Front doors should enhance the look of your property but you also want them to serve their function well. An ill fitting or inappropriate front door can compromise your home security and energy efficiency.
Five points to consider when choosing a new front door
- Take time choosing a front door you like and make sure it is compatible with the style of your home--it is the first thing you see every time you come home.
- Style is ultimately less important than substance when it comes to front doors. Crime statistics show that the front door is the burglar's entry point of choice. Not only should your front door be secure, it should look secure to deter burglars from even trying to break in.
- Make sure your front door is made from either solid hardwood or metal. The frame should be made of the same material so that it has equal strength. Front doors should have vertical and horizontal construction units in addition to the usual vertical inner poles and top and bottom frame rails.
- Fit your front door with door viewers, door chains, and suitable locks. A chain helps make the door more difficult to force and allows you to talk to strangers without fully opening the door. Locks are categorized by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) by quality from 1 to 3. Fit front doors with grade 1 locks and use deadbolt locks, preferably double cylinder.
- Finally, make sure your security measures don't make it difficult to get out of your home. You may need to get out quickly. And, if an intruder gets into your home, you don't want him to feel trapped inside--he may panic and become violent.
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