Looking for a specific kind of door lock / bolt to stop kick-ins?

Question

I am looking for a solution to a door being kicked in.

The lock would need to lock from the outside but be fitted to the inside.

It would provide enough protection to stop the door being kicked in. It would need to their strengthen the frame or bypass the frame and bolt to the wall.

Thinking of bars that extend out into wall mounted bolt holes.

To be honest any suggestions, serious ones, to stop a door being kicked in are welcome

Answer 1

hi contact door fit products birmingham they are good

Answer 2

Fit rack bolts and dog bolts..

Rack bots are brass cylinders about 3/4" diameter and 4" long that you fit into holes drilled into the EDGE of your door. They contain a bolt which shoots out into a corresponding hole in the frame.

You operate them by inserting a hexagonal shaped key through a discrete 1/4" hole drilled through the door from outside to inside. The keyhole on the outside usually has a decorative and protactive hinged flap over it. This is hard to describe in words but if you look at the things they're self-evident.

Fit two rack bolts to the door on the same side as your door handle/main lock. One of them about 6" from the top edge and the other about 9" from the bottom edge.

On the hinge side you should fit two "hinge bolts" or "dog bolts". These things are fixed (you don't have a key) specially shaped bolts that attach to the edge of the door and slot into matching grooves in the frame when the door is closed.

They're shaped to allow the door to open and close but they resist attempts to kick the door in on the hinge side.

Fit two: one midway between the bottom and middle hinge and the other between the middle and top hinges.

All these devices cost only a couple of quid each and you can get them from B&Q or Wikes or a decent hardware shop.

Read the instructions carefully, use the right size of wood bit and you'll find them easy to install.

Answer 3

I have installed mortise locks with multi-point locking systems, basically have two rods that bolt into the head and into the threshold of the door frame, as well as a dead bolt type lock at the handle.  They are a pain to install, but work very well.

Answer 4

the bars and bolts are good for what you want but for extra protection you could do a cage door on the outside brick work with steel frame this way they cant kick through the steel cage door to get to the other door

Answer 5

had a similar problem fitted a steel door(looks like wood) and frame would take a vehicle striking it at some speed to break  in now not a cheap option but virtully burgular proof

Answer 6

What you need to do is make sure your dead bolt has a long enough striker to go deep int the door jam.

The door jam itself (unless you have a steel door and jam) is usually the weakest part of the door.  You need to have a re-enforced striker plate Schlague (sp) makes one that goes behind the decorative striker plate.

Make sure you use screws that are long enough (at least 3 1/2") to go into the studs around the door frame

You can also re-enforce the k**b area on a door with a metal sleeve.

Answer 7

Take the hinges off and have the door open outwards, then reinforce the inner frame so it's a single stopper.

The door is then the weakest part and you would reinforce that with concrete strengthener, (3mm steel mesh).

Try and kick that in :0)

Edit:

It's a strange residential area where you can kick a door in unnoticed. Would it not be simpler to apply for a restraining order on the would be kicker.

When the police take a door down, they go at the hinges.

Answer 8

The only serious suggestion I have is to have a burglar alarm fitted to the door in question.

There are reinforced door with steel bars which can be drilled and fitted to masonry or wood.

Probably better than my first thoughts which were 'electrify it' and buy a rottweiller.

You really shouldn't have to, this country is getting worse and the police seem to have no powers.

Answer 9

The real pros are Banham who can supply multi locking doors, but they usually want to do the whole deal with alarms and windows - Hampstead curtains, the works. (It would probably be cheaper to be robbed).

I had this problem and solved it by:

a) beefing up the door frame, using mild steel angle

covered by the architrave so it doesn't show.

b) adding more fixings to hold the frame in place.

c) Covering the door (solid core fire door with thin steel sheet on the outside. I glued this on then fitted thin ply facing over and countersunk screws at 6 inch centres. This is supposedly efffective at spreading the force of any blows. I contrmplated doing on  the inside to reinforce the lock positions but had to stop somewhere before it became like Fort Knox.

d) Fitted an additonal hd hinge and pair hinge bolts

e) There was already a mortice lock mid way, so added two more mortice locks (same pattern key) a third up and a third down. You could use sash bolts as suggested elsewhere - but keys are readily available for these (most burglars don't risk carrying them as posession could be deemed to be intent)

Painted up it is not obvious at all and has resisted efforts to come in since. I then fitted an alarm and have not been troubled since. Not sure how effective it really is - but it was good therapy for self empowerment after becoming a victim.

You are aiming to deter the casual thief - if you make it too impregnable you may attract the attention of more serious burglars which would not be a good move. Don't keep anything overly valuable in the flat, make sure your insurance is up to date and fit a safe somewhere to keep anything you couldn't bear to lose (jewellry cameras etc).

A lot of people are now having full height gates (this is London btw) but I think this does start to make it look like downtown Beirut. The only thing to watch in all this is that there is a real risk of being trapped in your house/flat if it is on fire - worth keeping a spare key permanently near the exit.