How to Secure a Door from Being Kicked In: 10 Expert Tips

Let’s see what our security specialist has to say about how to reinforce a door at your home or how to secure a door from being kicked in.

While a door may seem like a common aspect of any home, it plays quite an extremely important role in keeping you and your loved ones safe. So, it’s crucial to know how to reinforce a door to prevent kick in.

Did you know that doorways were considered so important in Ancient Rome that they had a God for them?

Janus, the God of Doorways, (the month of January is named after him), was also the God of new beginnings, endings, and gateways, signifying a transition from one stage to another. 

Even today, doors serve a dual role, first, as an element of protection, keeping the outside world at bay. Secondly, they also act as symbols of rest and welcome. A door can also be seen as an entryway to a place of shelter where you can relax and unwind after a tiring day outside. 

Today, many doorways also serve as an aesthetic element, adding to the beauty and design of your home.

However, not everyone who walks in through your door will have your best interests at heart. Intruders and burglars target your front door as an easy way to enter your home, as in my experience, most people do not secure their doors as well as they should. 

Before we move on to how to secure a door from being kicked in, let’s take a look at why it’s so important to reinforce and strengthen your doors.

Why It’s Critical to Know How to Secure a Door from Being Kicked In

A recent KGW report surveyed 86 burglars who are currently serving a jail sentence about the most common way to break into homes. 

The answer to this was quite surprising as most of them simply walked in through an open front door or window. Most respondents said that they had simply kicked the front door open and entered as it makes less sound than breaking a windowpane. 

Another article reported that nearly 34% of home burglars enter a home through the front door. 

In my years as a home security expert, I have seen countless home invasions where the perps have simply kicked in the door, entered, and robbed the place. 

Based on the incident reports and my own experience, I have explored several techniques on how to reinforce a door to prevent kick in.

Now, stay with me as I answer some of your most commonly-asked questions on door security:

Q1. Is It Easy to Kick Down a Door?

Answer – The answer to this is subjective. Doors with a light wooden frame or made from a hollow-core material offer little resistance to thieves. At the same time, it’s much harder to kick down a metal frame door. 

Yet, from what I have seen, most thieves try to kick in your door just below the lock. Once they have broken the lock that keeps it fixed to the door frame, all they have to do is walk inside.

Q2. How Much Force Does It Take to Kick Down a Door?

Answer – When it comes to breaking down a door, it’s less about force and more about the technique. As mentioned above, the weakest point of the door is near the main lock, where most invaders apply force to break the attached mechanism that holds the door secure. 

Once they have selected the spot, they withdraw their leg back and swing it back with force, kicking your door wide open. While the amount of force required to open a door varies from door to door, security experts are able to calculate the door opening force using set criteria. 

As per the most common estimates, it takes approx. five pounds of force to break open interior doors and even sliding ones like French doors that open out. For exterior doors with more robust frames, it takes nearly 15 pounds of force or more to break down the door.

Q3. How Much Noise is Made While Kicking Down a Door?

Answer – While glass makes a sharp noise when shattered, the sound made by a door when forced open is quite deeper and low. This is another reason why most intruders prefer breaking in through the front door. As soon as the door pops open with a crack, they quickly rush inside and shut the door closed. 

So, anyone who looks outside upon hearing the noise sees a closed door and thinks that everything is fine.

Pro Tips On How To Reinforce Front Door

• Avoid leaving a spare key outside your home, as it makes a burglar’s job easier. If you must leave one, pick a creative hiding spot and remove it before going away on trips. 
• Having a door alarm or home security system is a must. Reports have shown that most burglars do avoid homes with a security system. Yet, most homes in America do not have any external security. Installing a loud door alarm that blasts a siren at any attempted breach can also deter robbers.

Now that we know why it’s so important to know how to reinforce the front door, here are some of the most successful ways to do it. 

Follow these 10 Tips on How to Reinforce a Door Against Break-Ins

As demonstrated above, you need to know how to make your front door kick proof against a home invasion. 

Don’t worry, as most of these steps won’t cost you that much, but may help save your valuables in case of an attempted break-in.

1. Put in Sturdier Exterior Doors

As a home security expert, I have seen several light frame doors smashed to bits by home invaders. 

The case is always the same; the door is light, functional, and pretty but stands no chance against a forceful kick. 

While locks play a crucial role in securing your door, the door itself has to be strong enough to withstand all attempts to break it open. 

I would recommend against getting hollow core doors for your exteriors. The wise thing to do is to get the more expensive, yet sturdy doors for your entry points while using the lighter and cheaper ones in your interior rooms.

Wooden doors are easier to break and splinter than metal or fiberglass ones. If you still want a wooden door, make sure to go for a hardwood door that is at least 1¾ inches thick. It’s also easier to fix a thick, sturdy door with stronger locks and more anti-theft mechanisms. 

Installing them is more expensive as a solid hardwood door can cost you anywhere between $250 to $600 or even go above $1000.

On the other hand, a steel frame door can cost between $1,450 to $1,950 and the average price range for a fiberglass door can range from $1,800 to $3,500, including installation. 

The price may be a bit steep, but it’s a one-time investment that will save you more in the long run.

2. Get a Grade 1 Deadbolt for Your Door

While there are many deadbolts in the market, only the most secure ones get a Grade 1 stamp from the American National Standards Institute or ANSI. 

As discussed earlier, most thieves try to kick in your door by targeting the area with the lock mechanism. Installing a Grade 1 deadbolt in a sturdy, thick door frame should definitely be on the list of how to reinforce a door against break-ins. 

I have also installed Grade 1 deadbolts on all my exterior doors and am happy to report that there have been no break-ins so far. 

A deadbolt can cost you between $25 to $300, depending on the quality and your door needs. You can still get a grade 1 deadbolt for as little as $32 on Amazon. Make sure to do your research and read the reviews before making a purchase. 

You can also save a few extra bucks by buying them online and installing them yourself.

3. Install a Comprehensive Home Security System

You need to have a visible and comprehensive home security system to prevent break-ins.

Apart from adding a doorbell camera to your front door, you can also add motion-activated lights that will scare off many from even attempting to break in. Anyone attempting to break into your house at night gets freaked out by your motion-sensor lights and runs away.

Wanna learn a pro-tip? It’s a great way to spook your daughter’s sneaky boyfriend, too.

4. Replace Your Screws

One of the most inexpensive ways to resolve the issue of how to secure a door from being kicked in is to replace the screws in your door hinges. 

A standard door installation in America usually uses ½ inch screws that can be easily dislodged using a crowbar. 
All you need to do to reinforce your door is to remove these short screws and replace them with deeper screws that are 2 to 4 inches in length. This will help strengthen both your doors and hinges and fix the issue of how to reinforce a door to prevent kick in.

5. Get a Door Reinforcement Kit

Installing a door reinforcement kit or door armor is another effective answer to the question; how to secure a door from the inside. 

A standard door reinforcement kit consists of a jamb shield along with two door shields and two hinge shields that add strength to the weakest sections of your door, including the area around the main door lock. 

Most door reinforcement kits on the market cost between $65 to $100 for single door frames, while the double-door ones range between $90 to $120. 

Additionally, they are easy to install, and you can also save on your installation costs by simply following the instructions that come along with the kit or by watching DIY tutorials online.

6. Use a Door Barricade

Another cost-effective solution to how to secure door from inside, is using a door barricade or brace. 

A door brace is typically screwed into your floor, on the interior side of the door. Once you have closed the door, you just need to fix the barricade or brace in place. It stops your door from being opened by force. 

Door braces are also economical, inexpensive, and easy to install. I would definitely recommend adding them to your exterior doors.

7. Add a Security Bar

Another simple solution to the challenge of how to prevent door from being kicked in is to install a security bar on the inside, as shown above. 

A security bar helps keep your door in place even when someone tries to kick it open from the outside. 

While there are many different door security bars available in the market, you can buy them for as cheap as $21. My advice is to go for the sturdier models that can cost up to $159. 

In my experience, the Doorricade Door Bar is one of the best models out there. The security bar is military-grade and easy to install. It’s a great way to secure your side, garage, and basement doors that are not used daily. Just install the security bar, and you no longer have to worry about a breach in these less-used but equally vulnerable entry points into your home. 

There’s no point in getting a lightweight model as they are not sturdy. Many door bars also come with extensions to secure your windows from the inside as well. 

Do try to see if you can get one of these for your home.

8. Secure Your Door Hinges

Your standard door hinges in America have removable pins that make it easy for burglars to enter your home by simply removing the pins. 

This is especially true in the case of doors where the hinges are on the outside, making them easily accessible to intruders. 

You can secure your door by adding a set screw in the middle of the hinge or going for crimped pins that are non-removable. You can even add safety studs that keep the door in place in case anyone removes the hinges. Just make sure to inspect your hinges, see how vulnerable they are, and take measures accordingly.

Pro-Tip: Remember, it’s always better to have your door hinges on the inside rather than the outside.

9. Clear Out Your Doorway and Driveway

Ask any home security expert about what attracts burglars to a property, and they will tell you the same thing, a well-covered driveway and doorway. 

While we all desire privacy, a home with a secluded doorway, yard, or driveway offers burglars a golden opportunity to kick in your door without being detected. 

So, while you may still need to explore how to secure a garage door from the inside, you can deter intruders by clearing out hedges and bushes to ensure that your doorway and garage driveway is visible from the street.

10. Secure All Exterior Doors

Now, implementing all the above steps just for your front door may not be enough. Any robber deterred by your front door will simply move on to your back or side doors. He may even target your garage doors. 

My advice would be to secure your front door and figure out the cost and money involved in the process. Once you have figured out how to secure door from inside, simply repeat the process for the others.

Pro Tips for Extra Security

• One of the biggest blunders in my experience is when homeowners forget to lock the doors. It’s like you are inviting people to walk in and rob you. 
• While figuring out how to secure door from inside, do not forget to add latches to your front windows. 
• Another overlooked factor in many hoe invasions is a pet door. Securing your pet door is as important as knowing how to secure a garage door from the inside.

In Summary

We have answered your question on how to secure door from inside by listing down proven methods. 

The primary focus here is to deter a burglar from attempting to break-in in the first place. 

If they persist, the aim is to make it as difficult for them as possible. If one kick doesn’t do the job, the invader will try 3 to 4 more times. Once your door can withstand the attempts, the invader will eventually give up and leave. That’s what we’re aiming for here when we talk about how to prevent door from being kicked in.

So, which of our suggestions do you plan to implement first? Let us know in the comments below. Also, have you ever heard about locking a door without a lock? If not, you can learn more about it here.