing a door. Dave made some suggestions about the windows too. But that is the very problem, we like to live in houses that have windows and lots of them. The better you secure a door the easier it is to break a window. No one wants bars on the windows and doors but that's really the only way to "secure" your house. (Mind you that it doesn't make it impenetrable) I think a good alarm system is your best bet. One that has motion detectors is best. It really sucks that we have come to this, Where I live the fastest growing crime is "home invasion" They don't even wait until you leave! They just come right in and take your stuff, and if your lucky they won't shoot you. Me, I'd rather they come while I'm not there, that way I won't have to clean up the mess my 12 guage would leave all over the wall.
*How about one of those "security screen doors" ? I'm thinking of the relatively heavy ones I've seen in home centers that have bars on them, and locks. I know that's not foolproof. But hopefully you can make it enough of a pain to get in the house that they go on down the street and find another target. I agreee with Justus1199 - I'd shoot anyone who broke into my house while I was there, without a second thought. (Or I'd like to think I would - Hope I never have to find out)
*Ron Teti,The maples contain higher amounts of sugar in the wood. Just like your kids go running to the candy bowl, the bacteria love it. Treatments might help, sure but keeping it dry is harder for an exterior door.Pines contain some nasty resins that resist rot slightly. Not as well as doug fir would but who wants splintery fir on a jamb!
*Eliminate the 1" gap with solid blocking. That space allows the jamb to start twisting and it's easier to break things with torque than with compression. Check the gap on the hinge side as well. A metal plate on the inside face of the stud will help prevent splitting. I've just made up a jamb from 5/4" mahogany. I'll report back in ten years on how it's holding up.
*I have the security doors on my house. They are kinda nice in the summer we leave the door opened and the security door locked. Ive seem them with a wood face attached to a metal frame. It actually looks good.
*Pete,if the breakin occurred at night you might also want to install outdoor lighting that is on a dusk to dawn eye or a motion sensor. Remove obstructing shrubs and plantings that the thief can hide behind.As mentioned above, more and more breakins are occurring durring daylight hours. Thieves are opportunist. Most of them don't watch a house to see when someone is home. They learn to spot vacent homes by the lack of a car, porch light left on durring the day, mail not picked up, and a bunch of other signs we leave that say "no one is here." The older the neighborhood, the more likely it is occuppied by older residents,i.e. retired or nearing retirement. Those homes are easy pickings, even if the owners are home. Bad hearing, poor eye sight and frail physical condition mean that the perps don't worry about a confrontation if they happen to be seen or heard. Block watches are the best security in many of these older neighborhoods. Signs posted throughout the area tell thieves that the neighbors know one another and are watching out for each other.Nothing will stop the D.A. punk high on something, but the pros look for easier targets than Block Watch neighborhood and a home that says "I am protected." They don't like being seen or heard, and they really hate a noisy dog. It is hard to tell from outside a home if that bark is fom a 20 pound teddy bear or a 80 pound "tare your arm off, bad a$s beast."Dave
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My mother's home was broken into last night. It turns out this was really easy to do because the solid maple door was mounted in a wimpy jamb (strike plates in 3/4 in of softwood). The door is undamaged. The deadbolt and latch simply tore out of the jamb. The house was built around 1960.
Given that she wants to keep the door (it would be very hard to buy today) the current plan is:
- cut out the existing prehung door frame
- remove the splintered jamb leg
- replace it with a new one (custom, I couldn't find the same size premade)
Any suggestions on how to make the reinstallation more secure? The millwork shop suggested that they make the jamb out of maple. Also, I notice that the rough opening was too wide, which means that there was a 1+" gap between the jamb and the stud. Since the jamb has to be made up anyway, I thought it would be worth making the new one thicker than the original. Any other ideas?