JWR,
Blessings on you and your ministry. Regarding securing bedroom doors and walls article: For new construction, it would be acceptable to place a 1/8 inch 4′ by 8′ [plywood] panel behind the drywall. Paneling is built with two or three plys, like plywood. A wall so constructed would be only 1/8 inch thicker, but considerably stronger, and would slow down any intruder. Of course, even this would not stop a bullet. – Jim P. in Texas.
James Wesley;
I read the recent blurb on securing interior rooms, something I have been working on for a while. Seems to me the easiest way is to install exterior grade steel doors with steel frames to take care of the bedroom doors. As for the ease of breaking through drywall, the fix is to use 1/2 or 3/4 inch plywood on the inside areas of bedrooms that backs hallways and other areas that would be accessible to intruders once inside. In my 2,400 square foot home I have less than 30 linier feet of walls to cover to “harden” bedroom areas against adjoining “non-bedroom” living spaces. That comes to only needing eight 4×8 foot plywood sheets. Once these are screwed to the studs, it would take quite a bit of time and effort to breach these.
I am also considering installing a trap door in each bedroom that leads to the crawl space under the house so we can exit with weapons when needed. Trapdoor would be hidden under a small area rug with rug attached to door so when it is used and then closed, there is no evidence of the trap door. I love the wide variety of ideas your readers share. Regards, – Marc N. in Alabama
Mr. Rawles,
The recent letter about securing bedroom doors was of interest,Since I had the experience of having armed, drunken intruders in my bedroom. That leaves a lasting impression. Ask a guy who knows!
In my opinion a bedroom door should be constructed like an [exterior] entry door. It is the last layer in a layered defense. For a balance between cost and security, I recommend a commercial steel door and frame, of the type commonly seen on the side walls of box stores, movie theatres, etc. (these doors are available with armor steel lining but the cost is very high- we are talking here of a standard 16 gauge door.) A door and frame, new, will run roughly $500. I suspect they are available much cheaper on the used architectural salvage market. Get one bored for a lockset and deadbolt., and a double deadbolt bore (two deadbolts) would be even better. Make sure both sides of the door stamping are welded together at the lockset and deadbolt areas. The supplier should be able to do this work. Usually they will come cut for three heavy duty hinges-use a top grade hinge and commercial deadbolt. A flat faced door is easiest to modify for appearance, anything from paint, to a solid wood veneer can be applied. They do come with a pressed panel look also. This door will not be a box store item, look for an architectural supply house.
To add resistance, get a double rabbeted jamb and install a security screen door on the outside- this can be locked to prevent access to the main door and also serve as bedroom ventilation in hot climates without totally sacrificing security.
In regard to the poster’s query, I would recommend changing the double doors for a large single door. It is much harder to secure a set of double doors, as the one anchors to the other– to make it really secure, the first door will be anchored to the floor and top jamb, and be such a hassle to use it will never be opened anyway. Have the opening framed in for a 36″ or 42″ single door, this gives an opportunity to do the reinforcement of the framing at the same time. Block in between the studs with 3/4″ plywood, glue and screw down the plates (bottom framing member) to the floor.
Framing and contractors: Obviously the door is no more secure than the wall itself- some dry wall may have to be removed and plywood attached to strengthen it. Think about this- what you are trying to accomplish is two things, to prevent the door from being compromised by having it pushed out of position- either by having the jamb pried away from the door far enough to allow the deadbolt to release, or by having the stud the steel frame surrounds, pop or slip where it is attached to the rest of the framing. Plywood stiffeners between the studs will help with spreading, and making sure the framing components are screwed together will help to make sure it does not come apart. Some places may need a bolted in angle iron or similar to reinforce. Also make sure the hollow metal door jamb has wood blocking that backs up to the deadbolt pocket-no good having a solid door and framing if the jamb can be bent back far enough to pop the deadbolt free.
Most contractors are going to be thinking in standard house terms. So instead, find one who will get the hint. This is probably someone who has worked on high end homes and custom jobs)–you want a door/jamb/frame assembly that will withstand a sledgehammer or a battering ram. It should buy at least a few minutes of time under attack- time to arm up, call the police, position yourself, and so forth. And as a side note-consider the access to the door-if it is tough to swing a sledge or use a ram, so much the better. Five minutes does not sound like a long time – compared to the mere seconds a standard door will resist attack, it is an eternity.
Where the door is placed has a major effect on it’s strength, and method of reinforcement. Some doors may be at wall junctions, head of stairs, etc where there is a lot of internal framing, and there may be no easy access through an adjacent wall. The worst would be a door in the middle of a flat wall, with no interior cabinetry- in such a case, Mr. Rawles pointed out, the wall can be easily breached through the drywall. In any such case, it may be easiest to attach 3/4″ plywood over the existing drywall, then attach another layer of drywall or finish material over the plywood.
There should be no “drywall only” walls within arm’s reach of a door knob! It is too easy to punch through the drywall and unlock the door.
Consider a small camera to cover the door, so you can see, from the inside , what is going on. And figure out what is next- the door will buy you time to wake up, and prepare-think about how you will use the layout of your space to best defend it.
Also consider a “cage and door ” type arrangement at the top of the stairs, made of openwork wrought iron or similar. This is common in some countries.
Last but not least, make sure that you have a way to get out in an emergency. A house fire is one of the more likely “survival ” scenarios! [JWR Adds: Yes, and far more more likely than a home invasion.]
My condolences on the parting from your wife-may you be reunited in everlasting peace by our Infinite Creator.
With Great Regard, – E.C.
JWR Replies: I concur that “plywood, glue and power screws” are your friends when your goal is delaying home invaders. I must mention that I have had some consulting clients that took layered defense to extremes. For instance, one of them that lives in Central America had a house custom-built with the bedrooms located over a combination vault-basement. Not only didhe beef up the bedroom door, but the bedroom closets were reinforced to good “panic room” specifications, using two thicknesses of marine plywood on five sides, and steel exterior doors with three door deadbolts at the top, middle, and bottom. Both of these closets have trap doors and ladders to the basement. Imagine the frustration of would-be kidnappers to batter down multiple layers of plywood defense, only to face a blank steel plate trapdoor surrounded by concrete!