- Home Door Security is Important for a Safer Home - Emlyn Addison
Being a single mom can be a big change, particularly when it comes to just being one person in charge of the safety of all the family. Here are some ideas to help improve home security with the doors of a home.
Keep Doors Locked
Having the best steel security door for the front door does no one any good (except a thief), if it is left unlocked. Make sure to secure and lock all doors and windows. Some people think they can leave the back door open and no one will notice, but those on the prowl to steal from a home will.
Get New Locks for New Place
Whenever a person moves into a new apartment or house, it is a good idea to get the locks changed. If a single mom is renting, she should ask for permission to do this before she signs the contract for the place. When looking around for an apartment, ask questions about who would have keys to the suite, and try to avoid large complexes where maintenance workers or security guards would have access to the home.
Get Good Locks for Exterior Doors
Doors to the outdoors and doors that connect to garages and basements need to be very secure. Double-cylinder locks with dead-bolt locks that need a key for both the outside and the inside are the best bet. Most other locks are more easily opened with such simple devices as a credit card, plastic strip or a screwdriver.
Never Leave Spare Key Outside
In case of a fire, it is important to have a key handy on the inside of the house near the door. If a mom is afraid of locking herself out, keep a key with a trusted neighbor, friend or family member. Leaving a key under a mat, in a mailbox or other such place is not a good idea, thieves will be able to find them too.
Make Sure Entrance Doors are Secure Doors
Check to make sure that the exterior doors of a home are doors made for that purpose. Sometimes less expensive or older apartment buildings can have interior doors used in place of proper exterior doors. Interior doors cost less money, but they are very easy to kick in, so it’s not wise to have them as an entrance door.
How to tell the difference? Interior doors have a hollow core instead of being made of solid wood or a tough metal frame. Take a close look at the door, if it is wood, knock on the edge to hear how it sounds at a solid part and then knock in the middle of the door where it may sound different if it is hollow.
As well, exterior doors that have a window should have metal bars over the glass, and the should be installed on the inside of the door – otherwise a thief can just remove them with a screwdriver from the outside. Single moms may want to think about getting a high quality security door, they are expensive but they do make burglars think twice about breaking in. They are looking for an easy job, not a hard one.
Door Peepholes
It’s helpful to get a peephole in the front door so a single mom can see who is outside her door. Some older models have glass that is about one-quarter-inch in diameter and although it does magnify what can be seen, it does not compare to newer peepholes. Some more modern peepholes can be up to three inches in diameter.
Remember, part of being safe is never opening the door to a stranger and don’t ever feel bad for telling people “I am not interested and I am not opening the door.” Potential intruders have been known to pretend to be salespeople, repairers or someone looking for a lost pet.
Doors are an important part of home security. Single moms can make sure that they have proper and secure exterior doors with double-cylinder dead-bolt locks and an up-to-date peephole. Make sure to keep doors locked, do not keep a spare key outside the house and do not open a door for a stranger.
Find this article useful? Read also Home Security Tips and the Single Mom, Home Security Systems and Single Moms, and How to Get a Break a Single Parent Needs.
Reference:
Anderson, Joan. The Single Mother’s Book: A Practical Guide to Managing Your Children, Career, Home, Finances and Everything Else. Atlanta, Georgia: Peachtree Publishing, 2004.
Tami Nicholson - Tami is the Feature Writer for Parenting Methods at Suite101. She is a mother of two with a background in education and journalism.
