Many homeowners live under a false sense of security whenever they lock doors. Very false. If you’ve ever seen the wood frame around an exterior door blown to smithereens by a forced entry, you know the problem. The area of softwood jamb that the deadbolt or door latch interlocks with is easily broken unless you take steps to build this area differently.

All-steel doors and jambs are one option for security conscious Canadians, but it’s hard to find this kind of hardware in anything other than institutional styling. Another approach is a unique product called Door Jamb Armor (888-582-2294). It’s a system of steel reinforcements that cap the edges of the door around the latch, deadbolt and hinges. Another piece of the system slips between the door jamb and rough frame. Door Jamb Armor is useful in new construction, security upgrades or to repair a door that’s been damaged during a break in.