TexasCHLforum.com

KBCraig wrote: My garage is no longer a garage; it's enclosed, and does have a deadbolt on the outside door. The door between garage and kitchen has a barrel bolt, and opens outward, so it wouldn't be easily kicked in. But because it opens out, a burglar who gained access to the garage could get in exactly like I once had to: by using the tools in the garage to drive the pins out of the hinges and remove the door.
Kevin

I forgot this one earlier.
But if your exterior doors have the hinge pins on the outside , then you are just asking for trouble. So folks should check their exterior doors and change that in a hurry.

If you worried about being locked out, then do what I do. Leave garage entry open, have opener with rolling code, have a monitored alarm system, have home insurance. ( Don't worry, I have the French Foreign Legion posted already.)
So if someone gets into garage SOMEHOW, because opener is screw drive and holds door down, then they could just walk in and don't worry about costly repairs. They have already breached your toughest defense anyway.

I am in New home construction in Texas and a Builder can not put double keyed deadbolts in a home due to building code. Something about fire and having to have a key to get out.

TOTALLY TRUE AND TOTALLY THE REASON FOR THE CODE. Those of you who are indifferent to it, just look at the fire incident which happened here in Houston this week. You had people who couldn't find a HUGE door to get out of a burning building. The whole point of the code is to make it IDIOT PROOF for anyone to run to the door, turn the switch and out you go to the exterior. Do you think with all the smoke, all the screaming, smoke detector noise, kids, wife, pets, that you will be able to find the key and the HOLE to the deadbolt? Some people know they can't find their car keys or wallet in the morning in a calm environment. So good luck to those with double deadbolt.

I think it's a good idea to have a deadbolt lock between an attached garage and house. Furthermore, if the door is one of those things made of recycled boxes that you can put your foot through, it should be replaced with a solid door.

Pretty dangerous with the keyed deadbolt, but the door between the garage and house should be SOLID CORE FIRE RATED door by CODE. The main reason is to stop the fire from entering the house in the first place to save your rear. It is not about burglary prevention.

The alarm systems has all of the downstairs windows wired, but for some reason only a couple of the upstairs windows. That too, was remedied, and I added a couple of extra devices as backups.

Economy of Scales for those with business background. New Home builders can wire all interior doors also, but with the costs gets passed on to the customer in higher home prices. So since everyone want to pay the least, only all doors and windows on the FIRST FLOOR and ANY WINDOWS with a ROOF beneath it is wired for an ALARM. Reason being that if a burglar comes to your home and enters the back 2nd floor window with a LADDER, then it doesn't matter if you hired the FRENCH FOREIGN LEGION to stay and guard your house. That burglar was coming in regardless. Statistics on burglars with 25ft extension ladders are VERY LOW.

My suggestion since I'm in the business and have to repeat it a Million times to new homebuyers are:
1. ALARMS are ONLY a DETERRENT. They do not stop burglary of a home. They choose your neighbors house after seeing your sign.
2. DO NOT USE A DOUBLE KEYED DEADBOLT if you value your life. I'm in the home industry and my dad is a retired firefighter (33yrs service). So between the two of us, we have plenty of true stories for ya. He has pulled out many of bodies right next to the door. Imagine hearing his stories for 33years. My house has SINGLE KEYED DEADBOLT on all exit doors.
3. If you are worried about safety from burglary, make sure that your ALL LOCK STRIKE PLATES has 3inch or longer WOOD SCREWS into the frame. ALSO USE THE SAME ON THE DOOR HINGES.

NO THIEF HAS ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD NEEDED TO TRY TO KICK IN THAT DOOR AFTER CHANGES THOSE SCREWS. That is how they enter now, by kicking the 1/2inch screw with just break the jamb.
A structural engineer or anyone who took enough PHYSICS will tell you how much FORCE is need to TRY to SHEAR off all those 3 inch screw drilled into the wood frame next to the jamb on the hinge and strike side.

And lastly, (have said enough), those worried above the overhead garage doors being compromised, I will tell you how they enter.
Either drive through it with a vehicle, cause your can't lift it.
If your are strong enough you can bend the handle and unlock it because the locks are cheap. I do it at work all the time when I can't get into a home. So that tell you to stop being CHEAP and purchase a GARAGE OPENER. The handle is not need after you install an opener. Then the only way they would get in after that, is make sure you purchase a GARAGE OPENER WITH A ROLLING DIGITAL CODE. The basic opener can be compromised with someone else remote or a radio transmitter.
DOUBT ME???? Drive around your neighborhood with your remote and hit it and see how many doors open. If you live in a large subdivision, you might get lucky.

On that note, bye.