Most burglars don’t pick locks. They kick doors in. One solid kick is all it takes to breach a standard front door, and the whole thing happens in seconds.
The problem is that your door is only as strong as its weakest part. A great deadbolt won’t help if your door frame splits on the first hit. This guide breaks down the real vulnerabilities and shows you how to secure your front door from being kicked in.
What Makes Doors Easy Targets for Break-Ins
Most residential doors have three weak spots. Burglars know exactly where to hit.
The strike plate fails first.
That small metal plate holding your deadbolt uses screws about an inch long. One kick pulls those screws right out of the soft wood frame. Your lock might be solid, but once the strike plate rips free, it doesn’t matter.
The door frame splits under impact.
Most frames are pine or similar softwood. A kick concentrates force on a small area around the lock, and the wood cracks. The jamb splits, the door pops open.
Hinges aren’t anchored properly.
Standard screws only grab the door frame, not the wall studs behind it. Some burglars skip the lock and go after the hinge side because it gives out just as fast.
7 Upgrades That Stop Forced Entry
1. Upgrade to a Grade 1 Deadbolt
Not all deadbolts are built the same. The ANSI grading system ranks them Grade 3 (basic), Grade 2 (better), and Grade 1 (best). If you’re looking for burglar-proof front door locks, Grade 1 is what you want. These have a one-inch hardened steel bolt that resists sawing and prying.
The bolt needs to be solid, not hollow. It should extend fully into your strike plate. Look for locks with the ANSI/BHMA Grade 1 certification stamp. These are tested to withstand 10 strikes of 75 pounds of force and 250,000 cycles of operation.
2. Replace Your Hinge Screws in 10 Minutes
This is the easiest way to make a door kick proof. Standard hinge screws are only 3/4 inch long. They grip the door frame, but not the wall stud behind it.
Buy 3-inch screws from any hardware store for under $10. Replace one or two screws on each hinge with the longer versions. Now your hinges anchor directly to the wall framing. This single change stops a lot of kick-in attempts.
3. Reinforce Your Strike Plate
Your current strike plate is probably thin metal with two short screws. Upgrade to a heavy-duty version that’s at least four inches long with four screw holes.
Use 3-inch screws to anchor it into the wall stud, same as your hinges. Some reinforced strike plates have a steel box that fits into your door frame, creating a deeper pocket for the deadbolt. This upgrade costs $15-30 and takes about 15 minutes to install.
| Upgrade | Cost | Time | DIY-Friendly |
| 3-Inch Hinge Screws | Under $10 | 10 min | Yes |
| Heavy-Duty Strike Plate | $15-30 | 15 min | Yes |
| Grade 1 Deadbolt | $50-200 | 30 min | Maybe |
4. Add a Door Reinforcement Kit
These kits include steel plates that cover the weak areas around your lock and hinges. Instead of force concentrating on a few small points, it spreads across a larger area.
Good kits reinforce both sides of the door frame plus the door edge. You’ll need to remove your deadbolt, position the steel plates, then reinstall the lock through the new reinforced openings. Kits run $70-150 and provide solid protection against forced entry.
5. See Who’s There Before You Open the Door
A peephole lets you see who’s at your door before you open it. It’s not about stopping kicks, but it matters for overall security.
Standard peepholes have limited viewing angles. Wide-angle versions give you a 180-degree view. You drill one hole through your door and thread the components from both sides. This costs $20-40 and takes about 20 minutes.
6. Add Extra Protection With a Security Bar
Security bars wedge against your floor and lean into the door at an angle. They make it nearly impossible to force the door inward. Some people prefer flip locks or slide bolts mounted high on the frame.
These only work from inside, so they’re for times you’re home. But they add another barrier and send a clear message that your door has multiple layers of protection.
7. Why Hollow Doors Are a Security Risk
If your door sounds hollow, all the hardware upgrades won’t matter much. Hollow doors can be punched through or kicked apart. They’re designed for interior use, not exterior security.
Solid wood doors give you real resistance. Steel doors are even better and come with insulation and weather sealing. This is your biggest investment at $400-2,000+. If you need help with installation, professional locksmiths can handle door hardware and make sure everything fits correctly.
Which Upgrades Should You Do First?
You don’t need to do everything at once. Start with what addresses your biggest vulnerabilities.
Budget-Friendly Start.
The 3-inch screws for your hinges and a heavy-duty strike plate run under $40 total. You can install both in less than an hour. These target the most common failure points during kick-in attempts.
Mid-Range Protection.
A door reinforcement kit paired with a Grade 1 deadbolt gets you around $200-300. If you want locks designed to resist break-ins, this combination handles most forced entry attempts.
Full Security.
Replace your door if it’s hollow or worn. Pair a solid core or steel door with reinforcements and quality locks. This is where every component works together as a system.
What Each Upgrade Costs and What You Get
| Security Upgrade | Typical Cost | Installation Time | Protection Level |
| 3-Inch Hinge Screws | < $10 | 10 minutes | High impact |
| Heavy-Duty Strike Plate | $15-30 | 15 minutes | High impact |
| Wide-Angle Peephole | $20-40 | 20 minutes | Medium impact |
| Door Reinforcement Kit | $70-150 | 45 minutes | Very high impact |
| Grade 1 Deadbolt | $50-200 | 30 minutes | High impact |
| Solid Core or Steel Door | $400-2,000+ | Professional | Maximum impact |
Building a Complete Door Security System
Your front door is a system. A good lock on a weak frame fails. Reinforced frames on a hollow door leave gaps. The best approach is to layer upgrades that support each other.
Look at your current setup. Are your strike plate screws short? Is your door hollow? Are your hinges only attached to the frame? Fix the weakest points first for the biggest improvement.
Most of these upgrades are DIY-friendly. The ones that aren’t, like door replacement or lock rekeying, just need basic tools or a professional hand. Either way, upgrading your door hardware is about making it harder for someone to get through. Not impossible, but hard enough that they’ll move on to an easier target.