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A good safe protects what’s inside it. A good door decides how much time a burglar spends in your house in the first place. The most useful door upgrades are often the cheapest: longer screws, a better strike plate, a bar in a sliding door track. Police and city crime-prevention pages largely agree on what these are.
This guide puts the upgrades in a sensible order, explains what ANSI/BHMA grades on a deadbolt package actually mean, and flags the one upgrade that needs a fire-safety check first.
Why doors fail at the frame, not the lock
A deadbolt only holds as well as the wood it locks into. Seattle Police advise that strike plates and door frames be anchored to the home’s main construction, and that doors fit snugly in their frames. The City of Murrieta, California, home security guidance is more specific: attach the deadbolt strike plate with four to six 3-inch wood screws that reach the structural frame.
Short screws that only grip the thin door trim can tear out when the door is forced. That’s why the cheapest fixes below come first.
Upgrade 1: Long screws in the strike plate (and the hinges)
What police recommend:
- Baltimore Police advise anchoring the strike plate with 3-inch-long screws into the door framing.
- Seattle Police list “three-inch screws, heavy-duty strike plates and tamper-proof hinges” among their door recommendations.
How to do it:
- Remove one strike plate screw at a time and replace it with a 3-inch wood screw. Drive it straight into the framing behind the jamb.
- If you’re swapping in a heavier strike plate, use it with the long screws, not instead of them.
- Don’t overtighten. Too much tension can pull the jamb and stop the bolt from lining up.
What to look for: a heavy-duty deadbolt strike plate with 3-inch screws.
See heavy-duty strike plates with 3-inch screws (paid link)
Upgrade 2: Fix outward-swinging hinges
If a door’s hinge pins are on the outside, a burglar can pop them out. Murrieta suggests three fixes:
- Remount the hinges so the door swings inward.
- Install hinges with non-removable pins.
- Add a locking pin. Remove the center screw from each hinge, put a headless screw or bolt into the jamb with about ½ inch sticking out, and drill a matching hole in the opposite hinge plate. When the door closes, the pin holds it in place even if the hinge pins are pulled.
What to look for: a security hinge pin kit or hinges with non-removable pins.
See security hinge pin kits (paid link)
Upgrade 3: A deadbolt on every exterior door
Baltimore Police say every exterior door should have a deadbolt, and that key-in-knob locks alone are not enough. Police and city guidance call for these features:
- At least a 1-inch throw (Seattle and Murrieta).
- A hardened steel insert in the bolt and a cylinder guard that resists twisting with a wrench or pliers (Murrieta).
- Connecting screws on the inside only, case-hardened and at least ¼ inch in diameter, going into solid metal (Murrieta).
Don’t forget the garage. Murrieta says the door from the garage into the house should be treated as an entry door, with a solid core, a good deadbolt, and secured hinge pins.
What “Grade 1, 2, 3” and “A, B, C” mean
The Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association (BHMA) writes the ANSI/BHMA standards that locks are tested to. Two different deadbolt standards use two different rating scales:
| Standard | Covers | Rating scale |
|---|---|---|
| ANSI/BHMA A156.36, Auxiliary Locks (formerly part of A156.5) | Deadbolts and other auxiliary locks | Grade 1, 2, 3. BHMA says Grade 1 is the highest. |
| ANSI/BHMA A156.40, Residential Deadbolts | Deadbolts for homes | Grade A, B, or C, rated separately for durability, strength and security, and finish |
How to read an A156.40 rating: BHMA says its Secure Home™ label shows three ratings, where C = Good, B = Better, A = Best. A lock might be rated A for security but B for finish. BHMA describes 17 security tests in the 2025 edition, including loading the door against the deadbolt with 1,350 pounds of force. For durability, a Grade A deadlatch must pass 400,000 cycles.
How to check a claim:
- Look up the exact model in BHMA’s Certified Products Directory.
- BHMA’s Secure Home program notes that “products without the Secure Home™ label are not assured to have been tested and certified by a third-party laboratory.”
- Treat words like “commercial grade” or “meets Grade 1” without a listing as marketing, not a certification.
Know the limits. BHMA says its tests are run under laboratory conditions, and that in actual use, results vary with installation, door and frame construction, maintenance, and environment. A top-rated deadbolt with short strike screws is still a weak door. That’s why Upgrade 1 comes first.
What to look for: a BHMA-certified residential deadbolt with the Secure Home label.
See BHMA-certified residential deadbolts (paid link)
Single vs. double cylinder: check with your fire department first
Murrieta recommends a double-cylinder deadbolt (keyed on both sides) if the door has glass or a window within 40 inches of the lock. But it also cautions that many communities prohibit double-cylinder deadbolts because they can be dangerous on a door used as a fire exit. It advises consulting your local fire department, and leaving a key in the inside cylinder whenever someone is home. Treat this as a fire-safety decision, not just a security one.
Upgrade 4: Reinforce the frame
When strike screws aren’t enough, the next step is reinforcing the jamb itself. Seattle Police recommend reinforced door jambs or jamb braces. Common options:
- Strike reinforcement plates. Longer metal plates that spread force across more of the jamb.
- Full-length jamb reinforcement kits. Metal channels that run along the latch side of the frame, sometimes with hinge-side plates.
- Door edge guards that wrap around the lock area on the door itself.
Murrieta also advises that exterior hinged doors be solid-core and at least 1¾ inches thick, with a solidly built frame. Baltimore Police warn never to use interior doors as exterior doors. If your entry door is hollow-core, hardware upgrades can only do so much.
What to look for: a door jamb reinforcement kit.
See door jamb reinforcement kits (paid link)
Upgrade 5: Sliding glass doors
Sliding doors have two weak points. The latch can be forced, and the door can be lifted off its track. Seattle Police say to secure sliding doors against both. The recommended fixes are cheap:
- A bar or dowel in the bottom track. Baltimore Police suggest a broomstick or wooden dowel cut to fit. Murrieta also recommends dowels in the inside bottom track.
- Anti-lift screws. Murrieta recommends 1¼-inch large-head sheet metal screws in the top of the frame, at both ends and in the middle, adjusted so the door barely clears them.
- Supplemental locks or pins at the top or bottom of the door (Murrieta).
A fold-down or adjustable security bar does the same job as a dowel and is easier to use every day.
What to look for: an adjustable sliding door security bar and a sliding door pin lock.
See adjustable sliding door security bars (paid link)
See sliding door pin locks (paid link)
Habits that cost nothing
- Lock up every time, including the garage-to-house door.
- Don’t hide a key outside. Baltimore Police recommend leaving a spare with a trusted neighbor instead. If you’re tempted by a fake rock, read our take on diversion safes and hiding spots first.
- See who’s there. Seattle Police recommend a wide-angle (180-degree) viewer on the main entrance door.
Renting? Ask first
Strike plates, hinges, and deadbolts are part of the building, so check your lease before replacing any. Sliding door bars and dowels are usually renter-friendly. Our renter’s guide to securing valuables covers what you can do without the landlord’s permission.
Where doors fit in the bigger plan
Doors buy time. A safe protects what’s left if someone gets in anyway. Once the entry points are solid, the next questions are where to put a safe in your house and how to anchor it to the floor so it can’t be carried out the door you just reinforced.
Budget priority checklist
- 3-inch screws in every exterior strike plate
- Hinge fixes on any outward-swinging door
- Bar or dowel plus anti-lift screws on sliding doors
- A deadbolt with a 1-inch throw on every exterior door, ideally BHMA-certified and verified in the directory
- Jamb reinforcement on the doors that matter most
- Solid-core replacements for any hollow-core exterior doors
Bottom line
Start with the frame, not the brand on the lock. Long screws, sound hinges, and a bar in the slider cover the most common weak spots for very little money. When you buy a deadbolt, look for a verified ANSI/BHMA rating, either Grade 1/2/3 under A156.36 or A/B/C under A156.40, and remember that installation matters as much as the label.
Sources
- Seattle Police Department — Burglary Prevention (1-inch deadbolt throw, strike plates and frames anchored to main construction, 3-inch screws, heavy-duty strike plates, tamper-proof hinges, jamb braces, sliding doors, door viewers). https://seattle.gov/police/crime-prevention/burglary-prevention
- City of Murrieta, CA — Home Security Hardware (4–6 three-inch strike screws; deadbolt criteria; solid-core 1¾-inch doors; hinge locking pins; double-cylinder caution; garage entry door; sliding door anti-lift screws, pins, dowels). https://www.murrietaca.gov/647/Home-Security-Hardware
- Baltimore Police Department — Burglary Prevention Tips (3-inch strike screws, deadbolts on all exterior doors, key-in-knob locks not enough, no interior doors outside, dowel in sliding track, no hidden keys). https://www.baltimorepolice.org/safetytips/burglary-prevention-tips
- BHMA — ANSI/BHMA A156.36 Auxiliary Locks (Grades 1, 2, 3; formerly part of A156.5; lab-conditions caveat). https://buildershardware.com/Home-Sweet-Secure-Home/ansibhma-a15636-auxiliary-locks
- BHMA — ANSI/BHMA A156.40 Residential Deadbolts (A/B/C grades by category; results vary with installation, door, and frame). https://buildershardware.com/Home-Sweet-Secure-Home/ansibhma-a15640-residential-deadbolts
- BHMA — Hardware Highlights: A156.40-2025 Residential Deadbolts (17 security tests, 1,350 lbf door load, 400,000-cycle Grade A deadlatch, Certified Products Directory). https://buildershardware.com/ANSI-BHMA-Standards/Hardware-Highlights/A15640-2025-Residential-Deadbolts
- BHMA — Product Grade Levels (Grade 1 is the highest). https://buildershardware.com/ANSI-BHMA-Standards/Product-Grade-Levels
- BHMA Secure Home — Choose Your Ratings Combination (C Good, B Better, A Best; unlabeled products not assured to be third-party certified). https://securehome.org/choose-your-ratings-combination/