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#247079 - 06/15/12 08:00 AM A journey towards better home security
Phaedrus Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 04/28/10
Posts: 3148
Loc: Big Sky Country
Part 1.

Lately the topic of home security has been weighing heavily on my mind. Here's the story: About a month ago a coworker of mine was the victim of a home invasion. He was awakened around 3 or 4 a.m. to a commotion in the living room. Initially he thought it was his roommate coming in, but when he went to check up on him he was attacked by five guys. They've kicked in his door and were ransacking his apartment. He ended up getting beat up pretty good, but very fortunately he wasn't seriously injured.

Now, he's a younger kid that runs with a shady crowd, but it really got me thinking. To many people I talk to home security is a gun. While I'm into firearms I think that's a misplaced priority. How many people have a $1,000 gun tricked out with lights and lasers yet stick with a $20 Kwik-Set lock? I keep a gun near my bed, but I want the situation to ended with the bad guy outside my front door, not dead on the floor of my bedroom!

I realized that my knowledge of security was pretty basic; have a deadbolt, don't have your name on your mailbox, etc. So I decided to do a bit of reading, then conduct a survey of my house. What I found frankly shocked me. Basically I live in a tent! That is to say, it would be just as easy to keep someone out of my tent as my house.

First off, my front door has glass sidelights- not ideal. But as I looked at them with an eye towards covering them on the inside with plexiglass I noticed that the wall they screw into is very flimsy. Worse yet my front door is an interior door (!), secured to a single 2 x 4 frame (!!)! Absolutely mind boggling.

I wish that was the worst of it. The front entry used to be porch but apparently was walled in...or I should say "windowed in". The whole thing is windows. What used to be the front door is also an interior door! And to the left of it are three single paned windows large enough to easily step through.

Going around to the side door in the alley didn't make me feel any better. There's a single dead bolt on another interior door being used as an exterior door (!), and like the front door that deadbolt is a single cylinder 3" from a window! What were they smoking when they built the place? And what was I smoking when I moved in?

I got another shock when I peeled the trim off the inside of the door frame to plan how to reinforce it. It's difficult to describe what I laughingly call the "King stud"/door junction- the door jamb is a one-by mounted to plaster! Yes, PLASTER!

Needless to say, but this point I needed a drink! The further I look the scarier my house is. But at least now I know, and knowing will help me fix it. My mom & brother are both former professional carpenters (and I'm pretty handy having worked with them PT as a kid). I'm formulating a plan to get this house up to 21st Century standards.

It seems previously my security plan was "be extremely lucky." While that's worked up until now it's time to get better.
_________________________
“I'd rather have questions that cannot be answered than answers that can't be questioned.” —Richard Feynman

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#247080 - 06/15/12 08:31 AM Re: A journey towards better home security [Re: Phaedrus]
Phaedrus Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 04/28/10
Posts: 3148
Loc: Big Sky Country
Part 2:

Okay, I have a basic plan formulated. Please feel free to chime in with comments or suggestions.

Initially I'm going to sort of ignore that outside front door; to be done correctly I'll have to remove it along with the sidelights, then install proper king studs and a new door. This is something I will do, but it will cost to much and take longer than I can devote to it to start there. I will make my stand at what I call the "airlock door". I'll get rid of that door and replace it with a proper solid core exterior door, mounted on three new hinges. Oh, did I forget to mention all the doors are mounted on 2 hinges each, and each hinge is missing at least one screw each? Yowzas!

At this point I plan to install jamb armor, and extended and hardened strike plate, armor for the hinges and a wrap-around door reinforcer. At this point I'll finally be ready to look at locks. That's another area where I was woefully ill-informed. Let me share a few things I've learned in a months worth of research. Perhaps this is common knowledge to you folks; if not it might keep your house from being penetrated. First off, while your door is anchored into one of the strongest structural components of your house, the door frame (generally a king stud with either 2 or three two-by-fours or two-by-sixes) the strike plate that contains your deadbolt is mounted to a door jamb with 1" screws. The jamb itself is pretty flimsy- one good kick will generally rip the bolt free of it. You should have a larger strike plate anchored with at least 3.5" screws that can go thru the jamb and deep into the stud frame. The large strike plate can spread the shock of an impact evenly, dissipating the energy into the whole door frame, absorbing the blow.

Once you've kept the jamb from ripping out, the door itself will probably fail around the lock. A door 1.75" thick with a hole drilled for the lock set will have very little material left to either side. To strengthen it you must add a wrap-around door reinforcer. If you're able it's also a good idea to armour the door hinges as well. If you've done all this you should have a pretty sturdy door. Then you can look at locks.

If you haven't followed the news or internet, you may not realize just how vulnerable your average lock is. The $40 lock you trust your security to is fatally flawed in many ways. It can be defeated by a number of attacks. The primary ones I'll discuss here are bumping and physical attack. Bumping involved inserting a key that will not unlock your door but will physically fit in it. The key is then smacked (bumped). On nearly all common locks, if done by a practiced had the lock will open. If you're not planning to sleep tonite anyways, go to youtube and search "lock bumping." Not pretty.

As I said, nearly all locks under $75 can be bumped. And to be perfectly honest, even a $140 Medeco M3, the type used in the White House among other places, is not completely invulnerable to being bumped. The great simplified answer is that Security Rated, Class 1 locks will resist the amateur bump attacks you'll likely face. These locks have "firewalls" of sorts that (theoretically) compartmentalize & isolate the parts of the lock from each other. In broad terms, locks that are nearly bump proof include said Medeco M3, the Schlage Primus/Everest, the Evva 3KS, etc. These locks will cost around $150 at the end. But while that sucks, how much did that slick Kimber .45 cost? Or your 65" LCD TV? What's your life worth?

If the bad guy can't simply bump your lock and walk in he may physically attack the lock. This can be done in many ways. Cheap deadbolts can simply be hammered off with a couple of blows. If it survives that it might be drilled. Years ago this wasn't a very common attack, but now everyone owns a cordless drill. Security tests have shown that nearly all consumer locks under $50 can be drilled out & defeated in under 2 minutes. What will survive that? Tests have shown the Medeco M3, the Evva & the Primus to resist drill attacks. The lock can be destroyed in this manner but it won't open. The Schlage is also extremely robust vs physical attack.

My eventual plan is to use 2 deadbolts on each the front and back doors. One will be a Schlage B660P (already ordered) coupled with a high security locks. Maybe the Medeco, maybe the Primus. Maybe I won't come right out and say which! The idea is 2 different locks means two different keys, and two different bump keys. High security locks have rather exotically shaped keys, and key control means you can't stroll into the hardware shop and get a blank. Two beadbolts means twice the holding power and 1/2 as likely to be defeated. Maybe not worth the effort. Naturally I'll have a reinforced strike plate for each lock.

In the next post I'll discuss my plans for the three vulnerable windows that flank that airlock door. And in a later post I'll lay out my plans for tackling that problematic alley/back door.
_________________________
“I'd rather have questions that cannot be answered than answers that can't be questioned.” —Richard Feynman

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#247082 - 06/15/12 12:46 PM Re: A journey towards better home security [Re: Phaedrus]
LesSnyder Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 07/11/10
Posts: 1680
Loc: New Port Richey, Fla
Phaedrus... good luck with your endeavor... after watching the movie "No Country for Old Men", I'd wondered what it would take to shear a brass cylinder out of a lock...

I went with exterior steel doors, and longer screws to the striker plate and good dead bolts, but not a high end lockset... unfortunately my house is an old frame structure , and though off the ground on 2' pilings it has a couple of 7' jalousie windows that would be easily defeated

the front, and rear entrances are accessed by easy open screen doors, but I installed a wireless "chime" with the speaker in the bedroom that sounds when they are opened...that and a couple of motion sensor lights...

I don't have a large perception of threat,... I'm just a kindly old retired school teacher, and no "ostentatious display of wealth"... my nightstand pistol is a lowly G23 with night sights

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#247084 - 06/15/12 01:23 PM Re: A journey towards better home security [Re: Phaedrus]
Dagny Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 11/25/08
Posts: 1918
Loc: Washington, DC
Seeking to improve its image with women, about twenty years ago the National Rifle Association began a program called "Refuse to be a Victim." It has nothing to do with guns and everything to do with non-weapon aspects of enhancing security in all aspects of life. I went to one of the early sessions. A few years later, some of the personal security strategies that had become habits saved me from harm when I was attacked while walking home from work.

Highly recommend you see if a RTBAV program is available near you. Your local police department may also have some resources that could be helpful, such as a home security audit.

http://www.nrahq.org/rtbav/

Home Security
Personal Security
Automobile Security
Workplace Security
Technological Security

P.S. the comprehensive home security strategies include topics such as landscaping, making your home look occupied when you're absent and making it look like you have a BIG dog - even if you do not (big water bowl, "Love my Rottweiler" doormat, Bewared of Dog sign, etc.).


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#247086 - 06/15/12 02:08 PM Re: A journey towards better home security [Re: LesSnyder]
LCranston Offline
2
Enthusiast

Registered: 08/31/09
Posts: 201
Loc: Nebraska
Even if you are in the White House, the purpose of security can not be "keep them out forever"

Unless you are deliberately pissing off mafia thugs or gangs, or are planning for zombies, the goal is to
1) make your house a bad target
1st, set it up so anyone coming can be seen- no obscured windows (Bushes that cover entire windows let them work in private
2nd Make it LIGHT- thieves do not want to work on your locks under a spotlight
3rd. Where possible, make it painful. SHORT, Thorny bushes are not fun

These make you house a bad target- thieves don't want to get caught. If your house looks harder than your neighbors, they will move on.

2) Reinforce- this is what you are doing.
Coatings on Windows that make them bend and bow but not shatter (more kid safe too)
better bolts
better screws
Better doors
Better doors on your BEDROOM, with a real LOCK.
Good alternate exits.

These give you TIME- and Options
Time to call the police
Time to run away/hide/fight.

3)Network. Know your neighbors, have them know you. Real neighbors keep each other safe- They call the police for you. They catch your dog.

4) slightly off topic, but equally important- know your laws. Shooting someone breaking in in TX is totally different than in NE. One gets you a medal, one gets you arrested. This can even differ from city to city, and county to county.
I know where I am, if someone breaks in; if I go confront them and someone gets hurt, I can get charged. All snarky "I'll just plant a knife on them" aside- no thank you- You try to take that TV before the cops come.
Now if they come upstairs towards my kids, I can claim imminent danger, and all bets are off.

Last point- Make sure your security is subordinate to your safety. I saw one guy securing windows with NAILS- um, dude- you have a wife and two girls that use a can of hairspray a WEEK. Whats more likely- a robbery, or a FIRE?

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#247087 - 06/15/12 02:13 PM Re: A journey towards better home security [Re: Phaedrus]
Bingley Offline
Veteran

Registered: 02/27/08
Posts: 1576
The home defensive system has to have layers, right? You are working on the doors and windows, and soon you'll have that taken care of. At some point you might want to consider an alarm system, either something that is networked to a security company, or a self-contained system that screams its head off when tripped. Lighting the crucial entry areas might help.

You can go pretty far in home security. Let me tell you about a house. It's got four layers of locks: (1) a solid, mechanically operated metal door, reinforced by numerous bolts and locks (I think around ten of them); (2) another door right behind it with two serious locks; (3) a lighter wooden door with a lock; (4) and a solid, thick wooden door to the inner sanctum. There is a lighting and alarm system, too. There is only one ground-accessible window, and it's got thick metal grills on it. The walls are thick bricks. There is a lot of lighting day and night. Two people check all the locks every night. Sounds pretty good, hunh?

The house still got penetrated. In the middle of the night, some burglars quietly broke through all these defenses and took only the most valuable items. (They might have somehow surveilled the house for a while before the burglary.) They did not wake anyone or harm anyone. They were skilled and equipped, not like the five guys who beat your friend -- those sound like amateurs. Naturally, they made off with quite a profit.

So consider what sort of people you want to keep out, and plan accordingly. Most US houses aren't so well-designed against burglars. I mean, they aren't fortresses like the house I describe above! But even that can be penetrated.

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#247090 - 06/15/12 02:39 PM Re: A journey towards better home security [Re: Bingley]
ILBob Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 02/05/10
Posts: 776
Loc: Northern IL
sounds like an inside job, or at least someone with some inside information.

Originally Posted By: Bingley
The home defensive system has to have layers, right? You are working on the doors and windows, and soon you'll have that taken care of. At some point you might want to consider an alarm system, either something that is networked to a security company, or a self-contained system that screams its head off when tripped. Lighting the crucial entry areas might help.

You can go pretty far in home security. Let me tell you about a house. It's got four layers of locks: (1) a solid, mechanically operated metal door, reinforced by numerous bolts and locks (I think around ten of them); (2) another door right behind it with two serious locks; (3) a lighter wooden door with a lock; (4) and a solid, thick wooden door to the inner sanctum. There is a lighting and alarm system, too. There is only one ground-accessible window, and it's got thick metal grills on it. The walls are thick bricks. There is a lot of lighting day and night. Two people check all the locks every night. Sounds pretty good, hunh?

The house still got penetrated. In the middle of the night, some burglars quietly broke through all these defenses and took only the most valuable items. (They might have somehow surveilled the house for a while before the burglary.) They did not wake anyone or harm anyone. They were skilled and equipped, not like the five guys who beat your friend -- those sound like amateurs. Naturally, they made off with quite a profit.

So consider what sort of people you want to keep out, and plan accordingly. Most US houses aren't so well-designed against burglars. I mean, they aren't fortresses like the house I describe above! But even that can be penetrated.
_________________________
Warning - I am not an expert on anything having to do with this forum, but that won't stop me from saying what I think. smile

Bob

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#247092 - 06/15/12 03:03 PM Re: A journey towards better home security [Re: Phaedrus]
RNewcomb Offline
Member

Registered: 04/19/12
Posts: 170
Loc: Iowa
I've lived in the same house for 35 years, and it's never been broken into. However, our garage has been hit a total of 3 times during that time.

On the Garage, all three entry points have been the door. It's a steel door, but only a quickset lock. I never really had anything extremely valuable in the garage, and didn't advertise what I did have in there. After a rash of home break in's earlier this year, I decided it was time to strenghen the defenses a little.

My house is actually very secure. All the Windows are up fairly high, and the both doors (front and back) have heavy dute storm doors (that lock) with Steel inside doors that are dead bolted. The Door Jams are very solid.

The basement windows all have aluminum storm screens that are both screwed and sealed with caulking. If they removed these, they would be faced with double layered plexiglas windows.

The basement is sealed off from the rest of the house by an solid wood interier door that also had a dead-bolt on it. Once they are inside the house, however, this door is just a mechanism to slow down the intruder.. and hopefully give me time to get out the front door.

I have installed infrared alarms in the garage now that signal an alarm when there's any movement in the garage, and reinforced the door jam with a hardened steel bar (about four foot long) that goes down the interier jam that is lag screwed in every four inches. This door is abolutely "pop" proof. It would be easier for them to go through a wall that to get this door open when the dead bolt is on.

Finally, I always keep in mind the first rule of all thievery. At it's core, it's all about desire. You steel what you desire, and you can't desire what you don't know about.

I don't have a lot of house guests. I don't throw house parties. I am very selective about what friends I allow my son to bring into my house. I know who they are, where they live and I get a feel for their families. I make it very clear to my son that he does not talk about his "toys", and more importantly, mine. This may come across slightly creepish, but it also serves the purpse of knowing who my kids are hanging out with. Any dilligent parent should do the same.

So in short, don't advertise. Don't make it easy, and layer your defense. You can't stop them, but you sure can slow them down.

And if all else fails.. if they are that determined, you have to decide if taking someones life is REALLY worth your "stuff". I hope I never have to make that choice.

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#247096 - 06/15/12 03:56 PM Re: A journey towards better home security [Re: Bingley]
ireckon Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 04/01/10
Posts: 1629
Loc: Northern California
If your house is like a tent, then yeah focusing on a firearm is probably a misplacement of priorities. For a person whose house is like a house, then a firearm and training can provide a valuable layer of security. As we talk about layers, I think about what is my last layer of security. I'm at a point in my life where I feel like it's irresponsible for me NOT to have a firearm in my last layer of security, but that's me. What is in your last layer of security?

Originally Posted By: Bingley
The house still got penetrated. In the middle of the night, some burglars quietly broke through all these defenses and took only the most valuable items. (They might have somehow surveilled the house for a while before the burglary.) They did not wake anyone or harm anyone. They were skilled and equipped, not like the five guys who beat your friend -- those sound like amateurs. Naturally, they made off with quite a profit.

So consider what sort of people you want to keep out, and plan accordingly. Most US houses aren't so well-designed against burglars. I mean, they aren't fortresses like the house I describe above! But even that can be penetrated.


Interesting, I think that burglar would have a problem with setting off my 9-pound poodle mutt. From a deep sleep, she can detect if a stranger has the audacity to stand on her front porch. Many people enjoy the comforts that a big dog brings them, but I wouldn't trade my little mutt for any dog. She is perhaps the most valuable part of my layered security, and is the best watch dog I've ever had. I'm the guard dog. smile
_________________________
If you're reading this, it's too late.

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#247097 - 06/15/12 04:34 PM Re: A journey towards better home security [Re: Phaedrus]
ireckon Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 04/01/10
Posts: 1629
Loc: Northern California
It's important to think about what things in your house are most valuable and what things are least valuable. Here is the approximate order of value for me:

1. My daughter
2. My girlfriend
3. Me
4. Pictures
5. Other data on my computer system
6. Sentimental items, like stuff my mom or dad gave me
7. Vital records
8. Stuff that can be replaced with money

With that list in mind, I construct my layers of security accordingly. The pictures and data require enhanced protection not yet discussed in this thread. My pics and other data are mostly stored on computer systems, which would be a target in a burglary. So, I have several layers of backup, including encrypted files and external backup over the Internet.

Regarding the stuff that can be replaced with money, I have to be honest and say I'm not obsessed with protecting those items. Yeah, it would be a bummer having those things stolen, but they can be replaced with a little effort, and I would look at the replacement process as an opportunity to upgrade or reduce clutter.
_________________________
If you're reading this, it's too late.

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