Over the years, statistical information has borne out the fact that there are several points of entry into your home which are universally favored by burglars. In some cases, it’s because of the ease or convenience, and in other cases, it’s due to the privacy afforded by a particular entry point. In any case, by shoring up security measures for the following five most commonly used entry points, you’ll be going a long way toward making your home a bit more secure against burglar attacks.
Front door
You wouldn’t think that a burglar would be so bold as to walk right in the front door of your house, but statistically, the front door is by far the leading entry point for burglaries. More than 34% of the time, burglars can make their way into the front door by discovering where you hid your ‘secret’ key, and in some cases, they don’t even bother trying to find your keys. If they have enough time, the hinges can be removed from your door, and they can walk right in.
Back door/sliding doors
Sliding glass doors are usually located in the back of your house, and back doors are especially appealing to burglars because they provide a level of privacy for criminal activity. Many times sliding doors aren’t even latched or locked, and an experienced burglar can even lift them right out of their tracks to gain access to the interior. Needless to say, be sure that all doors in the rear are securely locked before going to bed.
Garage
Roughly 10% of all burglaries are carried out via entry through the garage, and this is made possible by the fact that many homeowners leave garage doors open all the time. In some cases, homeowners also leave the door between the garage and the home unlocked as well, providing an open invitation to burglary. The chances of this kind of burglary taking place can be significantly reduced simply by securing both doors for the evening.
First-floor windows
Windows don’t usually get as much consideration from homeowners as doors do, so nearly 1/4 of all burglaries take place after criminal entry through first-floor windows. Since windows are not always latched and are almost never locked, they can potentially provide one of the easiest points of entry into the home. There are several things you can do to lower your vulnerability from windows, such as installing window bars, using Plexiglas windows or reinforced glass, and installing a deadbolt system on your first-floor windows.