By Samuetta Hill Drew
As a child I often wondered why my parents never thought to upgrade the entrance door from our garage into our family’s home. All other exterior doors were substantial with quality grade locks, even the sliding glass doors, but never the door leading from the garage to our home where we cooked, ate, watched television, laughed and slumbered at night. For years this seriously concerned me, so when I became an adult I decided to address the matter myself (of course with parental permission). I had, unknowingly as a child, begun conducting safety assessments. This task ironically would become a part of my future professional duties and responsibilities. With this in mind, this week I thought it beneficial to share with you some safety tips for your exterior doors.
Exterior Door Tip #1 – Make sure all of your exterior doors are substantial. This should also include the door leading from your garage into the interior of your home, if applicable. Substantial doors, whether they are wooden or metal, are not hollow on the inside.
Exterior Door Tip #2 – Check to make sure your door hinges are not on the outside. They should always be mounted from the inside of your home.
Exterior Door Tip #3 – Always install a quality deadbolt lock with the bolt measuring at least 1 inch on each of your exterior doors with the exception of sliding glass doors. This lock should be in addition to any locks built into an existing doorknob. Remember the deadbolt lock screws should never be exposed on the outside – rather from inside the home.
Exterior Door Tip #4 – If your home has sliding glass doors make sure you install an additional lock either at the top or bottom of your doors. Check with your local home improvement/hardware store and purchase a sturdy pole which will fit between your door casing and the door. Note, broom handles typically are not sturdy enough to provide the type of safety you may require.
Let me encourage you to conduct a family home assessment and make any necessary upgrades to keep you and your family safe.
Keeping an Eye on Safety should be a family affair!
