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How to Secure a Door So It Cannot Be Kicked-In

Rusty door with a lock.

Kicking in doors is an overused plot gimmick in movies and TV crime dramas. How many times have we seen two attractively grizzled FBI agents stand outside a villain’s front door bark, “FBI!” before ramming their way into the villain’s den?

Doors protect us, or so we think. We close them, lock them, even alarm them to keep the bad guys out. But as it turns out, doors are just as easy to kick-in as we see on TV. We once asked a locksmith to recommend a good lock to which he replied, “It doesn’t matter, if someone kicks hard enough, the door will give”.

So how can you secure your front door so that it cannot be kicked-in? Reinforce it by adding a Door Armor.

What Is Door Armor?

As the name implies, Door Armor is a product designed to reinforce your doors. It is offered by a company called Armor Concept and was formerly known as EZ Armor.

Door Armor protects 3 weak points of a door:

  • The jamb
  • The hinges
  • The lock

A complete set of Door Armor consists of 1 Door Armor Jamb Shield, 2 Mini Door Shields, and 2 Hinge Shields.

The Door Armor Jamb Shield features a jamb wrapping technology. It is a sleeve that locks around the lock-side door jamb. At 48 inches (4 feet) long, it spreads the force of a kick along its supporting stud. Also, as it wraps around the jamb, it holds the jamb together and prevents it from splitting.

The Mini Door Shields are your next line of defense. They are sleeves 4 inches long that go around your door locks. The door locks are especially weak points on a door. When kicked, the force on the lock pushes the door, which can split it. By reinforcing the lock area, the Mini Door Shields prevent splitting.

And last, the Hinge Shields. Burglars know that most residents don’t protect the hinge side of a door, while in fact, it is just as weak as the lock and the jamb. The Hinge Shields are sleeves. They are similar to the Door Jamb Shield and Mini Door Shield, but they are 12-inches long and have cutouts to accommodate both the top and bottom hinges found on a door.

As the saying goes, “In unity there is strength.” Having one of these three pieces will add a layer of protection to your door. However, it is highly recommended to have all three pieces to make your door stronger and harder to kick in. Of course, it’s not a guarantee that your door will be able to withstand any amount of force, but at the very least, Door Armor is strong enough to discourage a thief.

Installing A Door Armor Set

The three Door Armor products can be DIY installed in minutes. You will need:

  • Protective gloves and glasses
  • Variable speed drill w/ screwdriver adapter and bits
  • 9/64-inch drill bit
  • Some common sense

Screws are also needed to install but are included with your Door Armor purchase.

Installation is straightforward and doesn’t require you to remove your door. Mostly, it involves fitting the shields, marking where holes should be, drilling, and securing the shield with a screw. Most people can install Door Armor in under 30 minutes.

Where To Buy

Door Armor is available in white, aged bronze, and satin nickel finish. It can be ordered online from Armor Concept’s website, Amazon, or at Lowes. A Door Armor Max Combo Set (1 Jamb Shield, 2 Mini Door Shields, 2 Hinge Shields) costs $79 to $89 and includes free shipping.

Featured Photo: Krakow Door by John Finn used under a CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 license.

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