Preparedness: Hardening Entry Points Without Looking Tactical
Grey Man Home Security
Grey Man Home Security
(Travis Wolfe, Prepping for Disaster) - He told the insurance adjuster it took them less than a minute. The deadbolt was a good one - a brand name, solid brass, the kind that looks substantial in the hardware store. But the door frame it was mounted in was original to the house, which was built in 1974. One kick and the frame split like balsa wood. The deadbolt was still locked when they found it on the floor inside.
Most people, when they think about securing their home, think about locks.
That’s understandable. Locks are visible, tangible, and easy to shop for. You can stand in the hardware store aisle, read the packaging, pick the one with the most deadbolt certifications and the heaviest brass, and walk out feeling like you’ve done something meaningful.
And locks do matter. But a lock is only as strong as what it’s mounted in - and most residential door frames in America are not strong. They’re built for weather, not security. A standard door frame is pine, maybe an inch and a quarter thick, with a strike plate held in by half-inch screws that bite into nothing but more pine. Under a determined kick, that frame gives way in seconds regardless of…