How Burglars Actually Get In (And the $15–$60 Fixes That Stop Them)

Break-in scenes in movies show glass cutters and lock picks. Real burglaries look nothing like that. They involve a shoulder against a door, a screwdriver in a window frame, or simply a hand turning an unlocked knob at 2 p.m. while you're at work. The good news: because the methods are so predictable, the fixes are cheap, fast, and don't require a security system.

The quick version: most residential break-ins happen through the front door (kicked in because of a weak strike plate), a first-floor window left unlocked, or a back/side door with a flimsy latch — and forced entry usually takes under 60 seconds. The fixes that matter most are a 3-inch screw upgrade on your strike plate (about $10), a door reinforcement plate ($20–$40), and window pin locks or dowels ($5–$15 for a whole house). None of this requires replacing your locks — it requires making the existing hardware actually do its job.

The front door: it's rarely the lock that fails

When a door gets kicked in, the deadbolt usually survives intact — it's the door jamb that splinters. That's because most strike plates are held in with half-inch screws that barely reach the jamb, let alone the wall stud behind it. One solid kick and the wood tears away from the frame.

• Swap the screws. Replace the short screws in your strike plate with 3-inch wood screws that bite into the framing stud, not just the door casing. This single change is the highest-value security fix that exists, and it costs about $8 for a pack.
• Add a reinforcement plate. A metal strike box or door frame reinforcement kit ($20–$40) spreads the impact force across a much wider area of the jamb, so a kick has almost nothing to break through.
• Check the deadbolt throw. A deadbolt should extend at least 1 inch into the frame. Shorter throws are common on builder-grade hardware and give a kick far less resistance to overcome.

Windows: the "unlocked and forgotten" entry point

A large share of break-ins involve no forcing at all — the burglar simply opens an unlocked window. First-floor windows, especially ones hidden by fences or shrubs, get checked first because they're quiet and low-risk for the intruder.

• Pin locks. Drill a small hole through the inner and outer window frame where they overlap and drop in a nail or pin. Cost: near zero if you already have a drill.
• Sash locks. For sliding windows, a $6 aftermarket sash lock stops the window from being lifted out of its track, which standard latches don't prevent.
• Dowels for sliders. A cut length of wood dowel or a broom handle in the track of a sliding window or patio door blocks it from sliding open even if the latch is defeated.

Sliding patio doors: the lift-and-remove trick

Many older sliding doors can be lifted slightly off their track and popped out, bypassing the latch completely. It takes an intruder about 15 seconds once they know the trick, and most homeowners have never tested whether their own door is vulnerable to it.

Try lifting your own sliding door from the inside — if it moves more than a quarter-inch, add anti-lift screws or clips to the top track ($10–$15) so the door can't be raised out of its frame.

The back or side door nobody thinks about

Front doors get reinforced because they're visible; back doors and side entries often keep the original builder-grade hardware for decades. Burglars know this and prefer these entries because neighbors and passersby can't see them.

Apply the same fixes here as the front door — long screws, a reinforced strike plate, and a deadbolt with a full 1-inch throw. If the door has a window panel near the lock, add a double-cylinder deadbolt or a keyed knob so reaching through broken glass doesn't unlock the door.

Garage service doors and detached structures

The man-door leading from a garage into the house is frequently the weakest point in the whole house, because homeowners assume the garage itself is the barrier. Treat that interior door exactly like an exterior door: solid core, deadbolt, reinforced strike plate. A garage is not a security buffer if the door into your home is hollow-core with a $4 knob lock.

A kicked-in door almost never fails because of the lock — it fails because of half-inch screws that never reached the stud.

When cheap fixes aren't enough

These upgrades handle the vast majority of opportunistic break-ins, but some homes need more — older frames that are rotting, doors that don't fit their frames anymore, or a full assessment of every entry point at once. If you want a professional walk-through of your home's vulnerabilities and a straightforward list of what actually needs upgrading, our RESIDENTIAL LOCKSMITH VANCOUVER team can assess your doors, frames, and locks on-site and fix what's weak the same visit.

Have a small business with similar entry-point weak spots on storefronts or back doors? Our COMMERCIAL LOCKSMITH VANCOUVER service applies the same principles to commercial-grade hardware.

If you're not sure whether your current locks and frames would hold up, give Safe & Secure Locksmith a call — a quick chat can tell you whether you need a $10 fix or a proper upgrade, and we're happy to walk you through either.

Frequently asked questions

Do burglars usually pick locks to get in?

Rarely. Lock picking takes skill, time, and quiet — three things burglars avoid. Forcing a door with a kick or entering through an unlocked window or door is faster and far more common.

Does a security camera or alarm sign actually deter burglars?

Visible deterrents help, but they work best alongside physical fixes. A camera won't stop a door from splintering — reinforcing the strike plate and frame does that regardless of whether anyone's watching the footage.

Is it worth upgrading locks if my door frame is weak?

Not on its own. A high-security deadbolt installed in a soft, poorly reinforced frame can still be kicked through. Frame and strike plate reinforcement should come before or alongside any lock upgrade.