How to Secure the Front Door of Your House for Under $50

Front door security

Have you ever wondered how to secure your front door? How do you know if it’s strong enough? Well, I’ve found some tips to make your door even more secure, and cheap.

How can you secure your front door for under $50? There are many things that you can do in order to secure your front door, but here are some main item:

  • No glass near the doorknob
  • Cameras and lights
  • A strong deadbolt
  • If needed–a small pet door

Now, those items listed above are just a small snippet of what you’re looking for in regards to doors. What are considered strong materials? Many questions, that you’ll find answers to below.

Securing Your Front Door

When you’re working towards creating a safer environment, either with or without security cameras, the one thing that you can protect and secure is your front door.

Although this isn’t always the way people will try to enter homes, this is one of the first options that they can try besides your window. So, in this article, we will teach you how to secure your front door.

Now, you don’t need anything like a vault door to swing shut and be completely closed off to the world by a metal shield. That’s definitely not the case.

An average boot is able to kick in an unsecured door, they just have to get the placement right and boom, they are inside. So, what are you able to do in order to be protected inside?

You can add more locks, you can add a security system (if that’s in your budget), or you can continue to find the right door for you. Which is what we want to be able to help you understand.

Fake it ‘Til You Make it

Now, when you’re searching for things that you can do in order to kind of add more to your door in the form of protection, there isn’t a problem with going with something that’s a little faux.

If you’re interested in going down this road, there are many options for you including a pack of 4 that goes for around $24.99 on Amazon. These are just a way to be able to add some extra security.

There are different types of cameras that you can look at, and that’s something that you can choose for yourself when you’re looking into something such as this. The cool thing about most of these cameras is that there is a blinking LED light that gives the appearance of a working camera as well.

Another thing that you can consider putting by your front door is a fake keypad. This is something that can really deter robbers from your home when they see that you have a keypad next to your door.

These keypads are very official looking. They have a green light under glow with the buttons, as well as a red blinking light. It’s definitely something that would startle those who are coming with the intent to harm.

If there are more windows or places that you can see close by your front door, don’t be afraid to put up some security stickers. That could also be a good deterrent for those who are looking for an easy place to go smash-and-grab.

If you’re more interested in something more official and helpful, there are other options as well that we will go over!

Let There Be Light

If you’re looking for something a little more surprising, you can find that within the comfort of the option of security lights. Whether you decide to go with some that you’re able to control from your phone, or the simple motion detected floodlights, that’s your choice.

There is a solar powered light that you can get that will turn on when it senses motion. The light that is emanated from the light is very bright, with 21 LED lights. There are three settings that you can turn this light to which really will help depending on what level of light you want.

A lot of security lights that are relatively cheap are available through Amazon and most of them are holding LED lights, which certainly helps to surprise those that are around when the light comes on. These are definitely good choices when you’re looking for motion sensing lights.

If you’re wanting to have a light on in the inside of your home, there is this device that makes it look as though you’re watching television on the inside. This makes the same light as the light that comes from an HD television.

This is just something that will help make your home be more of a deterrent to those who are seeking for trouble.

Best Deadbolts for the Home

Secure front door

One of the deadbolts that you can use is called the Kwikset 980 deadbolt, they can be found on Amazon. They go for $27.71 with free shipping. This is a single cylinder deadbolt. It comes with long screws which prevent kick-ins of your door.

Baldwin Prestige 380 round cylinder deadbolt is also one that is recommended for your home. One of the things that they are really able to add to your home is this deadbolt can’t be picked, and it can’t be kicked in. These go for about $37 on Amazon.

These are a couple of good choices that you can add to your home that would prevent the most common way of breaking into your home. They are also under $50 which is certainly a bonus. Although there are probably more tha you can find, these have been tested against the things described and have come out on top.

Adding these to both your front and back doors could be another way to be sure that your doors are going to be something that can actually protect you, which is probably a comforting feeling–I know it is to me.

When you’re trying to figure out what exactly will help your door become safer and stronger, there are six tips that you can use to make your deadbolt more secure:

  • Get a solid core door
  • Install a good deadbolt lock
  • Reinforce existing door locks
  • Install wide-angle peepholes
  • Don’t forget about the back door
  • Turn on outdoor lights

Although all of these may not make the physical deadbolt more secure, they are able to provide ways that you can prepare in case someone is trying to come into your home.

Pet Doors? Still Possible.

Pet security

Now, when you’re trying to be safe, it’s not always easy especially if you have animals that need to go outside and may need to use a door. Well, you’re in luck because there are a few secure pet doors on the market.

There are somewhere you can control the door by a tag that the animals would have on their collar, but that’s something that can easily be taken off and used. Luckily the door that I have linked above is available for under $50, which is a pretty good deal for a locking pet door.

If that’s not quite the one that you wanted, well, I have another option that you’ll be able to find here! It’s another locking pet door, but it’s even cheaper. That may not seem the best to you, but it’s something that can’t be hacked wirelessly or something along those lines.

One thing that is amazing with these pet doors is that they have a four-way locking system, so you can choose just how you want the door to be able to open or not open. It’s something that really allows you to control your pet and make sure that they are safe as well as yourself.

For instance, if you want your pet to come inside, but not be able to go back out, they have a setting for that. If you just want to have them go outside and not come back, then you have a setting that locks the door from them get inside.

You can also lock the door completely as well as let it be open both ways to allow free traveling back and forth.

But, providing another option, there is a deadbolt locking pet door that you can find on Amazon. This is under $50 as well, and it also provides you with the 4-way lock, but at the same time, it also has a deadbolt that you can use too. This door is for pets up to 12 pounds and sells for $25 on Amazon.

So, I have been able to provide three pet doors that will still allow your home to be secure, but obviously, there is more out there. I just was surprised to find all these great doors for under $30. That’s something not a lot of people may realize when they are searching for those home security items.

Things to be Aware of

Front doors aren’t always the things that will be attacked first, so we’ll just touch on some other things that you can do for under $50 to make sure that your back door, sliding door, garage door, and windows are protected as well.

For your back door, it’s suggested that you add a deadbolt there as well. One thing that you can do is get a $15 deadbolt and get $1 three and a half inch nails and add that into your deadbolt, which makes it harder for the door to be broken into. You can do this for your front door as well.

With sliding glass doors, there’s a simple fix which is a sliding door pin. They run for about $4 and they are able to just be put into the back of the door and you won’t be able to open it or jiggle it up at all.

An $8 window lock can help to prevent your window from being broken into, and with this, you’re able to still let in a little air, but you’re not able to let someone open the window any wider. Though, you need to make sure that in case of a fire, you have the ability to take it out and escape.

Garage doors seem to have an emergency cord hanging from them, and if they can reach it, burglars are able to get inside. But it’s not going to cost you anything to be able to secure it. You can use a sandwich bag tie even to tie up the cord so that they can’t reach it.

Those are just a couple of tips for some other places in your home that you may want to secure. Just in case!

You can never be sure when something is going to happen to you or home, so it’s best that you are prepared for the worst, but hopefully, that doesn’t happen. When you’re seeking out a door or deadbolt, I hope that this has been able to help you.

There are also types of locks that you can attach to the inside of your door for extra safety. My family and I had a flip lock on our front door, it was at the top and flipped over.

The only way that you could open the lock was if you pushed up and then flipped it back against the door frame. You can see one here.

So, if you’re wanting more to add to your door, don’t just stop at deadbolts, go out and see what you can do. You can even add more deadbolts to your door if that helps you to feel safer!

A Secure Fortress

When you’re searching for the things that will help your home be more protected, there’s definitely more than just this list. You can continue to protect your home with the simplest of things.

From fake cameras, motion-detecting lights, and security company stickers, there’s a lot that you can do to help build up your feeling of security. I know that there’s something that really helps when you feel that everything is very secure within your home.

With all these options that are at your door–quite literally–you can trust that what you’re doing is definitely a step in the right direction. As you continue to take these steps forward to a more secure home, you can know that you’re doing what you can to help keep you and your family safe.

I think that’s something that we are all striving for. I know that’s certainly something that I am striving for in regards to staying safe. Even if it’s in something as small and simple as a studio apartment, you can still find ways to keep yourself safe.

Related Questions:

How do I stop someone from unlocking my door? If you are not wanting someone to come into your home, then you can jam the keyhole with a keyhole lock. There are other options that you can use, but that is the top solution to your problem.

Are security doors effective? Security doors are indeed effective, the main factor that it’s tied into is what material your door is made of. Aluminum is not as effective as metal for instance. But they are certainly effective.

How can I make my deadbolt more secure? With this, the best thing that you can do is to get longer nails that you connect the strike plate to your door frame with. Be sure that you also have a solid core door. That’s something that can help with the security.

Luke Miller

Luke Miller is a writer, real estate professional, rental property investor, and home renovation enthusiast based in Phoenix, Arizona. He grew up in Iowa in a self-sufficient household where he learned the skills to do everything from plumbing, drywall, to basic handyman repair for everyday problems. He enjoys sharing his vast experience and his continuous learning with fellow DIY enthusiasts.

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