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Any exterior door that has a hollow core or is in a weakened condition due to age or weathering should be replaced by either a solid core or metal wrapped door.  Solid core entry doors should be at least 1 ¾ inches thick or metal wrapped.  The door should fit the frame tightly with a very small amount of clearance between the door and the frame.  Security screen doors with expanded metal frames can add to the home’s security as well, especially if a deadbolt lock is installed onto the security screen door.
 

Doors that are half wood and half window are very vulnerable points of access into the house. This type of door should be replaced with a solid core or wrapped metal door or you may want to consider purchasing a metal security screen door with a deadbolt lock.
 

French doors or double doors are very vulnerable to intruders and it is highly recommended that if you have this type of door that you replace it with a solid wood or metal wrapped door. However, if you decide to install or keep French doors, you need the door to have a heavy-duty vertical flush bolt placed in the center post so that one of the doors can be inactive and secured. These bolts extend into the top and bottom of the frame, providing a base to lock the other door to. The movable side also needs to have a lock, preferably a deadbolt lock with a key on both sides. That way, someone could not break one of the glass panels and reach in to open the door.

For added protection, you may also want to inquire about custom made metal security screen doors.
 

The door between the garage and the house should be a solid core or metal wrapped door like the other exterior doors on the house. They should also have a sturdy deadbolt lock on it, preferably one that is keyed on both sides. Again, this type of lock is very beneficial in delaying the burglar to exit with stolen property and to serve as a deterrent. This deadbolt lock also needs to have at least a 1 inch throw that fits into a security strike plate through the frame. And don’t forget to make sure that if the hinges are exposed in the garage, you install hinge pins so that the door stays secure. (Refer to hinge pins section above).
 

If you have and attic or crawl space in your garage of carport make sure that you secure it with a hasp and padlock or cover it with a security grille. 
 

Please remember that any opening larger than 9 inches x 10 inches can be used to gain entrance into a home. If you have a pet door, you should block the opening inside with a slide in security plate when you are away. It is also recommended that you secure this plate inside so that it can not be shimmied out. 
 

It is recommended that you reinforce your exterior doorframes.  One method of reinforcing the doorframe is to replace one screw in each of the hinge plates with a 2½ inch screw that will reach past the doorframe into the 2 x 4 studs.  This will ultimately make it more difficult to kick or pry the door open. 
 

Hinges also need to be installed with at least 2 to 3 inch screws that will anchor into the sub-frame of the door. In some cases, hinges are installed in such a manner that the hinge pins are exposed to the exterior as seen in this photo. When hinge pins can be accessed from the outside, removing these pins to gain entrance is quite simple for an intruder. To prevent this, you can add security hinge pins. To do this, first remove one of the screws (on the door frame side) and drive a screw into the hole, leaving it exposed at least ½ inch. Then cut the unthreaded portion of the head off. Next, drill a corresponding hole on the opposite side so that when the door is closed the exposed portion of the screw fits into the door. This method will prevent the door from being lifted out if the pins are removed.