The $12 Tool Retired Guards Beg Their Own Mothers to Put on the Front Door

A $329 smart lock. One kick. The lock held, and the door frame split. A retired security guard explains the $12 strike plate that stops most front door kick-ins, and how to install it yourself in about 20 minutes. 31 years in a security uniform. This is the part of the front door burglars actually beat, and it's the cheapest home security fix I know, especially for seniors living alone. My book, Give Nothing Away: https://curtishayess.com/ In this video: 0:00 Walter's $329 lock and the one kick 0:58 The five ways a front door fails 1:39 The two-second look a burglar gives your door 2:47 What the FBI numbers say about forced entry 3:27 #5 Glass beside the door 5:17 #4 The hinge side 6:35 Interlude: what the lock ads never show you 8:12 #3 The lock itself 9:20 #2 The short strike screws 11:05 #1 The strike plate and the jamb 11:49 The $12 box strike 12:44 The Consumer Reports kick test 13:37 Why the $300 lock can make it worse 14:48 Interlude: how long and how loud 15:48 The fix: shopping list and tools 16:43 Installing the strike plate, step by step 18:51 The hinge screws 19:25 Your questions: renters, steel doors, kicked frames, security bars 21:33 Interlude: my mother's red door in Dayton 22:46 The whole thing on one page 23:46 Tonight's homework Sources: How to Choose the Best Door Lock for Your Home — Consumer Reports (2024): https://www.consumerreports.org/home-garden/door-locks/buying-guide/ Consumer Reports Pushes Door Locks to Their Limits, Finding Lack of Security — Door and Window Market Magazine (2019): https://www.dwmmag.com/consumer-reports-pushes-door-locks-to-their-limits-finding-lack-of-security/ Home Security: Door Security — Seattle Police Department Crime Prevention: https://www.seattle.gov/documents/Departments/Police/Prevention/Home_Security_Door_Security.pdf Crime in the United States 2019: Burglary — FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (2020): https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2019/crime-in-the-u.s.-2019/topic-pages/burglary The cheapest way to protect your family? Try a $10 box strike plate — Clark.com: https://clark.com/homes-real-estate/box-strike-plate-lock-secure-door/amp/ If somebody you love lives alone tonight, subscribe. This channel is for them. Hashtags #HomeSecurity #SeniorsLivingAlone #FrontDoor #StrikePlate #DoorSecurity #BurglarProof #HomeSafety #RetiredSecurityGuard #DIYHomeSecurity #KickInProof #AgingInPlace #ElderSafety #HomeImprovement