It’s also important to check your exterior doors. Those made of solid metal or wood offer the most security. Not sure what kind of door you have? If you can push a straight pin into the door without too much effort, the core is hollow. A skilled burglar could easily kick in a hollow-core door. Replace it with a solid door, if possible. Also, consider replacing any door with a lot of glass on it. While you’re looking at your doors, evaluate your locks. Deadbolts offer the greatest measure of protection and come in two types: single cylinder and double cylinder. A single cylinder lock operates with a key on the outside and a thumb-turn on the inside, while a double cylinder lock uses a key on both sides of the door. If your door contains glass that can be broken a double cylinder is the best choice. If a thief were to break the glass he couldn’t reach in and unlock the door. Also consider installing a deadbolt on any door leading from the basement into the house. If a thief manages to break into your basement he won’t get very far when faced with a deadbolted door leading into the rest of the house.

Window locks are also vital to the security of your home. While it may sound obvious to lock your windows and doors, only one in four home break-ins involves forced entry, according to FBI statistics. The majority of would-be thieves enter through open windows and doors. If your home has double-hung windows (those that slide up and down) window locks will only work when the window is completely closed. With other types of windows, you can add locks that work when the window is partially open to the corners or sides. Window pinning (inserting a nail above the window) and window tracking (placing a dowel or piece of wood in the track of a window so it won’t open) are two inexpensive ways to secure double-hung windows.