When it comes to style, wooden front doors are the best for period and heritage homes. It’s almost certain that the original front door in your home was made from wood, so if you’re seeking to replace it, then wood is the most obvious choice. However, when choosing a front door, aesthetics is not the only consideration. As the main entry point into your home, your wooden front door must provide robust security against intruders.
Wooden front doors and security
The good news is that wooden front doors can be extremely safe and secure. If the right type is selected, wood is just as strong as other materials. You can also add safety features, such as extra locks or other security mechanisms, to an existing wooden front door that might be impossible in UPVC.
The easiest way to determine that your new wooden front door is safe is to ensure it meets the UK security standard PAS 24. This means that the door meets the minimum standard necessary to meet PAS 24 and can be trusted to be safe and secure against intruders. However, if you are worried about an existing door and want to simply improve security, then you have a few options:
Replace the lock
Upgrading your old lock to a new, multi-point hook lock that’s certified to PAS 24 will instantly improve the security of your door. If this difficult for any reason, then don’t overlook the humble deadbolt. Easy to install and simple to operate, one or two of these will help to keep your home secure – at least while you’re inside and able to use them. They are, obviously, not so useful when you’re not at home.
Don’t forget about the hinges
You can have a robust door and an up-to-date lock system, but you’ll still not be as secure as you could be if your hinges are weak and flimsy. Older hinges will degrade, so even if you have a robust looking old wooden door, it’s worth seeing if you can replace the hinges.
Install a chain
Again, this is a low-tech yet effective security device that can help with keep you safe when you are at home. The simple chain or night latch prevents intruders from gaining access even if they have managed to prise your door open, and you can also open your door just a fraction if you’re not ready to trust who’s on the other side.
Lock the door
Many burglaries are not high-tech affairs where the intruders have overcome sophisticated security features, they are simply where opportunistic thieves have gained access after someone’s forgotten to lock the door. And this, unfortunately, happens wherever you live and whichever type of house you live in. Getting into good habits of locking the door behind you every time you enter and exit your home is probably one of the best things you can do to keep your home secure.
Wooden front doors at Woodcraft Windows
At Woodcraft, we specialise in bespoke wooden front doors for period and heritage properties. Made to order in our own workshop, our wooden doors come in a huge range of styles, any paint colour you choose and can be fitted with a PAS 24 certified multi-hook lock.
