7 Common Ways Homes Get Broken Into — And How to Stop Them
I spent twelve years as a locksmith.
In that time I responded to hundreds of lockouts, break-ins, and security assessments. I saw firsthand what actually happens when someone forces entry into a home — and more importantly, I saw what stopped them.
Most of what people believe about home break-ins is wrong. The movies have given everyone a very inaccurate picture. So let me tell you what I actually saw in the field.
Method 1: Walking Through an Unlocked Door
This is the number one entry method. Not picking locks. Not breaking glass. Walking through a door that was left unlocked.
FBI crime data consistently shows that a significant percentage of residential burglaries involve no forced entry at all. Unlocked doors, unlocked windows, open garage doors.
The most effective home security upgrade available to most homeowners costs nothing — it's a habit. Lock your doors. Every time. Even when you're home.
Method 2: Kicking In the Door
This is the most common forced entry method by a wide margin.
And here's what surprised even me early in my career: the lock almost never fails. The door frame does.
Standard residential door frames are finished with thin trim and held together with short screws — often 3/4 inch screws going into soft wood. One solid kick transfers enough force to split the frame regardless of what lock is installed.
I've seen Grade 1 deadbolts — the best residential locks available — fail in two kicks because the frame wasn't reinforced.
The fix is inexpensive and straightforward:
Replace strike plate screws with 3-inch screws that reach the stud
Install a heavy-duty strike plate — not the builder-grade stamped metal version
Consider a door frame reinforcement kit for doors in vulnerable locations
This single upgrade does more for security than any lock upgrade.
Method 3: Breaking a Window Adjacent to the Lock
Especially common on doors with decorative glass panels or sidelights — windows within arm's reach of the interior door handle or lock thumb turn.
The solution: double cylinder deadbolts that require a key from both sides. Note — these create a fire egress concern and aren't appropriate for all situations. Discuss with a security professional for your specific door configuration.
Method 4: Sliding Door Entry
Sliding glass doors are notoriously vulnerable. The latch mechanisms on most builder-grade sliding doors are weak, and the doors can frequently be lifted off their tracks entirely.
Two simple fixes:
A cut-down wooden dowel or security bar in the track prevents the door from sliding open
Anti-lift pins or security screws prevent the door from being lifted off its track
Neither costs more than a few dollars at a hardware store.
Method 5: Garage Door Vulnerabilities
Two common issues I saw repeatedly:
The emergency release cord on automatic garage door openers can be triggered from outside using a thin wire through the top of the door — a technique that takes about 6 seconds. A zip tie through the release mechanism prevents this while still allowing emergency release from inside.
Detached garages with door access to the home are often secured with hollow-core doors and basic doorknob locks. That's essentially no security. Treat any door between your garage and your home the same as your front door.
Method 6: The 60-Second Rule
Experienced burglars don't spend time on difficult targets. Research on residential burglary patterns consistently shows that most will abandon an attempt within 60 seconds if they encounter resistance.
What creates resistance:
Visible deadbolts
Window and door sensors with visible signage
Motion-activated lighting
Occupied appearance (lights on timers, car in driveway)
Neighborhood foot traffic and visibility
The goal isn't to make entry impossible — it's to make your home a worse target than the next one.
Method 7: First-Floor Windows
Unlocked first-floor windows are a common secondary entry point — particularly on the sides and rear of homes where visibility from the street is limited.
Window locks vary significantly in quality. Pin locks and key locks provide meaningfully more resistance than standard latch mechanisms. Window security film makes breaking glass significantly louder and more difficult.
Quick Answer: What's the most effective home security upgrade?
Reinforce your door frame with 3-inch screws and a heavy-duty strike plate. It costs under $30 in materials and addresses the actual failure point in the majority of forced entry attempts. Everything else — better locks, alarm systems, cameras — layers on top of this foundation.
What I'd Tell My Own Family
Lock your doors habitually. Reinforce your frames. Put a bar in your sliding door track. Add motion lighting at entry points.
These four things — all inexpensive — eliminate the vast majority of residential burglary risk.
The expensive stuff is for people who've already done the basics.
What's the one security thing you know you should do but haven't gotten around to yet?