Like the famed and questionably racist viral auto-tuned hit, “Hide Your Kids, Hide Your Wife”, interviewee Antoin Dodson recants to news reporters how burglars stole into his Brooklyn home in the night, and attempted to snatch and violate his loved one.
While people find this video funny due to his vernacular colloquialisms, that racially charged and inappropriate humor detracts from a serious issue at hand: burglaries and break-ins happen more often than we would like to think. In fact, a home intrusion occurs ever 13 seconds on average. No amount of auto-tuning and de-legitimatizing of a person of color’s concerns is going to erase that.
Instead, perhaps we citizens of America should be proactive. By investing in the right residential windows and doors, one can effectively make their house burglar proof. Here’s how you do it:
- Examine Your Door’s Existing Infrastructure
- Add Security Lighting
When there’s conspicuous lighting, and visible security cameras, people are less likely to commit acts of tomfoolery. There are affordable options, such as fake blinking security cameras and motion detecting flashing LED lights. - Invest in Steel
Ultimately, investing in steel doors and steel windows is the best way to prevent unwanted break ins and burglaries. While many opt for solid wood doors (pine is usually the most affordable option), steel windows and doors will ensure that no one is able to break into your home. Additionally, steel doors are also an affordable option, and they are more sustainable in the long run as they resist rot and decay.
While many houses’ deadbolt plates are strong enough to keep a door locked regularly, they are usually not enough to prevent a forced entry. Invest in the strongest strike box models and reinforce the door jam. If you have hollow or weak door frames for your exterior doors, you should replace these immediately. Hollow wood frames should only be used on interior doors.