Why Homes are TOO EASY to Break In, Let's Fix Yours!

Is your home easy to break into? In this video, I test the security of the average American home and show which upgrades actually work to keep thieves /home invaders out.

・・・
MY DETAILED GUIDE ON HOME SECURITY & UPGRADES

There's a lot more information I left out of the video! In my article, I go much more in-depth on each product mentioned, how to avoid / mitigate burglaries and sources I used for this video.

・・・
EXPERT: MICHAEL SILVA

・・・
PRODUCT RECOMMENDATIONS
These are products I’ve personally tested and would recommend to my friends and family to stop criminals. Full review in my article. There are affiliate links below which means I earn a small commission off any purchases, costs you nothing. I purchased all of these products fully myself and it helps me do the same in the future.

DOORS

1️⃣ Door Armor | Best Door Reinforcement Kit
For how common door-kick ins are, I think it's worth spending a bit more money to ensure your door and door frame will survive an attack. The Door Armor kit spreads the force of a kick over l large area. It includes reinforcements for hinges and the area around the door lock, preventing splitting in those vulnerable spots. The screws use TORX heads, come with a driver bit and were easy to install.

2️⃣Prime-Line Combo Strike | Best Value for Reinforcing Your Door
For 1/7th the cost this kept me out for the full 3 minutes, but there was more damage to the door frame. Great value.

Consider adding a door protector:

・・・

LOCKS

1️⃣ Schlage B60 | Best Pick for Most People
Durable and affordable with a Grade 1 rating, the Schlage B60 has everything most people need. It’s also more reliable over time than Kwikset’s SmartKey system, making it a solid upgrade from typical front-door locks.

2️⃣ Schlage B560 | Upgrade Pick
This lock offers commercial-grade quality, with a wrench-proof rotating collar, icepick guard (which also resists prying), and better drill resistance. The solid brass locking cylinder adds long-term durability.

Also available from your local locksmiths who can also add a 6th pin and pick-resistant pins for enhanced security.

・・・

WINDOW FILM
For optimal security, 14-mil security film is recommended, which provides better protection than the standard 8-mil. I used Armorcoat by Solar Gard, secured with Dowsil 995—a structural adhesive that bonds the window to its frame.

For the best results, professional installation is recommended, especially for large jobs. While Amazon offers some films, reviews are mixed. Instead, check these manufacturers and look up local shops:

・・・

TIMESTAMPS
0:00 It's TOO Easy to Break Into Homes
1:24 Breaking In Through a Window
2:33 Common Entry Methods for Thieves
3:41 Kicking Down a Door - Easy as the Movies?
4:11 Why Most Doors Are Vulnerable to Thieves
4:51 Understanding Lockpicking - Is It a Threat?
6:13 Hammering & Icepicking a Lock
7:19 Incogni #AD
9:45 Testing Door Kick-In Solutions
11:23 Testing a $14 Anti-Kick Product
12:21 Testing 3" Screws for Doors
14:11 Security Films for Windows
16:00 Why Most Home Locks are WEAK
16:53 Testing Lock Upgrades: Schlage B60 & B560

[Hamsteak]

I love how you dressed up for the occasion ❤😂

[hmzbqng]

Is this the same guy who did the video about traffic safety barriers a few years ago? One of my all-time favorites.

[tfrowlett]

After our house was broken into in 2018, we’ve put in tons of security. There’s a kick plate at the bottom of the front door, and the doors are solid oak. Even if the glass panels in the door are smashed most people wouldn’t be able to make it through. The next vulnerable spots would be the side or back door since both are made of glass. To help with that, there’s glass break sensors at every window and door and cameras all over the property.

[grumblycurmudgeon]

As someone who has renovated many homes in their life, just the sheer effort and expense you went through for this video earned a like and a sub.

[thelivingzombie]

You are actually so under-rated. Although i did like the camera videos. These ones are so much more interesting. Thank you for opening up to the world of car barriers, smoke alarms and more. Keep it up. Love from South Africa 🇿🇦

[burtinator]

In Belgium our Doors are latched on several points when locked. No way you're kicking in these Doors.

[nrdesign]

It's super hard to understand what is said when the music volume is the same as the voice level. The music is super distracting.

[Kodack-kiim]

04:58 Most deadbolts take seconds to pick but thats not the point. There is no such thing as a secure lock. The point of a lock is to keep honest people honest. A thief is not going to go through the trouble to pick a lock when there are faster ways to get in. Every moment they are in front of that door, they are exposed to prying eyes. You need layers of security such as cameras, a monitored security system, exterior lights, landscaping that doesn't give people places to hide, and finally having good locks, doors, and windows, properly secured. You don't have to be fort knox, you just don't want to be an easy target so that a thief will go elsewhere. One of the most common types of break ins is the 'smash and grab'. Don't keep valuables near windows where a thief doesn't even have to enter the house.

[glennac]

It’s not just the loss of property and personal valuables that is the concern. Once you’ve experienced a break in, you often will never recover the sense of insecurity you feel even after implementing some of the suggestions. My mother had a break in a number of years ago. But despite improving her locks and windows for her, she never felt completely comfortable in her own home after that. 😢

[overandback]

Andrew "The Laminator" Lam breaks into your house easily.

[finndriver]

Love this channel and these deep dives! We sometimes forget that most day-to-day crime is spontaneous & opportunistic, and often committed by desperate people; some of the best ways of preventing local crime is by removing the immediate opportunities and engaging with community support programmes.
Some people don't discuss these topics because they worry it will inspire more crime, but imo the opposite is true by spreading knowledge of the existence of common preventatives to both the victims and criminals alike.

[alaricpaley]

For our front door, our deadbolt is set up high (just above eye level) and both it and the door latch have 3 inch screws anchoring to the actual frame. This spreads the force so the kick effort is much harder. There's also a stainless plate around the door knob because someone unsuccessfully tried to crowbar their way in.

Pretty sure they didn't try the windows because the back ones have a cage around them to keep the cats in and the other ones are in direct view of the road.

[james_halpert]

You put a lot of effort into the video and I appreciate that, but the obnoxious and way too loud music ruined it for me. It is bad enough that Discovery Channel and co ruin their documentaries with this stress inducing music, please think about toning it down a few notches.

[Rickycs]

Great video with an amazingly well detailed article on your website. Read the whole thing and the level of details is fantastic. In Australia our houses have very low building standards, this article was a wealth of knowledge to improve home security for a very small investment. Having a home broken into isn't just a monetary loss, it's a violation of your space

[HassanT]

Your channel is the best on the entirety of YouTube. Nothing remotely compares when it comes to learning abour the Insane Engineering behind everyday things. Please make more ASAP!! 1 per month would be a dream

[arthurgu]

Yet another informative video. Keep up the good work. I didn't know ANSI tested locks (should have known, they test everything).

[sgthl]

Security doors are quite common in my part of the world. You will not get thru the door itself without firefighter/swat/military grade equipment and when the door is closed it has bolts going into the frame (which is made of steel) from all directions. You are simply not getting in by human force. Also our locks are way better than the garbage you can get at home depot / walmart but they can still be picked by a professional. Lesser locks can be "bumped" in a matter of seconds. So have a way to secure the door from the inside that is independent of the lock (or "jam" the locking mechanism in the locked position). Windows are a weakspot, but they can be switched out for better ones. A good alarmsystem with motion detectors and cameras that sees the "bad guy" before he even gets to the door is also a must have. Apart from that, a big dog and a gun are more or less self explanatory and a must have.

[NotMik]

Andrew, this is such a good, informative video. sucks that it doesn't have too many views. I wonder if you would start the video with the door breaking kick at 3:44 "this was so easy, anyone can do this" to reel in potential interested people who right away will go "what i didnt know that my door is so weak"

[MiPedoteTUMBA]

I always enjoyed your dash cam videos and had no idea you were making these types of videos now! Great video and I'm looking forward to more!

[thechristoph]

in indonesia the door frames are usually made from hardwood (usually teak) so good luck kicking through that