Securing your home’s entry points

Although during the recent riots we have not heard of anyone breaking into private houses to loot I was considering the option of staying at home regardless of what went on around you. Here are some thoughts on securing the premises from all but the most determined.

You can secure your house reasonably easily. Most of us don’t though, we put a lock on the door when the door itself can be kicked down without too much effort. Many people install a steel reinforcement bar which offers better protection and certainly makes it just that little bit more difficult and noisier that the average burglar won’t bother with. However, that still does not meet our requirements. You see our looters know that Plod isn’t coming to save us and they have as much time as they need. So we need to take that extra step.

First of all you need a house with solid walls. Brick preferably or breeze block as the cheapest solution.

Then you need to install a steel door in a steel door frame to replace all doors. Have them securely bolted into the walls. These doors can be disguised so they do not look like the doors on your local off license. They can also come with little windows, letterboxes and all the other niceties. If you can’t then a solid wooden door with a bar, or two, across like they did in medieval castles. As the door is the prime entry point for large numbers of people then this solves several of your issues.

Next you should lock down the windows. Any window that could be entered from outside needs to also be reinforced. Barred if possible but again, many do not like bars as they give a fortress mentality and show outsiders that there is something worth protecting. Again, it is possible to purchase windows with solid bars, covered in PVC to blend in with your decor. These usually have small windows to stop people entering the house. If necessary use normal windows and concrete steel bars on the inside and cover them with curtains so they don’t show.

Finally, we must not forget the garage door. Many houses have attached garages with internal doors being the entry point to the garage itself. Garage doors are difficult to secure and consideration should be given to just beefing up the jemmy points to do what you can whilst installing a solid door as the entry to the garage and treat the garage itself as insecure. Use bars as suggested on the front door as a last resort. A steel door will also work as a fire door which is handy for a garage door anyway.

Now this may make it difficult for bad guys to get into your house and it will be OK for most purposes when Plod will get called and the bad guys know this. However, if this is not the case such as after an event then they may smash the windows and shoot inside whilst they batter the doors down.

An option is to beef up security from intruders and bullets. We hang steel sheets on the inside of every outside wall bolting them securely to the wall. You can plaster over this to hide the steel and then decorate as required.

Another option worth consideration it to install steel sheeting over the doors and windows at the first sign of trouble. Councils use these to seal up houses that are vacant. Steel sheeting will protect the windows whilst also making it difficult for the bad guys to take control around those entry points. Particularly if they can be overlooked.

I’ve had several ways suggested for fitting the sheets, each with their advantages and disadvantages and I think these two are the best. Note all require the fitting is performed by several people.

Large sheets made to measure for every window. Must cover the entire window including the frame with a few inches overlap.
Enough bolts to have a bolt every two feet around the sheet. Bolts long enough to go through sheeting, window/door frame and leave enough to put nuts and locking nuts on.
After you chose your method, drill corresponding holes in the frames and seal the holes up with mastic or similar.

The differences are how the bolts are fitted to the frame and sheet.

Option 1 : Weld the bolts to the sheet and when required line the bolts up and push through. Apply nuts at other side.
Advantages: Quick and easy for several people. Once the panel is up and a bolt is secured it will stay up and allow one person to secure the remaining bolts from the inside. It will even allow the bolts to be secured whilst you are under attack. The sheets can be installed with the minimum bolts very quickly and the others secured later with no risk.
Disadvantages: Bolts can become damaged while in storage and transit. Bolts can also damage other items whilst in storage and being moved. If a bolt is bent it will cause issues with assembly and may stop assembly completely.

Option 2 : Drill holes in the sheets. Square them off to make a square hole. Weld a mushroom head on to a square nut where the nut fits the hole and welt this to a bolt.
The sheet is held in place the bolts can then push through the sheet and the frames apply nuts at other side.
Advantages: Reasonably quick and easy for several people. Once the panel is up and the bolts are fastened at the top of the sheet. Two people can quickly add and secure the other bolts as long as you are not under attack. Loss of a few bolts will not compromise security.
Disadvantages: Bolts can be lost. Takes longer to install.

Option 3 : My favourite. Weld bolts at the four corners and have holes and removable bolts for the remaining bolt positions.
Advantages: Quick and easy for several people. Once the panel is up and a bolt is secured it will stay up and allow one person to secure the three remaining bolts from the inside. It will even allow enough bolts to be secured whilst you are under attack. Two people can quickly add and secure the remaining bolts as long as you are not under attack. Loss of a few bolts will not compromise security. The sheets can be installed with the four bolts very quickly and the others added later when the risk is acceptable.
Disadvantages: Corner bolts can become damaged while in storage and transit. Corner bolts can also damage other items whilst in storage and being moved. If a corner bolt is bent it will cause issues with assembly and may stop assembly completely. The other bolts can be lost.

This will make it very difficult for people to get into your home. However, it is still not impossible. If we need to go further we need to get a bit more proactive and this can only be done where it is legal 😉

If you live in a house you can put razor wire or barbed wire around your frames. You also make gun ports in the higher stories so you can shoot out at attackers.

If you have the opportunity and it is suitable you should dig a trench around the house about three feet deep and 5 feet across and put punji sticks and plastic razor wire in the bottom. Cover the ditch with steel plate and fasten cable to the plates on the inside so that when required you can pull the sheets towards the house and uncover the ditches. By then they should have partially filled with water which will make navigating them that much more difficult especially under fire.

If you live in a flat or similar then you do not have some of these options however access is restricted usually at the front door and your windows are usually high up. As well as securing the front door build a cage inside behind the door. This will stop them charging in a make a kill zone that you can fire into. You could even wire the cage up if he electricity is still on or add spikes inside the cage. This cage can be collapsible and simply fit together, secured by padlocks, when needed.

That should secure the perimeter. Of course none of this is 100%, unfortunately the habit rioters and looters have of setting fire to things makes it very difficult and for any of us, living in flats in particular, impossible to work around. They could even use vehicle to breach the moat and/or the house and attack the occupants. If they have one of course.