# Improving security at the homestead



## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

I just bought some heavy duty steel brackets, and installation hardware. You know, the old fashioned "Katie, bar the door!" 2by4 across the door kind. I'm not going to install them now, my security is pretty good. But if conditions get really nasty, it's only a few minute job to put them up, and they should really resist break in by force.

Does anyone know if using threaded rod through concrete block is a good method to install one of these on a cellar door?


----------



## Targetshooter (Dec 4, 2015)

If you can use carriage bolts with a steel plate .


----------



## Prepper News (Jan 17, 2016)

I'm not sure how much those bars do. I had looked on Amazon and elsewhere myself at them and the reviews were never very good. 

Have you considered a steel bar security door and big meaty, mean dog on the inside?


----------



## Moonshinedave (Mar 28, 2013)

I have seriously considered the same for my storage/storm cellar. I have a good quality steel door that opens to the inside but am thinking of adding a little more. Really, the thought is more a F-5 Toronto than keeping people out. But one never knows.


----------



## Operator6 (Oct 29, 2015)

Circular saw blades make excellent washers.


----------



## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

Prepper News said:


> I'm not sure how much those bars do. I had looked on Amazon and elsewhere myself at them and the reviews were never very good.
> 
> Have you considered a steel bar security door and big meaty, mean dog on the inside?


Already have steel doors, but one can never be overprepared. My mean dog has .223 caliber teeth.


----------



## dwight55 (Nov 9, 2012)

Prepper News said:


> I'm not sure how much those bars do. I had looked on Amazon and elsewhere myself at them and the reviews were never very good.
> 
> Have you considered a steel bar security door and big meaty, mean dog on the inside?


Well, . . . remember that in the "never very good" review, it was most likely not put on correctly, . . . OR, . . . the reviewer wanted to sell you his product.

A full 2 x 4 bar across the door, . . . anchored with carriage bolts through the block wall, . . . require shearing the 2 x 4 at one end / bending the brackets supporting the 2 x 4 / breaking the bolts holding the whole thing together: none of which is going to be done with anything short of a battering ram and several people to use it.

I personally prefer the type that are like a "U" shape, . . . where one end is slid in and over several inches, . . . so the other end can then be slid into place.

With a 1/4 inch steel plate on the back of that 2 x 4, . . . or a 1/2 inch steel rod through the middle of it, . . . Man Mountain Dean couldn't open that door by himself.

May God bless,
Dwight


----------



## dwight55 (Nov 9, 2012)

sideKahr said:


> Does anyone know if using threaded rod through concrete block is a good method to install one of these on a cellar door?


This is the way I would do it, . . . steel plate on the outside of the block, . . . head of bolt welded to plate, . . . paint the outside anything you have to conceal exactly where the welding was done.

This way, . . . the bg has no idea where to apply his drill bit or grinder to knock your bolts off, . . . if he even figures out that is what it's for.

May God bless,
Dwight


----------



## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

If a bad guy wants to get in most conventional homes, he will. You'd be better off replacing all the carpet in your house with hardwood floors. Cleaning carpet soaked in bad guy's blood is a real pain in the ass, but with hardwood, just spray some Slippy-Brand Dead Thug Blood Cleaner on the stain, wipe and its like brand new again! 

The only sign that your homestead has been Broken Into should be the dead thug's head on a Pike by the front gate.


----------



## Prepper News (Jan 17, 2016)

Not sure if your bar would keep this guy out...

https://vine.co/v/iAwUdYmKpen


----------



## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

Security is a big thing with out it you lost before you even start. I will not take issue with others approach to it. I will say this if the door is suppose to stop them you have already let them get to close.


----------



## Salt-N-Pepper (Aug 18, 2014)

Operator6 said:


> Circular saw blades make excellent washers.


NICE idea.


----------



## darsk20 (Jun 1, 2015)

Slippy said:


> If a bad guy wants to get in most conventional homes, he will. You'd be better off replacing all the carpet in your house with hardwood floors. Cleaning carpet soaked in bad guy's blood is a real pain in the ass, but with hardwood, just spray some Slippy-Brand Dead Thug Blood Cleaner on the stain, wipe and its like brand new again!
> 
> The only sign that your homestead has been Broken Into should be the dead thug's head on a Pike by the front gate.


Slipoy, you're always thinking ahead and cornering the market.


----------



## Chipper (Dec 22, 2012)

Sure it's great to bar the door but is it fire proof? Like Smitty said you already failed by letting anybody get that close.

My Shepard has 30 caliber teeth.


----------



## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

First line of defense here is distance. We know you are coming. You have open ground to cross. Second.

He does not play well with those that do not belong here. Be advise he is not your biggest problem to deal with. Weather you agree or not an AR 15 will stop you. The AR 15 does not care one bit about you thoughts of effective self defense weapons. Should you get even closer by some stroke of luck Shot gun hand gun and wife will finish what I failed to take care of.
Yes good locks are ok and making it harder is always a good idea but as I said Stand off range is you best defense always.


----------



## phrogman (Apr 17, 2014)

Stand off range is good but it is not an option for everyone. What if the bad guy has buddies and you can't get them all? Your defense/security should be in layers, the more the better. You need all the time you can get to take them out or get away.


----------



## Will2 (Mar 20, 2013)

Just bear in my two points

1. Reinforcing a door more than your walls is not very useful to deter any skilled breacher.
2. Use doors to funnel people into systems to disable them, this means using entrance ways as bottle necks for other home defence systems.
3. Providing an easy point of entry allows you to better plan a response to forced entry.

4. If you have the resources consider counterbalance systems.
5. vehicular ram access is something that should be planned in such as forward barriers that block visibility and access to the door. 


6. If people simply want to kill you most homes can be destroyed with a flaming bolts or arrows from a 
distance or a casual arsonist.

7. most B&E people will scope out a building or person before breaking into it, and break in when no one is home. 

Reinforcing doors is good but if you arn't reinforcing your walls and windows to the same level that is sort of pointless. Doors that lock and can't be opened without a key on both the inside or outside can help protect larger items. However if the items are worth a lot and you are dealing with breachers, if your walls can come down with a sledgehammer and they have time, a reinforced door will not stop extraction of whatever tehy want to take out.


The siege on Waco is a pretty good insight into some methods of seige invasion of compounds.


----------

