Burglar-Proof Your Home

You don’t need to spend a fortune to keep burglars at bay. Here are some inexpensive (yet very effective!) DIY home security ideas.

• BIBENE WiFi Home Security Door Alarm System DIY Kit

This cost-effective home security alarm system kit features a built-in magnetic contact sensor and PIR (passive infrared) motion sensor to detect any forceful break-in, activating the alarm to scare off intruders. The app allows you to control the whole security system anywhere with your smartphone or tablet. You receive warning notifications of the exact location where the alarm was triggered, while you can also use the app for arming delay, and more. The kit comes with a PIR main panel, a wireless PIR motion detector, five door/window sensors, two remote controls, an AC adapter, a user manual and all backup battery and installation accessories.

• Install Door Reinforcement Hardware

You can spend hundreds on a fancy “pick-proof” deadbolt for your burglar proof front door. But you’re kidding yourself if you think that’ll stop most burglars. The truth is, most don’t know how to pick a lock. They gain entry with one really well-placed kick or body slam that splits the doorjamb (and often the door as well), and they walk right in. You can stop burglars in their tracks by beefing up your door and jamb with reinforcing hardware.

The components of this burglar proof front door take about an hour to install. Measure the entry door thickness and the spacing between the entry knob and the deadbolt cylinder. Then buy either a single or a double wrap-around door reinforcement plate kit and four 1-1/2-in.-long stainless steel wood screws. Then get a door jamb reinforcement kit. Remove the entry knob and deadbolt cylinder. Then remove the deadbolt and latch and toss the short screws. Install the wrap-around door reinforcement plate and reinstall the latch and deadbolt plates using the longer stainless steel screws.

• Defeat Bolt Cutters

“A determined thief with an angle grinder and enough time can cut through nearly any lock,” says Master Lock’s Justin Matuszek. “But more often, the thief has a bolt cutter and is trying to work fast.” He says the thicker a lock’s shackle and the less it’s exposed, the more secure the lock is from bolt cutters. And the kind of locking mechanism makes a difference in how easily a lock can be picked. The Master Lock M40XT Magnum keyed padlock and the Master Lock ProSeries Combination Lock both resist bolt cutters. Both are available at amazon.com.

• Secure Patio Doors

Patio door locks are easy to pick. Placing a heavy-duty stick in the door track will bar the door closed, but it looks crude and it’s inconvenient to remove every time you want to open the door. Fortunately, there’s a better way to get the security you need. Andersen Auxiliary Security Lock fastens along the bottom of the door and has a bolt that fits into a grommet to hold the door secure. A similar lock, the Door Guardian, attaches at the top of the door. Both locks allow the door to open 3 in. without compromising security. Installation takes about 10 minutes. Screw the bracket containing the pin to the door, then drill holes and insert grommets in the track for the pin to slide into.

• Add a Security Anchor

What do you do when you don’t have a place to lock your bike, canoe or construction materials while you’re away? Sometimes—unfortunately—call the police to report a theft. The Kryptonite Stronghold Anchor, once installed, provides a safe, permanent anchoring spot for your stuff.

This clever, tamper-resistant system involves drilling three holes and installing bolts to anchor the heavy-duty security hook to cement (bits included). A dome covers the hook and bolts. The anchor can also be installed in truck beds or secured to other surfaces using your fasteners. The instructions are clear, the design is clean and simple, and it comes with a lifetime warranty (well, you know, sorta).

• Install a Small Safe

Most of us don’t need a big, heavy, expensive safe to secure our valuables. For $100, you can get a safe that will protect against thieves. Be sure to fasten it to the floor or wall so an intruder doesn’t walk off with it. Safes go up in price for options such as fire protection and digital or biometric (fingerprint-reading) opening systems. Sentry Safe makes the ones shown here. Install the wall safe or cylinder floor safe by bolting it to the floor (most safes have holes inside for just that purpose). Hide it in the corner of a closet or other inconspicuous area. Or mount the wall safe inside a wall and cover it with a picture. Or chip out a hole in your concrete slab and stick in the floor safe, then pour new concrete around it.

• Keep Spare Keys in a Lock Box

Hiding a house key is risky business. Clever (or lucky) burglars sometimes find hidden keys. And insurance companies may refuse to cover your losses if there’s no sign of forced entry. The solution is a combination lock box. Screw it to a fence post or your house in an inconspicuous spot. But don’t use the short, wimpy screws provided by the manufacturer. A crook could pry off the box, take it home and patiently saw it open. Instead use four No. 10 x 2-in. screws, preferably stainless steel.

• Protect Your Mail

Mail theft is a growing problem, since unsecured mailboxes are easy targets. One sure way to keep thieves from stealing your mail—checks, credit card offers, personal information—is to use a security mailbox. Once the mail is dropped in, you need a key to open the box.