Door Reinforcement Basics: Stopping Forced Entry the Right Way

Most exterior doors fail because of the frame—not the lock. Criminals don’t pick locks; they kick the door at the strike plate and the thin wood around it explodes. Reinforcement fixes that weak point and turns a “one-kick entry” into a loud, risky, drawn-out mess.

Before upgrading hardware, review the High-Risk Entry Point Analysis to understand which doors matter most.

1. Upgrade the Strike Plate (This Is the #1 Fix)

The strike plate is the anchor point for your deadbolt. Cheap strikes use tiny 1/2-inch screws that barely bite into the frame. Replace them immediately.

What You Need

• 4-screw or 6-screw reinforced strike plate
• 3-inch exterior screws that reach deep into the wall framing

This alone multiplies the force required to break in.

2. Reinforce the Door Jamb

The jamb is the real failure point. When you strengthen it, kicks become nearly useless.

Options That Work

• Full-length metal jamb shield (the best option).
• Localized reinforcement plates around the strike area.
• Door armor kits that reinforce jamb, strike, and hinges together.

Avoid flimsy decorative fix-it plates—they don’t stop forced entry.

3. Replace Short Hinge Screws

Hinges often use tiny screws that barely hold the door. If the hinges rip out, the door swings open even with a good lock.

Fix This in 5 Minutes

• Replace one screw per hinge with a 3-inch screw.
• Use exterior-grade screws so they don’t rust.
• Ensure the screw bites into the framing, not just the trim.

This stops hinge-side failures—an extremely common entry technique.

4. Use a Solid-Core Door

Hollow-core exterior doors are security theater. They crack instantly under pressure.

Use These Types

• Solid wood exterior doors.
• Fiberglass exterior doors.
• Metal-clad steel doors.

The lock is only as strong as the door slab holding it.

5. Add a Door Reinforcement Bar or Brace (Optional but Strong)

A door bar stops forced entry even if the lock fails. It’s a mechanical block inside the home.

Best Uses

• At night or when home alone.
• Front doors with large glass panels.
• Weak frames that can’t be replaced immediately.

A properly installed brace buys massive time during a break-in attempt.

6. Reinforce Glass Near Doors

If your door has large glass panels or sidelights, the weakest point isn’t the lock—it’s the glass.

Fix Options

• Security film to delay shattering.
• Laminated glass on replacement doors.
• Bars or decorative grills on vulnerable sidelights.

If someone can break glass and reach the lock, reinforce both the lock and the glass.

7. Check Threshold and Frame Integrity

A reinforced door still fails if the frame is rotten or poorly anchored.

Inspect For

• Rot, soft wood, or termite damage.
• Loose threshold screws.
• Cracked or split door jamb sections.

Fix structural damage before relying on reinforcement hardware.

8. Don’t Neglect Secondary Exterior Doors

Back doors, garage side doors, and basement doors are attacked far more often than front doors.

Why?

• They’re weaker.
• They’re hidden from neighbors.
• They use cheap builder-grade hardware.

Reinforce those first—they’re the easiest points to kick in.

9. Final Check: Can You Kick Your Own Door?

This isn’t a joke. The benchmark for reinforcement is simple: Could an average adult kick this door open in two or three hits?

If the answer is “maybe,” upgrade the hardware. If the answer is “no chance,” you’ve done it right.