The front door is an important security feature in any house for the simple reason that it is the primary avenue of access to inner parts of the house. A well-secured front door will make it all the more difficult for burglars to break an entry. There's more that goes into securing residential front doors than ensuring that the door is locked before retiring to bed every night. Here are three things a homeowner can do to improve their front door security.

Install Peep Holes Or Viewers

House break-ins are as common during the day as they are at night. Many are the times when burglars break into a house by knocking on the front door and producing weapons once the homeowner opens the door. A peep hole or viewer on the front door provides an opportunity for the homeowner to see the person outside without opening the door.

Front door security can be improved through the installation of eye level, wide-angled peep holes. Experienced burglars often use advanced tools such as reverse peephole viewers to look back in through a peep hole. For this reason, it is advisable to invest in peepholes that come with covers.

Add Heavy Duty Dead-Locks

Installation of heavy duty dead-locks is a cost-effective way to improve front door security. Dead-locks do not have external keys. As such, they cannot be opened from the outside despite being fully visible.

In order for one to force entry through a dead-lock, he or she must destroy the door, its frame, or the lock itself. This will create a lot of noise, which will alert those in the house of the burglar's presence. Dead-locks with a grade 1 security rating are the best for improving front door security.

Replace The Front Door

Replacing the front door may be necessary for improved security. This is especially applicable to homeowners whose front doors are made of a hollow core. Such doors give in easily when subjected to excess force. They should be replaced with doors made of a tougher and heavier material with a greater ability to withstand force. Examples of these materials include fiberglass, solid wood, steel, and solid wood core.

While at it, it is also advisable to replace an inward swinging door with one that swings outward when opened. Outward swinging doors provide greater resistance to external force because the direction of the force is opposite to that of their usual operation. For more information, contact a business such as XL Screens & Awnings Pty Ltd.