Going Through Your Home to Prep for Home Invasion
Ron Gunner 06.08.17
How many of you have “just a gun or two” for home defense? Sadly, that is most people’s idea of all the protection they need, but they’re wrong. There is so much more one can do to their home to prepare for a home invasion. There are safe rooms you can add if you’re either building new or adding on to your old home. Or, you can convert an existing room into somewhat of a safe room.
First thing is to walk around your home and look for any and every way someone can get in. Don’t fall into the “I couldn’t fit in there so that’s not an issue” mindset. Not everyone is the same size, so a place you may not be able to fit into someone else can and will if you don’t fix the issue.
When I teach the personal defense classes I always stress the point that we are human and we fall into patterns, and this “I couldn’t fit through there” pattern is one of them. So make a list of potential entry points from outside. Low windows can have thick thorny bushes planted right under them. Or you can go all out and bar the windows, but that will draw attention.
Make sure your front and rear door have strong deadbolts that go at least one full inch into the door frame, more is better. Also make sure that you have strong solid doors and if possible, with no windows right next to the door locks that can be busted out and unlocked. If you have a door with windows on each side, then you need to make sure your deadbolt has a key to lock/unlock from inside the house. Use a 3M command strip and hang the key somewhere close to the door that you can grab it if you need to get out in a hurry.
Also buy 6 inch heavy duty deck screws and screw them into the door hinges both on the door and into the door frame. That will go through the door frame and into the studs for the frame, which will make it much harder to kick in.
Where the deadbolt and door handle goes into the door frame, take a 1/8 inch to ¼ inch thick flat steel strip only as wide as the door and have it cut out so both the deadbolt and door lock will fit into it.
Then take the steel and place it on the door frame where it would go so both locks go through it. Trace around the entire flat steel it total length should be about 14 to 18 inches (With the lock cutouts in the middle). Then take a small router set cutter to the depth of the thickness of the flat steel and cut all that out. Once done, attach the new steel strip to the frame through about 10 predrilled holes that you also countersunk so the deck screws will install flat. In fact here is a kit you can buy.
Try the door to make sure it works, and you just increased the strength of your two entry doors so that kicking them in will not be an option!
For windows, well you will need at least the alarms that if separated they set off the screaming whistle sound. Glass is glass, and unless you have two inch think bulletproof glass there is only so much you can do.
For an inside makeshift safe room get a solid wood door (most interior doors are hollow), and put it on a room you would be in late at night. Get a deadbolt for this door also, and the same 6 inch deck screws. Then get away from the door if someone is in the house. Lay flat on the floor away from the door, the farthest distance away where you are not directly in front of it. Also, most of us have old cell phones that no longer have service. Take that cell phone and put it on your nightstand plugged in on charge always. Since it is a no service phone you have no reason to ever take it off the nightstand. They will still make 911 calls.
Also, if you have an extra set of car keys that you can use to press the panic button and have the car horn or alarm go off, keep it there also. If it’s late at night and you have your horns going off, one of your neighbors will call the police on you.
If you have a gun and the intruder is at your door, tell them you have a gun and will use it to protect yourself and or family. Keep the 911 operator on the phone the entire time, so that even if you drop the phone it will all be recorded.
Always have extra ammo in your room, pepper spray, the old cell phone, an extra handgun, rifle, or shotgun. The extra key set to set off your car alarm, a good flashlight, in fact here is the list I give out in my classes:
- Cell Phone on charge & extra charged battery
- GOOD LED high lumen flashlight & extra batteries
- At least one extra full magazine with self defense ammo
- Home phone
- Shotgun at the ready
- Pepper spray & stun gun
- Your car keys remote (Panic button draws attention)
- If possible 2 way radios (for others in the house on a different floor etc)
- Written out statement (for 911 call) with name, number of people in home, home address, description of inside the home and what room you are in and then tell them what you are wearing.
Under stress you will be surprised at how much you forget, even the simple things you think you would never forget. The best scenario is that you would never have to shoot could wait for LEOs to come and clear your home instead of you. But if you have to, you need to understand you just can’t start storming through the house. You need to consider the following:
- YOU know the layout of the house better then the intruders, so use this to your advantage
- Never bust a door open, instead “Slice the pie” looking for things that should not be there
- Always keep yourself at a minimum target to be shot at
- There is a difference between cover and concealment
- Stay calm and stay alert
You might consider carrying your concealed carry pistol with you in the home, because you can carry any pistol you want on you in the house. You never know when a home invasion will take place so you need to be ready all the time.
