Front Door Security

Enjoy Peace of Mind with a Beautiful, Secure Door

Front Door Security
Front Door Security
Safety Bolt
Safety Bolt
Finger Scanner Front Door
Finger Scanner Front Door
Electric Spy Hole
Electric Spy Hole

While windows can be tempting targets for burglars, entering through a door is less conspicuous and doesn't necessarily leave any obvious signs of break in to the casual observer.  Moreover, someone entering and leaving (with your valuables) appears perfectly normal in contrast to climbing in our out of a broken window. Therefore, it is important not to overlook front door security including the material, hardware, glazing and handles. Neuffer offers a range of hardware to ensure you have a high quality, custom door that is as secure as it is great looking.

Door Security: Where to begin

While we tend to refer to a door as a single object, it is ultimately a combination of multiple parts and mechanisms which together form a single system. A door consists of the frame (including head, jamb sill), threshold, glazing, weather stripping, leaf, hinges, lock hardware, bolts, key cylinder, handles and more depending on the specific type of door. With so many components each with different strengths and weaknesses based on their material type, quality and security level, there is plenty of room for weak links to make a seemingly tough door vulnerable. 

Neuffer offers custom built front doors in four materials:

  • Wood
  • Vinyl
  • Aluminum
  • Aluminum Clad wood

Aluminum is the toughest and most durable material to begin with followed by timber. Vinyl on the other hand requires additional upgrades in order to offer increased protection. However, every door is available with a host of security options both individually and in packages. In Europe, window and door security is measured in standardized levels called Resistance Classes (RC). They range from RC1 to RC6 with one and two being most common for residential use. 

Equipment Options

Front Door Handles
Front Door Handles
Front Door with Sidelight
Front Door with Sidelight
Front Door Transom
Front Door Transom
Smart door locks
Smart door locks

High Security Door Lock Options

The connection between the door and frame is a standard avenue of attack, especially when the door itself is too difficult to just kick in. This means trying to lift the door out of the hinges or otherwise damaging them. Choosing an inswing door is the first and easiest thing that can be done since the hinges are then located on the inside, giving intruders no direct access.

Choosing concealed hinges or special hinges that lock the door into the frame also make prying and levering attacks difficult. 

Door Locks

When many people think of locks, they imagine a simple door handle with a lever. However, a handle is not a lock and importantly, even that is only a single point. For exterior doors, a single locking point is not enough. Upgrading your door with multi-point locking is critical to ensure overall resilience and that a single point of failure does not make the difference between a secure home or burglary. 

We recommend a minimum of 3 locking points between the door and frame and offer several different options with additional locking points and steel cams. Selecting high security key cylinders can protect against lock picking or bumping and choosing devices that lock automatically when closed ensure no one ever forgets to lock the door behind them. Door chains and nightlatches can also easily be fitted by homeowners themselves to provide extra protection.

Finally, opting for a knob or ball handle externally and a lever internally ensures that only the correct key can open the door, not an attack against the lever mechanism which is often successful on older doors. 

External Doors with Glass

While glass can add light and style to a front door, it can be a potential vulnerability depending on its size, location and glazing. A pane of glass near the lock can often be smashed and used to unlock the door from the inside depending on the lock mechanism. Large sidelights can also be squeezed through by a determined burglar. Therefore, it is critical to choose laminated safety glass or impact resistant glass of a sufficiently high security level to prevent simple smash attacks. Neuffer offers multiple security glazing options and is happy to help find the best solution to meet your individual needs.

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