Most people put a high priority on feeling safe and secure in their own homes, so taking measures to increase safety and protect against intruders when you are at home and burglars when you are away is important and home security door locks are a major consideration. Both the kind of lock and the way it is mounted matter.

Most people focus on the front door when considering home security; however, all exterior doors and windows need to be secure for true protection. Some places have special building codes that are specific to front doors. For example, rental properties might require deadbolts. Or, it might be against code to have a deadbolt that requires a key to leave.

Double deadbolt home security locks make it much more difficult for intruders to get inside a home. When double deadbolts are present it's literally impossible to break a window in or near a door and simply reach in to unlock the door. Unfortunately, this very safety feature also makes it difficult to get out of the house if a key is lost or if no one can get to the key due to fire or other catastrophic event. Therefore, it's important for homeowners to select another type of lock called a "captured key". This lock is like the double-deadbolt as far as intruders breaking in are concerned, but it also allows people to escape if necessary.

All really good home security door locks will normally have a deadbolt associated with them that should hold even if the lock is picked. The real secret to a good, protective lock, though, is in the strike plate or box that the bolt portion enters. Most security experts say a bolt needs to be at least one inch long or more to be resistant enough to kicking and prying.

Where the bolt goes is also important for good home security door locks. Using a strike box instead of just a strike plate really improves the security of any brand of lock and can make a big difference in safety without having to change the locks themselves. A strike box only costs about $10 per door, a really thrifty security measure. For best results with either a strike plate or box, it should be anchored with three inch long or better screws or nails.

High quality home security door locks are more expensive than regular locks but are worth the price. This is true even for the budget shopper. High security steel locks are built to resist thousands of pounds of pressure and are well worth their extra cost.

Making our homes secure is important to most people. Home security door locks are a good way to make our homes safer. In many places building codes exist to enforce safety of all exterior doors and windows, not just front door locks. "Captured key" locks provide the same security as double deadbolts but allow people inside the home to escape safely. The best home security locks are deadbolts with security boxes and a "throw" that is at least an inch long. Replace strike plates on locks with strike boxes for about $10 a door. High quality steel security locks are very strong and worth the extra money.