If you are concerned about the security of your home, you may want to re-evaluate it from the perspective of someone trying to break into your home. In fact, this is precisely what the experts do when evaluating your safety. Security experts will examine your exterior doors and walk the entire exterior of your home looking for potential weak spots and areas where they can enter. For example, basement windows that are not secured are often easily forced open to allow a burglar to enter.
However, one of the main ways that burglars enter homes is through the door. They will specifically look for exterior doors that are poorly secured and will enter those homes first. The more locks you have on your door, the less likely it is to be broken.
One of the least secure locks you can install on exterior doors is the rim lock. In some cases, it is extremely easy to pick open a rim lock with something as small as a credit card. A rim lock should only be considered as an auxiliary lock used in conjunction with other more secure locks. You can buy a deadbolt-style rim lock that offers more security than a regular rim lock, but it’s still not enough to use as your only line of defense at the door level.
By far the most secure lock is the deadbolt and it is highly recommended that you install this type of lock above all others. A single-cylinder deadbolt lock is usually sufficient, and while you can buy double-cylinder deadbolt locks, some cities or areas do not allow you to use them on your door. If you plan to install one of these, check your local building and safety codes first to make sure it’s allowed.
Push button locks, whether electronic or mechanical, also provide great security for a home, and since you don’t need a key to enter, they offer that extra level of security. There are no lost, misplaced or stolen keys that can be used to break into your home illegally.
In any situation, it is best to have a combination of two or three locks on your exterior doors. This alone is usually enough to deter a potential burglar, as if they see that your door is properly secured, they will simply find another house with fewer locks on its door.