Locksmith Pros has an amazing staff of locksmith technicians, security consultants, and professional writing staff, who offer a wealth of knowledge. That is why we are bringing you some of their observations today so that you can make use of the five security upgrades that come most recommended by the team of experts at Locksmith Pros.

1. High-Security Locks

According to the experts at Locksmith Pros, the best security upgrade to start with is to replace any low-quality lock hardware with high-security locks. What makes your locks the best initial upgrade? 

Our Locksmith Pros experts say that door locks protect the most likely areas of a building to be targeted against all of the common means of unlawful entry. A high-security lock prevents most instances of lock picking, lock bumping, various bypass methods, drilling, cutting, prying, and kicking. 

High-security locks need to be installed on all exterior doors, which means any door leading from the outside to the inside. Locksmith Pros experts are always available to recommend, provide, and install high-security locks.

2. Longer Set Screws

With countless years of experience, Locksmith Pros USA has definitively proven the overwhelming power of using 3-inch set screws for securing strike plates and hinges. Set screws of this length strengthen a door against kicking and other ramming attacks. It does this by allowing the lock hardware to fasten into the stud of the door frame.

Our experts tell us that when a door is a truck with foot, battering ram, hammer, etc., the force is dispersed to the connections that keep the door closed. The weakest of these is the unhinged side of the door that is only secured by a bolt, latch, or series of bolts.

However, it is not the bolt that will break, instead, the screws will rip free from the door frame. The same is true for door hinges. Because the screws do not break, what is necessary for security is the length to grip the door frame better.

3. Stronger Doors

Our experts tell us that doors break rather regularly during a break-in. Even with the best security, a door can fracture to the point where someone can enter via the opening. Our experts recommend one of two options including doors with metal cores, and security screens.

A metal core door is an improvement on a solid core door (using a solid wood construction), which inserts iron or steel into the wood. With a mixture of metal and wood, the door is almost certainly not going to break. 

A security screen is a perforated metal door that fits over an existing door. The perforations allow for the wood door to be opened so the resident can see outside to a fuller extent while staying safe behind a strong metal door.

4. Window Protection 

The experts at Locksmith Pros don’t need to tell us that besides the door, the most likely point of entry is through a window. A window is a pane of glass, which makes it brittle, but our experts say it provides risks that many criminals would rather avoid. 

It is popular for criminals to break windows as a means of reaching through to manipulate locks or as an opening that they will enter through. Due to the way windows are used by criminals, our experts recommend window glass security film. 

Window film are clear adhesive sheets that can be cut to fit any window size or shape, and when installed, diminish the risk of the glass shattering due to impacts. A window can still break over prolonged exposure to unrelenting force, but it will buy you time to respond and demoralize most criminals.

Barring your windows is also an option, but in the expert opinion of Locksmith Pros, most people are unhappy with the look of barred windows, so security film is the next best thing. Window lock repair can also be important, but if the glass is broken, the lock can be opened. 

If you do bar your windows, our experts recommend keeping the bars close together so it is difficult to reach through the opening. Barred windows with security film will be even more difficult to break, and this level of protection is likely the most you would want to realistically invest in.

5. Improved Gate Security 

The experts at Locksmith Pros believe that the perimeter of your property needs to be protected so that criminals cannot access the back of your home. Almost every Los Angeles home has a gate and fence, either at the property line on further back to leave a front yard accessible to anyone.

If you can protect that gate, you can either prevent your door from ever being accessed or keep criminals from going around to back or side doors. Most break-ins happen using the front door of a residential property, but there is still a large percentage of criminal entry that involves back/side doors.

Back and side doors provide a criminal cover, so they are less likely to be detected by neighbors and passers-by. A criminal can become more brazen in terms of noise and tools when they are unlikely to be seen, so upgrade your gates with better locks, thorny plant life, etc., that deter climbing and perimeter compromises.

A Final Word From Our Experts

The Locksmith Pros experts want to remind anyone looking to increase their security, that there is a lot more than just five things that you can do. But these are the five security upgrades that come most recommended. 

Before focusing on pretty much anything else, it is a good idea to have considered and addressed (to some degree) these particular investments. If you need any help realizing the aforementioned upgrades, or desire assistance with any other security-related concerns, call the number one locksmith in Los Angeles and talk to the experts at Locksmith Pros.