Lately we've been writing about home security and here we address what can be a major weak point in many houses - the front door. How can you make sure it's as intruder-proof as possible?

1 - Check the basics first

You can add all sorts of locks and security devices to your front door but you'll be wasting your time if the door itself is fundamentally unsound. First check that hinges are tightly screwed into frames and that the frames are securely mounted to the wall - the Metropolitan Police recommends bolts or screws every couple of feet (600mm).

With wooden doors it's important to check that the door and frame are in good condition and not suffering from rot. Some wooden doors are hollow - tap it to find out - and are best replaced with solid doors.

Other door materials are uPVC (plastic) and metal. Metal front doors are the ultimate in security while uPVC are solid but harder to add extra security devices to because the plastic won't accept screws readily.

2 - Beefing up entry points

Many wooden doors in older properties (over a hundred years old) are too thin to be reinforced or have modern security equipment like deadlock blots installed - unfortunately you'll have to replace the frame and the door first.

You can also consider what's known in the trade as a "London bar" - a metal bracket that reinforces the rim lock recess, or a "Birmingham bar" - supports the frame on the hinge side. Both these additions make the door harder to kick in, on the lock side and the hinge side respectively.

3 - Extra locks and devices

Assuming you've got a solid structure you can consider the following items to increase security:

• Mortice deadlock - fits inside the door and extends into the frame - do not use it when people are in the house though, as it could hold up emergency escapes.
• Rim automatic deadlock - a more secure version of the traditional Yale lock, ideal for thin doors that aren't deep enough to take a morticed lock.
• Cylinder guard - this goes around the barrel of a lock and protects it from attack.
• Door viewer - a spyhole so that you can see who's at the door without opening it.
• Door chain - prevents the door from opening fully until you are happy to allow the caller in.

Make sure that any new locks conform to at least BS3621. You might also see BS8621 on locks too - this is a newer standard which is fine for use in domestic situations, as you can still get out of the property when the door has been locked from the outside.

Many recently-built houses will have two mortice bolts fitted to the front door - one near the top and another near the bottom - which make it harder to break the door down.

4 - Don't forget other loopholes

It's important not to forget other potential weak points - letterboxes or glazed panels. What can you do about those?

• Letter boxes - make sure they are more than 400mm away (16 inches) from the lock to keep arms out. A letter basket will prevent people fishing for keys off the hall table but take the bottom out of it or someone could fish your letters out of the basket.
• Glazed panels - either replace them with toughened glass or stick security film behind the panes. This won't prevent them from being cracked but they won't break up and they'll be harder to get out.

Flats and apartments

Note that although this article is generally aimed at house front doors, many of the tips can be applied to indoor front doors or the main front door guarding the common areas.

But you'll have to get permission from the leaseholder or management group to make changes to the communal front door. That may mean getting all the residents together to agree to the change.

Be secure

Strengthening your entrance security is well worth doing for peace of mind alone. But we sincerely hope you never encounter a situation where you have to rely on these measures.

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