Recycling old windows and doors can help reduce waste and environmental impact. They can be donated to charitable organizations or individuals in need, and professionals can advise on proper disposal methods, especially for hazardous materials. Many installers, joiners, and double glazing companies now collect these items. The easiest and most effective way to dispose of old windows and doors is to arrange for a licensed waste carrier like CDDL Recycling, which specializes in 100 landfill diversion.
One of the easiest and most eco-friendly ways to recycle an old door is to donate it to a salvage yard or a Habitat for Humanity ReStore. These organizations offer recycling and donation options for different types of old doors. Before purchasing doors or windows at the ReStore, measure the width and height of the doorway or window opening. If your windows don’t meet recycling or donation guidelines, bring them to a construction and demolition landfill or contact your local trash service to inquire.
When replacing your front door, you have several options for getting rid of it: selling it, donating it, or recycling. The disposal of doors varies by material, with wood being recycled or repurposed, metal scrapped for recycling, and intact glass donated. Special handling is needed for fiberglass. Local centers and charities, like Habitat for Humanity, offer recycling and donation options.
Some common methods for processing old doors into wood chips or mulch are used for landscaping or as a biomass fuel source. Some recycling facilities accept used doors and windows at your convenience, and skilled loaders can also handle home projects like remodeling and construction sites.
To dispose of metal screen doors, either take them to a local scrap yard whole for a “breakage” price or broken down to its bare aluminum form. By choosing the most sustainable and eco-friendly method, you can reduce waste and environmental impact while preserving the beauty and functionality of your home.
📹 Open the Doors to Plastic Recycling
Open Your Doors and Your Minds as we kick our doors open to show you what we do. Come for a Walk with me and stay tuned for …
What to do with broken door?
To fix a broken door, apply putty or filler to the crack using a putty knife, let it dry completely, sand the filler flush with the door’s surface, and prime and paint or stain the repair. Minor damage, especially to interior doors, can be tackled by yourself. Chipped paint, minor cracks, dents, and scratches are common issues on doors, but these problems are inexpensive to fix with the right tools, such as a putty knife, wood putty, or filler and sandpaper. In some cases, replacing the damaged door may be more cost-effective.
How do I get rid of patio doors?
This is a simple installation process for sliding patio doors, which can be done by removing door coverings, adjustment screws, sliding door panel, caps, trim, stops, fixed panel, and frame. The process requires two people due to the size and weight of the door. The sliding door is an excellent way to welcome sunlight and lower the barriers between the home and the outside world. If there is an opening large enough to fit the doors, you may consider installing them yourself, which may save you money. To ensure a successful installation, follow this easy-to-follow guide that covers all steps of installing and adjusting sliding doors.
How to dispose of old internal doors?
Wooden doors may be recycled at a local Household Waste Recycling Center, provided that glass or plastic panels are removed beforehand.
What can I do with old door hardware?
Old door handles and knobs can be used as towel/coat hooks, jewelry organizers, wall decor, cork holders, pet and birdhouse decorations, or garden decorations. They are essential parts for a well-functioning door and need to be replaced periodically. To dispose of old door furniture properly, recycle, repurpose, or reuse it, as it is eco-friendly and saves it from landfill sites. A guide on how to replace door hinges can help with this process. The most eco-friendly and sustainable way to dispose of old door furniture is to recycle, repurpose, or reuse it, ensuring it doesn’t harm the environment.
Who collects old doors?
Junkwize is a professional door removal and recycling company that offers efficient and eco-friendly solutions for disposing of old doors. Recycling these items is crucial as it prevents fines and degrades the environment. Junkwize has a highly trained and experienced staff ready to provide tailored services, regardless of the number of doors needed. They promise to collect and dispose of doors professionally, efficiently, and in an environmentally friendly manner.
They are available to collect single or multiple doors, and there is no set minimum number of doors needed for their services. Junkwize is a trusted choice for rubbish removal and junk collection services in London.
What can I do with an old metal door?
Metal doors, particularly steel or aluminum, can be recycled to create new metal products. Local scrap yards are crucial in the recycling process, and homeowners can arrange for drop-off or pickup. Glass doors can also be recycled, but it’s essential to check with local recycling facilities to ensure they accept them. Some facilities may require separating glass from other materials before recycling.
If the glass in the doors is in good condition and features unique designs, consider donating it to local artists or craftsmen who specialize in working with recycled materials. Reusing glass in creative projects adds value and reduces waste.
How do you break down a door easily?
To open a locked door without a key, stand in a solid stance, lift your dominant leg at the knee, and kick the lock with the bottom of your foot. It is safer to kick the door and continue kicking until the lock breaks from the frame. Use tools or household items to get a locked door open without a key. Door locks provide security but can become irritating when not working correctly or if keys are left on the wrong side. Before trying to pick locks and break down doors, ensure you have no other options and that many of these methods take time to learn.
What to do with a door you don t use?
This blog discusses various ways to hide unused doorways in a room, including using room dividers, creating a working or reading desk with shelves, accent walls, tapestry, and artwork. By transforming these unused spaces into functional and aesthetic elements, homeowners can enhance the overall functionality and ambiance of their living or bedroom spaces. By implementing these strategies, homeowners can not only hide dormant doorways but also enhance the overall aesthetic appeal of their spaces. By incorporating these creative solutions, homeowners can create a more functional and inviting space for their guests.
What is the best way to get rid of a door?
Many junk removal services do not offer door removal services, as throwing a door in a dumpster is illegal and not the best disposal option. LoadUp offers eco-friendly door removal services for various types of doors in homes and offices. To get an upfront door removal quote, call 884-4738 or visit their online booking system. They also handle construction debris and waste generated from remodels or cleanouts. LoadUp is a full-service junk removal company that can help remove and dispose of various items, including construction debris and waste generated from remodels or cleanouts.
What to do with old sliding doors?
Old patio doors can be repurposed for various purposes after a patio door replacement. They can be used for sliding shower doors, which can be a cost-effective way to add elegance to a bathroom and are easy to clean. Glass door closets and armoires can also be used to enhance the décor of a bedroom or office. For instance, a modern glass door closet can be used to showcase art and collectibles, while an armoire with glass doors can be used to showcase art and other collectibles.
Whether you’re renovating your home or creating an energy-efficient appliance, there are numerous ways to make the most of your old patio doors. By considering these alternative uses, you can save money and create a more functional and attractive space in your home.
How to get rid of doors for free?
To donate your old front door, ensure it is in good condition and not damaged. Find a reputable charity that accepts door donations and know the type of door you are recycling. Metal doors need to be taken to a scrapyard, while wooden doors can be thrown in the recycling bin. These tips will help you dispose of your old door efficiently and avoid landfills. If you’re unsure about what to do with your old door, consider contacting a local junk removal company who can pick it up and dispose of it properly. This is a great alternative if you don’t want to deal with the hassle of selling or donating your old door.
📹 How Burglars Can Break In Using a Water Bottle and How To Stop It
… Plate: https://amzn.to/44raQo6 6 Way Adjustable Exterior Door Latch: https://amzn.to/44sOR0d Kwikset Smart Key Exterior Door …
As a certified Master Locksmith for over 30 years, I have a comment or two. The “safety pin” is the dedlatch and, as you said, it prevents the latch from being slipped with a shim as you demonstrated. Alignment so that the deadlatch is depressed when the door is closed is vital. Also, deadbolt locks with security strikes installed with 3″ screws will protect your house against all but the most determined burglars…if you lock them! Thanks for encouraging folks to pay attention and be safe.
It’s fascinating to see this. I’m a contractor in the Netherlands. I have worked everywhere in Europe and Asia, only the US seems to have these type of door locks. Because our doors and windows are much better secured a “break in” here is literally a break in. I regularly replace doors and windows where they used angle grinders or jigsaws. Battery powered tools technology is wonderful progress. Couple of weeks ago a home owner told me if the burglars had given him a call before hand, he would have payed them to avoid the cost of replacing his 250 years old original backdoor. Burglars used a chainsaw.
I worked as a locksmith for many years. Latch/strike plate alignment is crucial. A lot depends on what type of weather seal is used on the door. A majority of homeowners have a tendency to over close their doors. If the weather strip is a soft type, it can be compressed too much forcing the deadlatch into the strike rendering it useless. French doors usually have this foam weather strip. My old saying is entry locksets are designed to keep honest people out, deadbolts are designed to keep the dishonest people out. Use the deadbolt to secure your home. If you don’t have some…get some.
Thank you so much! This article just saved me over $100. Just this morning, I walked out of the house, and couldn’t get back in. This was after realizing that the door handle, suddenly, stopped working. I’m in a rural area, and lots of thoughts went through my mind. How much would it cost a locksmith to come all the way out here? How much does a new door handle cost?, etc. A quick trip to my local library, and perusal your simple article on their computer, allowed me to get back inside, using a plastic bottle that was lying on the ground. After cutting the plastic strip, the process was, literally, as easy as using a key. Again, thank you so much!
It’s also recommended that you replace all the supplied screws for your lockset and door hinges with longer (2-1/2″ – 3″) stainless steel screws, biting them deeper into the wood framing. That will give more resistance to someone trying to force the door. Of course, try to avoid using exterior doors with windows or sidelights.
Once when I lived in a small city a certain clever thief would lure a homeowner out into the front yard and keep them talking while his partner slipped through the neighbor’s back yard, in the back door and robbed the house with the owner a few yards away.— Remember to lock all doors even when you’re home.
I’ve owned six homes over the past four decades. Every one of them either had deadbolts on the doors or I had them installed. And it takes no time at all to train yourself and your family to use them. That being said, thank you for the article and I look forward to your upcoming articles on home security.
Excellent article. I love the “why this works” breakdown & “how to fix it” walk through. I do have a scenario for your consideration (& sorry if you’ve already hit this & I just haven’t seen it yet). I guess you’d call them villas… 6 units side by side. (so 4 units each have 2 shared walls separating the units, & the 2 end units have one shared & one exterior wall). The shared walls are concrete block -10 ft high. Because of cathedral ceiling & 1 upstairs room on the 4 inner units, there’s a lot of “shared wall” that’s above 10 ft in the attic and 1 upstairs 20 ft wall -steel stud on 24″ centers) & this area is not concrete block. Pretty much just drywall I think. Attic access doors in garage and upstairs room. So, if a person with ill intent managed to get into any one of the units or garages… they would then have access to every unit with just a little attic crawling or drywall kicking. It feels very vulnerable to me, am I overthinking it? Ideas for mitigating the issues? Thank you.
Anyone who watches The Lock Picking Lawyer knows that locks only stop honest people and casual walk-in burglars. Anyone who’s serious uses a pick kit, bump key, or whatever. What’s more effective against most burglary attempts are alarm system warning signs, cameras, and dogs. Unless you’ve got something they know about and are directly after, they’re more interested in the easy targets.
One problem I’ve experienced with this whole scenario is that you are talking about a fairly fine level of adjustment between this working or not working. If you’ve got a modern house with a metal door and doorframe, it might be fine. But, my current house shifts so much that getting that little latch to work 100% of the time is probably out of the question. Wood door, wood doorframe, whether it’s been raining, how hot it is outside. All these factors and more mean I’ve got to have a fairly high degree of forgiveness in my locking system. Currently, just a deadbolt!
Back in 1975 I showed my parents just after we moved in our new home how easy it is for burglars to open a door using a piece of plastic and slide it into the door and pops it open and when they saw it, they about freaked out So I said if you get a deadbolt lock I can install it, So they did pick up a deadbolt lock and I installed it, I also installed a lock with the safety pin as well, So it takes two keys to open the door and my parents felt much better that the door has a deadbolt lock on it, They also had me install a deadbolt lock on the entrance door from the garage, They do have special locks for sliding glass doors because they had me install one there because I also showed them how easy it is to lift the door out of the track, So they picked up a special lock for the sliding glass door and installed it as well Beforehand they used to lay a broom handle in the track to lock the door until I showed them how the door can be opened by lifting it out of the track
I accidentally locked myself out of my house when going for a family walk about a month ago. I had my wallet so I used a pumpstart card (basically CC with no value) and had my 11 yr old daughter go around the front of the house to see if that door was unlocked, by the time she got back around to the back of the house I had already gotten inside and grabbed my keys. Like I told them I hadn’t done that since I was her age over 20 years ago, I used that as a teaching moment for her and my wife “ALWAYS lock the deadbolt!! I hadn’t done this in over 20 years and got in the house in about 45 seconds, a pro could do it in probably 5-10”.
I don’t think I’ve ever left any house I’ve lived in without using a key to lock up. I have an unhealthily suspicion of all “automatic” locks 😂 UK insurers normally demand a 5-lever mortice door lock, or a multi point locking mechanism (usually with a euro cylinder) on main entry doors, otherwise they don’t pay out (or won’t insure you).
I did not know that the extra little pin was meant to be pressed in. I treated it like an extra click–the door is shut all the way if it pops into the strike plate. Well now I know. Glad you mentioned the deadbolt. From what I understand, a given deadbolt should come out of the door at least 1 inch. Without using that and without 3″ screws biting into the frame, the burglar might just skip all this and kick your door in.
Just be wise and always get a Medeco Pick Proof Bolt. It takes 8 1/2 hours to pick and is worth every dime it costs. No one can get through that bolt and the key is non-duplicable.(except the owner of the bolt). I learned this decades ago from a famous, wealthy, fine-art collector who did not want anyone to steal his art. It certainly worked.
Another trick to having the dead pin set rigth, having a deadbolt lock, antikick plate over both, long security screws on both sides that go into the studs, is to slso install a sheet of inch foam board on the outside of the door and cover with white plastic sheet. Use adhesive cauk to install. Trim to fit inside door jam with the door closed, allowing space to swing open on handle side. Install a top quality weather stripping. This will reduce heat loss through the door and make it impossible to jimmy the latch. The foam board will probably also absorb enough of a kick to prevent the wood from spliting. It is the sudden impact that splits wood, trim and cauk the foam for a tight fit around the deadbolt and leave enough room around the knob to be able to turn it. If you have a window in the door, cut a piece of thick Ploycarbinate to fit over the glass. Mount by placing a thin bead of clear Gorilla glue clear adhesive around the outsidd edge. Press the plastic into place and seal outside edge with the glue or clear silicone cauks. This creates a break proof double widow without having to remove the glass ftom the door. It is of course better to remove the glass and replace it with quarter inch thick Ploycarbinate, but it is often difficult to remove the glass from old doors and the double layer effect works well. Use white gorilla tape on the exposed foam board edges before gluing in place.
Very good advice! We have smart locks that auto-lock after 30 seconds. We have cameras and we have an alarm system. I recently installed additional door locks for use when someone is home. Nothing is perfect. The auto lock after 30 seconds is annoying at times but we got used to it. Just the other night I took my son to the airport came home and my wife who was very tired locked me out! Luckily, one of my daughters heard me beating on the door, and my wife came down and let me in. But I’d rather have that than a bad guy entering the home more easily.
THANK YOU, SO VERY MUCH FOR YOUR KIND HEART, IN TAKING THE TIME TO MAKE THIS articleS AND OTHERS. THIS IS PRICELESS INFORMATION. YOU NO DOUBT HAVE SAVED MANY HOMES FROM BEING BROKEN INTO. THIS MAKES A PERSON FEEL LESS AFRAID TO LEAVE THEIR HOUSE, OR TO BE THERE AND STILL HAVE THE DOOR LOCKED! NOW, THAT WOULD BE SCARY! THANKS, AGAIN! WARMLY, BEV~~
use some framing screws on the strike face and hinges so that they are fastened to the frame of the house and not the threshold/trim of the door. And make sure your exterior doors are up to code and made from solid wood or metal. They also shouldnt have windows in them. Lacking in any of these things make it easy for someone who wants to break in, to actually BREAK in. if you really really want to stop a determined thief, also replace the pins in your locks with more pick resistant pins, as kwikset are very easy to pick and just as easy to bump.
Great article. As for the brand of locks, there is an important difference between Kwikset and other brands, such as Schlage, in that Kwikset door handles must be unlocked before opening the door from the inside. The point is that you can open the other brands, such as Schlage, from the inside and close the door behind you with the door locked, potentially locking you out. This is what happens when you see a article of a guy stepping out onto his front porch to pick up the paper and the door closes behind him, locking him out of the house.
Try to use really long screws if you have a single door so that the screws go into the frame of the house and reinforce the door making it harder to simply shoulder or kick in. The tiny screws that many people often use allows a small child to run through a door and breaks the trim or soft wood jam. just a tip from an ex punchout for movins and inspections. Also if you are gonna use that tin can or plastic slim jim, try putting a small u shaped notch in the bottom to slide over the latch easier 🙂 a tip from an ex other peoples problem solver.
Have a dog. My suggestion is that people start using the sorts of locks that motels now do: card-based ‘keys’ instead of the sorts of keys that motels used to use and most of us now use. The motel card-key has a code… Several codes could be made available, such as keys suitable for medical responders or police (if you are more scared of a medical emergency than a crime… a heart attack or stroke is much more dangerous than a break-in).
Older homes in the UK will typically have a cylinder lock with useful extra functionality: once closed, if you turn the key another full rotation, it will lock the bolt in place, preventing any shimming, plus a lever on the inside (night latch) to achieve the same functionality. Newer homes will typically have uPVC doors with multi point locking: once the door’s closed, lifting the handle will lock the door using several different bolts and hooks, while the key locks the handle. Therefore, the only ways in are to either break through the door itself, attack the lock (but they’re increasingly resistant to bumping, drilling etc) or pick the lock (and even with a fairly crappy core, most burglars will seek an easier method of entry then fiddling around with picks and tensioning tools).
Hint: if this works on your door latch, it’s so ancient it’s surprising it does not have skeleton keys. As you detail, this “trick” is the classic notion of how to use a credit card, etc., to break into a home or hotel room, but has not worked in anything not ancient for about 50+ years. This works because the old latches had a beveled front side which helped the latch to move out of the way at the jamb until it gets into the latch opening in the jamb, at which point springs push it into the opening and engage the latch. The thing is, about FIFTY years ago, exterior door makers added a “bar” to the door latch which mostly, if not completely, stops this. You can tell if this is present by looking at the latch mechanism. If it is a single part, then yes, this trick would work on it. But almost all exterior door latches in the last 50+ years have had two parts, one similar to the one described by me, PLUS another straight, solid bar, typically the size of your pinky fingernail or smaller. This “bar” prevents this trick from working. 1 — if you don’t have this bar, it’s time to replace the latch. It’s not that difficult or expensive, Just DO IT. Most of the time, just refer to a article on how to replace it and then go out and buy one. Or hire a locksmith, if you feel challenged by basic household tool use (no snark, just acking that some are tool-challenged) 2 — MUCH better, however, is to put in a BOLT lock. This will require you to actually lock the door from the outside, but it makes it much more difficult to break into a house using anything but brute force.
For anyone wondering if the safety pin is working properly, here’s a tip. With the door open, Get a felt tip pen and put a mark on the safety pin about 3mm or 1/8 inch in from the end. Close the door and then using a torch you should be able to see the mark while the catch will be in the keeper. Once you do this you’ll get the idea about how the safety pin works.
I never knew of this bottle trick, but back when I was a teenager, I “broke into” my neighbors house because they locked themselves out and I figured I could give it a shot. So many things can serve this same purpose, I think I used an old credit card or laminated membership card or something, but I got in super easy. Deadbolts are nice, but remember: locks only keep honest people out. Any skilled picker can get through a deadbolt like it’s not even there, and somebody that wants in bad enough can just kick the door in or bust through a window.
You need to have a deadbolt installed on your door. Having just a locking door knob is NOT enough protection against burgulars. Don’t get a lock that can be unlocked by your cell phone. Thieves/hackers LOVE those kinds of locks ’cause it makes it SO easy to break into your home. (I’m originally from NYC, and we ALWAYS had a deadbolt. We were NEVER robbed. Just saying.)
In my entire life, I’ve seen exactly zero of these doorknobs/latches set up properly. I’ve even seen someone file out a notch so that the “extra bolt” could drop in. I always thought an easier way to get in the house would be to peel back some siding on the side of the roof, squeeze into the attic, then walk across the rafters and enter through the attic access. No one would ever know you had been there.
Me, to myself, 5 seconds into article: “why would anyone just lock the handle and not the deadbolt” article, after 9 minutes: “so this is why you should always use your deadbolt”. … Could have just lead with that lol. Seriously, I guess I shouldn’t be shocked since I know quite a few people who just never lock their doors AT ALL. Which is just insane to me. But, when I was a kid I used to always use my library card to let myself in when I got home from school because I’d always forget my key lol. The first time I did it, it was disconcerting. So, the first thing I did every time I got home, right after closing and locking the door, was to pout the chain latch on.
This type of knoblock single lock only, is very much the exception. Msot up to date homes will have a knob-lock and a deadbolt above at a minimum. A deadbolt can not be jimmied open. There are also high quality electronic locks that have a deadbolt and knob-lock and are controlled by an app. These higher security locks can not be found in the big box stores.
They’re going to just bust out your windows, that’s what they did to my friends house. Make sure you have home insurance or renters insurance. The police say just don’t make your house an easy target. Put signs on your windows for home security even if you don’t have home security. A big dog is a deterrent as well sometimes, but not always. Have a good neighborhood watch system in place.
Or…or install and use a deadbolt. Also have your locks rekeyed because the manufacturer only makes about 5 keys. Burglars can going buy a few locks and have your key, leaving no sign of forced entry. Also, keep in mind if someone wants in they’re coming in. Doors are easy to open locked or unlocked. Windows are even easier.
My Mother in Law has a door in her Condo…when it’s locked… a total of 8 pins come out and into the door jam. 3 on left and right and 2 on top. the door is heavy and can’t be punched through. Only someone from the actual company is able to open the lock as it is a very strange looking key. Good luck getting in that! Too bad they don’t sell it in North America. with wooden door jams though… that’s your weakest link. However for her, the walls are all concrete…impossible to get inside.
Fun fact: a door with just the handle locked can be broken into in about 10 seconds with a heavy hammer and a screwdriver. One hard hit with the hammer to knock the handle off and a quick pull of the exposed latch with the screwdriver and anyone can walk right in in no time. Always use a deadbolt. And don’t lock the handle at all, otherwise a potential thief who tries the door handle won’t know that the deadbolt is in use and will knock the handle off ($$$) before realizing the door is still secured
The problem is: burglars will press hard against the door to readjust the strike plate and then pull out on the door to allow the pin to drop into the hole. I consider locks with sliding bolts to be no better than “privacy” locks on bathrooms. Get a deadbolt installed for security. A tip about deadbolts: when you are home, leave the key in the lock. If an emergency occurs, you don’t want to have to search for your key to let yourself out. And if a burglar climbs in a window when you are home and you surprise him, you want to give him an easy way to escape. (I know some people would prefer to apprehend him, but the battle you don’t have is as battle you have won. It’s not worth it.)
Criminals suck! Growing up in a suburb of Detroit we never locked our doors and never got broke into like most of the other house’s. Maybe 3 boys and my parents never having fancy jewelry saved us and we weren’t poor as my dad was a director of pharmacy in a big hospital and my mother was an RN. They lived for us 4 kids
Common locks only give the illusion of security. Naturally, a deadbolt would defeat the technique illustrated in this article. However, if said deadbolt lock is of the pin and tumbler variety, it can easily be picked. As an experiment, I bought a cheap pick set from Amazon a couple years ago and learned to pick my front door within five minutes. After some practice I could do it within 30 seconds. I picked every lock on my property, including padlocks. I went to some of the homes of my friends and showed them how easily I could get inside and they were shocked. Pin and tumbler locks are not safe and reliable. You do have to be careful practicing this on your locks as “raking” or clumsy technique can damage the lock. You must engage the first pin (called the hard pin) and move down from there. Once the first pin has been bypassed it is quite easy to defeat the rest. I am not a locksmith and had little knowledge about how locks function.
This only works if the door is unlocked, I just did it on my door and have gotten back into my other apartment a few times when being locked out but those times I used a credit card The bottle seems to make it wayyyyyyyy easier! And also that fold technique you showed here helps alot! Definitely a handy trick to learn, thanks
I don’t understand. I’ve never seen a door like this. Who doesn’t have a deadbolt? And deadbolt notwithstanding, the idea that the door is so loose you can get something in there is… nearly inconceivable? Otherwise your door would leak air and you’d freeze. Not to mention the heating and cooling costs. Once my door is latched, even before throwing the deadbolt, ‘ya can’t get anything in there! I did hear you addressed deadbolts. People don’t use them??!! What???
Shimming is very old break in tech. It was solved ages ago by deadbolts. The dedlatch on the knoblatch is an overly complex solution that is often installed improperly. It’s best use is for internal locks that don’t have deadbolts. For external doors, the deadbolt makes the dedlatch worthless. Basically, this isn’t new and burglars are suddenly learning how to shim doors. Just lock your deadbolts. They exist for a reason.
You need to add much longer screws not only to all your doorknobs and latches, but your hinges too! Those screws are what help keep your door safely closed. I just use deck screws because I have a log home so the screws go straight into logs and help buy me time while I call the authorities. Never use the cheap manufacturers screws. It can save your life.
German solution: every door has a springbolt and a deadbolt in 1. The deadbolt can be double-locked. Most Germans believe they are breaking the law if they leave the house without double-locking the front door. Burglary is still a thing in Germany because there are still ways around the locks and everyone has windows and balconies.
3 years ago i bought a ring doorbell along with the battery eliminator chime kit (it powers the bell button via your chimes transformer) when someone gets within 10 feet of the door the chime sounds and i get an alert on my phone as well as article at the door with 2 way audio. i can answer my door from anywhere even miles away and the person doesn’t know if i’m home or not! and i have!! i really like it! the best $200 i ever spent! my mom had a small sign over our door that said “go away” lol i might make one lol:face-orange-raised-eyebrow:… you get these features with it whether you choose the monthly recording fee or not!!!
First of all, “burglars”. Let’s call ‘em what they really are- Criminals. And acknowledge that they should be in prison, so they don’t even have access to our property. The upstanding citizens need to have this correct mindset going forward in order to retake our society back from the criminals. That out of the way, you’ve got the right idea. But there’s more. Doors, such as yours, with nice thick weatherstripping gaskets have another vulnerability in that the criminal can pull firmly outward on the door, further compressing the gasket enough for the pin to drop. Then they use the same method to break and enter as before. The criminal can additionally forcefully push the door INWARDS hard enough to cause the strike plate to move inward, then pull out against the gasket, then break and enter as usual. After I locked myself out (twice!) and I (twice!) used a hose clamp I had laying in my backyard to EASILY open the door (MUCH easier than the plastic bottle even!), I added a drywall screw behind the gasket, pointing outwards, such that the door will firmly press flat against its head when closed, blocking any further outward movement. To discourage strike plate movement, I anchored with heavy, 3″ long screws, angled slightly outward, going through the jamb and well into the studs. I have shims behind my jamb at the strike plate location so I can tighten those screws up and not pull the jamb out of alignment. These techniques will not be as possible with double doors, but they can be implemented to some extent.
My question is this: articles like this are informative and helpful. But burglars are perusal these, too, to learn how to overcome any and all methods someone uses to lock their doors. That’s the problem: while people like you mean to help people protect their homes, people who want to break in your home are taking notes. So then, is there any way to stop someone who really wants to break into your home (short of hiring police to watch your house)???!!! I don’t ask this question to be argumentative or to cause trouble. But the reality has to be faced. I hope this doesn’t discourage you from posting more articles like this. Please keep up the good work!!!
Strike plate and safety pin designs suck! They are nearly impossible to properly line up and install. I have yet to own a home (and I was in the Navy, I’ve lived in more than a few homes) that has all of the strike plates properly installed so the door pulls tight against the weather stripping AND so the safety pin stays properly engaged. And poor install is NOT just a DIY issue. There are plenty of pros that screw this up routinely. Show me a house and I will show you an improperly installed, shimmed, and adjusted door and strike plates. Builders and contractors just don’t care, they slap it together as quickly and cheaply as they can. Better engineering on the part of lock manufactures could make these easier to install more reliably for pros and DIY alike. Just my opinion.
Thank you for this info! I moved into an apartment where the door was rammed previously/ kicked in and the rental company came to replace the lock and strike plate and did an awful job. I used cement bolts to fix the door hinges and replaced the lock and redrilled the area for the lock plate. I even had a friend who was career criminal try to break in and he couldn’t. The screws that they provide for lock sets suck.
Ok. First thing is he’s doing this on a locking knob. Not a door with a dead bold that is locked. He is also calling the striker on the knob a bolt. A sticker and a bolt are TWO ENTIRELY different animals and this would not work on a bolt. How do you make sure this doesn’t work on your exterior doors. Have a deadbolt and use it. This entire article is BS. I’ve been doing maintenance in homes, apartments and condos for 40+ years and the information in this article is useless where this plastic bottle Key as he calls it is concerned. This may work on possibly 50% of the doors out there that have locking knobs only. Anyone who is ONLY using a locking knob in this day and age is an idiot. At a minimum you should have a locking knob and a deadbolt. If you can find more than that to secure your home when you’re away, do it. But the premise behind this article is BS.
Kohberger’s 2015 Elantra does not have paralellogram shaped headlights and not a sunroof like the Linda Ln car and the white car shown by police and media, with paralellogram shaped headlights, looked more like a 2008 IS Lexus, a 2010 Sonata or possibly a model of a Volkswagen Jetta or Nissan Sentra. However, the side line ridge is that of a Sonata.
European here. WTF is this mickey mouse door lol. you can open that thing with any card or plastic. If you really want to learn “How to home” make that doorframe wall out of concrete and get a proper Security door from Dierre or a similar brand with 19-21+ thick bolts that get deep in the wall when you lock it and integrated deadbolt separate from the key with more bolts thick as sausages. Sure its 1000Euros/Dollars but hey if its locked or even if only the deadbolt is on not even a battering ram cant bring that down.
I thought this was common knowledge. My father showed me this 40 years ago when I was a teenager. And before that, I was required to use the dead bolt. Like a seatbelt, this is all innate response for me and my family. Same with keeping your vehicle secure. The one time I accidentally left my truck unlocked on a cold winter night, a door checker got in and took a pair of old winter gloves and a Buck knife my father gave me when I was 10 years old. I’ll never let that happen again.
And also after you break into the house using your trusty bottle, you only take the valuables. Another thing is called “eyes in the back of your head” that’s where you have a partner. Also don’t go breaking out of the house after you get in, use your F’n mind. Lastly if someone shows up and you’re discovered and they have a sawed off, you have to show them you have big balls of steel and ain’t taking S from anyone, because that kitchen table ain’t gonna save you. AND IL NEVER TELL YOU A LIE. 😂😂😂
I’m not sure if this was already brought to your attention, but some lock cylinders have a “re-key” mechanism. This is similar to the extra hole found on your cylinder. If you have such a lock, I would recommend you to switch the cylinder around (assuming spacing is equal) or replace the cylinder altogether..
I had the locksmith make a hole, so I can open the door that way with a knitting needle. Because I have a habit off forgetting my keys, while closing the door. Of course always on the most expensive time locksmiths work, like Sunday evening. There is nothing interesting to steel in my house. When I leave for longer I lock the door outside, you can’t open it anymore like that.
This has been really helpful. I’ve changed a few locks around my home. I’ve been looking to get a code-in type of lock but need to find something that fits between my front door and the security screen. Anyone have any ideas for really narrow-fronted code or fingerprint locks? (I’m in Australia, by the way, so what you have might not be available here. This also explains my need for screen doors and windows everywhere- the insects! The flies!)
A door with a lever handle helps. Inside, I use a sewing machine in a case, a 2 quart pot and a sponge mop. The mop has the plastic pull handle to squeeze water out. The mop handle wedged sideways where the pull handle is prevents the lever handle from being moved from outside, even if you have a key. I think it’s an OCedar mop. Good quality.g machine, pot, then mop over that against door wedging handle
How do you protect your mind though? False memories can be implanted at any moment without notice. Just like when your parent dropped you on the ground at the zoo when you were a child? Do you remember? Think back to when you were a child? When you first could remember. You took a trip to the zoo. You fed the camel. You touched the fence over the zebra. And then the cage of the gorilla. You saw deep into the gorillas eyes and saw sadness. True sadness. Deep sadness. This was your first memory of true sadness. As you were sitting there your parent lost their grip, while holding you. You tumbled to the ground. The trust you had in your parent was gone forever. But inside the lost trust was the realization that your parents were never perfect. And could never be perfect. They were apart of the same society that did not notice the gorillas sadness because of their own sadness. Carried each day. Through each generation. Today could be filled with issues from your past, or today could become that plastic bottle, opening doorways for your mind. That is all you need to tell the family who’s house you have just entered illegally. Before grabbing their kids and speeding away in their minivan. This is the real world now KAREN. SMOKE YOU. IM IN GTA VR. Rattatat tat. GAME OVERR.
Purchase Medeco deadbolt locks. Getting this brand will end any and all concerns about people breaking into your home through doors with Medeco Locks installed on them. They can’t be picked, or drilled out the way most deadbolt brands. Medeco is so confident they offer a 10k prize to anyone who is able to pick as little as 3 of it tumblers. Keys are cut multiple ways and require proper form of ID at purchase and to get spare keys made.
Good advice, but I find myself wondering, since this entire assembly is “blind”, how do you know how far to move the strike plate? If you move it TOO far, the “ramp” part of the lock won’t fully insert into the strike plate. The issue is, though, that every time you move the strike plate, you’re drilling into the door frame, and after only two or three “misses”, the wood will likely no longer be sufficient enough to hold the wood screws.
Oh yeah, my buddies and I used that technique in our old flat whenever one of us locked himself out without a key. We used our ID cards for this, the old German ID cards were a little more stiff than the material from the bottle shown but worked perfectly fine. Now Germany has new ID card which are like a regular, stiff credit card so this probably doesn’t work anymore. This of course only worked when only the upper latch was engaged, the beveled one and no longer worked when the door was actually locked (not just closed) with the square lower latch that penetrates into the frame. But to lock it like that, we would have needed a key which we obviously didn’t have when we lock ourselves out, so this method was perfect 😂 Oh yeah and it’s muuuuuch more common here in Germany to lock you door from the outside. You go out the door, close it, then lock it with your key. This way, you definitely HAVE your key when you lock it.
Or you can relocate. I moved to an island 15 yrs ago. I lived in one of the best neighborhoods in my town. I grew up in that house. Never had problems in this neighborhood until the late 90’s early 2000s That’s when I had an issue., and the cops wouldn’t even look at the fingerprints left behind in the window the y were trying to access. They opened the back gate and tried to access the bathroom window. Now…today, I live in a place that I am back to living in a place that I don’t lock my doors . I miss my old town, but I do not miss the encroachment of crime into that neighborhood.
Additionally, don’t just use the screws that come with the lockset. Spend a few dollars and buy longer screws to mount your strike plate so they extend farther into the the wood so that they reach into the framework of the studs, not just the casing. All is for not if they give a healthy kick to the door and the screws pull out. Also, put your foot against the door jamb while it’s closed and pull the door knob away from the jamb to see weather or not the installer hadn’t put wedges between the stud and the door casing. Neglecting to fill the gap will result in a spongy board that could give way far enough to defeat the all of your efforts. It may be necessary to take the trim loose inside trim to be able to add filler between making it much more secure. If you have a deadbolt, or add one, make sure the deadbolt throw fully extends into the jamb until it clicks, otherwise it will not work as designed and can be knifed open. Remember the weakest link will allow entry, like a rock through a window.
Hi, 911 I think there’s a burglar trying to break in my apartment with a water bottle! Send the police. “Ok, they’ll be there in about 20 minutes” “Oh, okay, well, when they get here, just have them let themselves in through the brokenass front door. I’ll be the blood and piss mess laying on the floor.” OR………………..OR…………….you can just tell them if they step in through that door they will bleed from 3 different parts of their body
We’ve been using butterknives and gift cards to break into our own homes like this as soon as we realized the keys are locked in the house….most people locked out didn’t bring a cold soda and a pocket knife😂😂😂 Because you can’t lock a deadbolt on the outside w/o the key right… The same deadbolt manufacturers include with doorknobs in front and back door kits for literally the last 30 years at least…. Still, this is a good vid, a few weeks ago I helped a lady get back in her home and she side-eyed for how fast it took. I said she didn’t lock the deadbolt, it was easy. “What’s a deadbolt…oh that thing….🤔” 75″ Philips on the wall.
Everyone who thinks or feels God doesn’t care, is indifferent and or mean etc …… Why is the world as it is, evil everywhere….. where is God and His faithfulness… God does judge sin which is evil and if people don’t stop sinning they will die for that disobedience,that sin. When God said if you take from that tree you will die He was saying if you disobey, you sin, I will punish that sin because God does punish it, sickness, demons and death. And if you keep sinning I will punish you to the point of death, is that punishment. Sickness is a consequence of sin and it is a judgement God makes upon the people for their sin. All sickness takes its toll on the body and will result in death unless you stop sinning and that brings a reward from God for the righteous decision to stop sinning that brought that illness. Throughout scripture God tells us these things. God does love and there is mercy in His punishment too. He chastises those He loves. His wrath doesn’t mean He doesn’t love, it doesn’t mean there is no mercy, it means He puts His law first and He obeys it first. He punished sin and then punishes sin and so forth and if someone doesn’t stop sinning or sins more then that judgment is death just as He said, sin is death. Scripture says we are all responsible for working out our salvation with fear and trembling. Seek scripture, learn who He is and what He said to obey and do it. if you obey Him you live in blessings just like Deuteronomy 28 says and it also says disobedience is curses, that’s sickness, demons possibly and again to continue in sin results in death.
I lived in SoCal and this one apartment I lived in would automatically lock the knob. If you wanted to get back into your place you needed to bring your keys or go to the office for them to let you in. One day the knob broke and we were LOCKED IN the apartment. We had to call a locksmith to discuss assemble the knob and reset it.
I did this 30 years ago with an empty plastic cider bottle back in my old flat on a wooden door in 1994 and it worked quickly. No one showed me how. It just came to me in an instant. There was no youtube back then. I’ve never been to jail and been taught all the tricks inside. I wasn’t a even a thief or a burglar. I sussed out that the rounded groove facing me on the lock was the weakest part of the lock.. I cant believe the people who invented them dont know about it. Cos course they know about it. Its as obvious as the bulbs they invented eons ago that never fused or the car that will run on water. Or fda approved drugs that dont work. Of course they know about it. Its a big con. I tried it and it worked. Easy. Whover designed those locks dont want them to be totally burglar proof cos its a money making racket. I told this guy who’d been to jail that i once opened a lock with an empty bottle of cider and his eyes lit up cos he was a cider drinker and he was a bit of a thief. intrigued to hear how someone as honest like myself knew about something he didn’t. He didn’t believe me. 5 years earlier i travelled across the country to make it to a friends house. I opened the front door by putting my thin arms through the letterbox and got into his bedsit by rummaging through his trash i found an empty box of corn flakes. I folded it and jammed it between the door and frame and i was in his bedroom . I sat down and waited for him to come home from work. When he did he was pretty pissed off with me.
07:40 Good tips, but all the doors I have seen, you can’t just reinstall the screws. You have to plug the old holes, drill new holes and then install the screws Also, as long as you are fixing it, might as well upgrade it. Buy a new strike plate with 4 holes and use 2-1/2 to 3″ long screws that screw into the wall stud. You will have to chisel out a little more of the door frame for the larger strike plate.
Good info…especially helpful comments (amazingly enough! 😄) While you were reinstalling the strike plate etc. would have been a GREAT opportunity to show how to install 4″ heavy duty screws into not only the door latch hardware but ALSO INTO THE HINGE PLATES!! Eliminate as many weak points as possible is all you can do, this obviously includes GOOD deadbolts, properly installed and utilized EVERY time! Making it harder to break in is really probably the most you can hope for. Having an effective alarm system as well as other deterrents also helps. If you’re not home and someone breaks in…that’s unfortunate. If you and/or your loved ones are home (especially if the bad guy knows it) then that’s really bad. Then the home defense plan should include more than just “entry deterrents”…if you get my drift. 👍
This wouldn’t work in the UK as most of us have upvc doors which have 3 or 4 shoot pins which, when you close the door and lift the handle, the pins shoot into the jamb at the top middle and bottom so you’d never be able to use anything in all 3 areas at the same time, also, we have a door camera (like yours), and an alarm
As the gent from the Netherlands points out, a determined burglar will gain entry – possibly then to have to deal with your Doberman, panther, or python. But gee, get in the habit of locking the deadbolt when it’s time to lock up. BTW, our late Brittany was as friendly as you could ask, but had an outsized deep bark, uttered only at need . Cheap insurance; the burglar generally hearing ANY dog will move on to a quiet house. They’re probably not afraid of the dog as much as they are of the police car the lady of the house called for after Spot started barking. With today’s technology, she might even hear Spot’s bark at work and then check the camera.
In Texas if i came in during normal business hours ones where most people aren’t home like 8am to 5pm its burglary of habitat and was a 2-10 years if i came in 5pm to 8am chances are someone would most likely be home and the chance of engaging whether they fought back or remained submissive would be charged as aggravated burglary of a habitat boosting the time behind bars from 20 years to life depending upon how many times youve done this or if anyone was physically harmed and if someone had been killed during the invasion forget about nymore walks along the beach😂
If you burglar proof your house, be very sure to never forget your key! I lie alone and about 1x e ery 2 e years I go outside and… Anita, no key in pocket! Tja… then a nice piece of plastic is really nice! The alternative is breaking down my €1000 door… no other way to get in a less i want to risk my life, as I live 30m high…
A neighbor across the street locked herself out and I used this method, she was shocked. While I was mowing the lawn a neighbor lady next door came out wearing a bath robe while flailing arms. I Shut down lawnmower and she was shouting there was a spider under her kitchen sink and if I would kill it. When looked under the sink, I couldn’t see any spider. Then she stuck her head in there and said it was in corner. That’s when her beasts fell-out of her robe and asked if I liked them. I said yeah but I got to go and left.
A burglar could break into my house just by kicking the bottom of the door gently but firmly. Need a new door knob and I Don’t use the deadbolt cept when my sister comes out to the ranch to visit the folks next door cause I don’t want her kids accidentally getting into my very NOT child safe house. But breaking into my place would be a mistake as I know you’re on my land 2 miles before you find my house.
I’ve never seen this type of lock used for outside doors here in Iceland. I’ve seen them used for inside doors in houses 40years or older. Most popular locks are what I think you call a deadlock but have steel side from top to bottom and have two additional pins, so a 3-point lock. I guess you could penetrate with a bulldoser or something similar.
You have completely wrong type of lock. The small pin that causes the large bolt to not het pushed inside should not work like that. Check Abloy LC190 lock body for example. That body as practically all Abloy lock bodies has two ways to work. When they are selected by pushing a small pin up to really lock the door the large tongue (bolt if you wish) comes out even further than it normally does and it is not possible to be pushed inside as you did with the piece of the bottle. It looks like the action of your lock, but once the large tongue of Abloy is out the lock can be opened from the outside only by the key (well and by Lockpicking lawyer with something else). You are not able to use a piece of plastic.
For whatever reason, I have been finding that my “thumbs up” have been removed. I went back to make sure I had saved & put your articles in a folder but found that every single “thumbs up” had been removed. I am sure that when I go to another article my thumbs up here will “disappear”. It’s a case of I hate the YouTube shitheads running it & they hate me. So, sorry about that.
It’s not necessarily (though probably commonly is) faulty installation. Most doors and doorframes are wood, wood flexes over the year, as temperatures rise and fall. And as the door and frame are made of different pieces (even if the same type) of wood, they’re going to flex differently. This fact causes me no end of problems on my front door. Tight and hard to open in the Summer, all loosey-goosey in the winter. Also, deadbolt stops this exploit quite handily; use them on all exterior doors.
And if you can put a fence and gate around the house, put a fence and gate around the house. I know some websites say a fence will make it easier to burglarize a home, but if you have a gate, a burglar won‘t know what’s behind it. Without a fence and gate, a burglar will know what your door looks like, get an idea of the inside of your house, and have some info how to break in. Also, make sure there‘s a “hideaway” area to keep your Amazon packages out of sight, and a note delivery people will see to use it.
We had the latch with pin installed, and a seperate always locked deadbolt (No knob – Key only), and 3 inch screws on lock hardware/ doors sashes. We don’t mess with DYIs, so we call on our locksmith. It’s costly, but investment in his/her skills is worth it and the assurance. Numerous early AM burglaries in our area ~4 yrs ago. Our doors were damaged by the locks once (we were away) but no entry was gained. Our alarm made a racket (neighbors were cool), and it/we shared some nice, clear pics for the po-po.
I removed all my key in knob handles on the exterior of my home and ONLY have deadbolts. It takes all of 5 seconds to lock the deadbolt from the outside. As an added bonus, you cannot lock yourself out since a key is required to lock the door 😁. In addition to the deadbolts, I screwed a metal strip to the jamb before finishing the interior. This will slow down someone from kicking the door in.
We put so much effort into making sure our doors are secure, but we totally forget that all it takes is a glass cutter or even just a baseball bat or brick to smash a window and come in that way. If I were a thief I wouldn’t even bother with the front lock, and I would look for an unlocked window instead. Front doors usually are visible from the street, and any neighbors who are paying attention would see someone breaking in unless it’s nighttime. A wireless security system is best, on top of other measures.
I am a locksmith with over 50 years experience! That’s the wrong latch for an entry lockset! It should have a dead locking latch and not a privacy lockset latch! Also, someone trying to break into your home would use a metal pry bar to pry the door open! The strike plate should have 2 1/2″ to 3″ screws to secure it to the stud behind the frame!
As others have said, this is good info, but only goes halfway. NO external door is secure without a good quality deadbolt, and the strike plates for both the deadbolt and the door latch need to be installed with LONG structural screws that go all the way through the door jam/trim into the framing member behind it. This all assumes that the door itself is either a solid wooden door or a steel door. Otherwise, one swift kick on the door will take it out.
home security is mostly fodder. longer screws may help. but a crappy wood door facing can be kicked in. we trust about a square inch of steel to keep a door securely closed. Another tip for deadbolts – dont leave the interior key in the lock, nor placed near the door, breaking the glass and reaching in for a key is a harsh reality.
that is news from twenth years ago, how about using a butterknife to remove the plastic that holds your window pane in, and replacing it using tub and tile caulk after the burglary. you will not keep a determined burglar out. best to just leave the key in the door and make a circut with a mobility chair battery charger and have the positive connected to the lock and the negative connected to the handle. and you just remember to wear rubber gloves. or better yet why not use liquid nail and just seal yourself in . even the air cant get out then. but wait amonia /bleach mixed under the air conditioner intake would foil you wouldnt it. oh well guess you just have to let your stuff get stolen huh. bnot exactly. ole school fly traps run along certain edges will catch fine hairs off the intruders skin and probably wont be noticed that is dna. and pinpoint cameras mounted in a lamp can catch a visual and run it on a 8 hour loop to save memory space. the ring cams and simply safe camera systems can allow you to see and activly notify athorities of an intruder. and lastly build a moat and put allegators in it. with a key fob draw bridge and you can even keep the irs and atf out. smilesTHE LAST WORD
Goodness me this is a shocker to know some one can get in doing that,I HV a rented place I will check what the lock has the pin right if not I doubt if my housing folk will change the lock,that’s real scary I’ve noticed my door unlocked one morning when I went to go out and I’m so sure I checked it several times a Ng when I get up to go bathroom,I now put a bar across the bottom of my door incase I forget to lock it also 6 months ago some one tried to break in while I was there so scary,thanks for this ViDIEO to help us folk be aware only if criminals see this it will be easy picking for them 😱🇬🇧