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Improve Your Home Security For Just A Few Bucks

A sense of security in your own home is priceless, but the way you get into your home can be the easiest way for unwanted visitors to break in as well. One in t...

A sense of security in your own home is priceless, but the way you get into your home can be the easiest way for unwanted visitors to break in as well.

One in three home break-ins occur through the front door of a residence, making it one of the most vulnerable entryways to burglars.

"Most criminals are not going to stand there and mess with that," said Jeff Upton, owner of C&E Door & Safe. "They're going to kick your door in, whatever is fast."

You could buy a gun or a home security system, but there's also a cheaper investment. It all has to do with the three-quarter inch screws that come with your door's strike plate.

"All [the screws] do is hold [the strike plate] there so that it latches and doesn't fall out," said Upton, who has owned his shop on North College Avenue in Fayetteville for more than three decades.

Upton said he often recommends customers replace the smaller screws with larger screws that can be found in any hardware store.

"It's different for different door frames, how it's framed," Upton said. "But a three-inch screw should reach to the framing and give you a pretty good bite in it."

To measure how much stronger the three-inch screws held up, 5NEWS decided to put each to a test.

Workers at Pine Creek Lumber in Hindsville, set up an exterior door with the standard three-quarter inch screws. In one kick, 5NEWS photographer Eric Fussell sent the door flying wide open. Sales Manager Andy Everett then replaced the screws with standard three-inch screws, which held up after another kick by Fussell.

Everett said the evidence was clear. The larger screws held up.

"They can withstand [a kick]," said Everett. "With the larger screws, you get more strength on the locks."

To confirm the results, TH Rogers Lumber Co. in Bella Vista provided the same setup.

The outcome was the same.

Upton said the fix won't keep everyone out, but it will buy time so you to call police, hide or grab a weapon.

"This will add a lot of strength to it, as far as somebody kicking in your door," said Upton. "If you're home, somebody kicking on your door, you have time to call 911 and get somebody on the way before they can actually get the door open pretty easy."

Upton said it's worth the time and minimal investment.

"For three bucks, this is something anybody can do," Upton said. "It's a good idea. It's cheap security."

Gene Page with the Bentonville Police Department said residents sometimes ask how they can better secure their home. He said the screws are a good idea, but he also reminded people to check their strike plates.

"If you were not there when they constructed your home, you probably don't know what size screws or what type of locks they used," said Page. "That's a good thing to inspect yourself. It's very easy; you can go to any hardware store and even install longer screws, as long as your frame can support it."

Page also reminded residents to lock their doors.

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