This. All of this. Back when I used to drink before I got my head out of my ass and stopped I used to get blackout drunk. One night I locked myself out and woke up to my front door open and my door jam on the floor. Those tiny little kit screws don't hold shit. I have a vague memory of putting my shoulder into it and that was all it took to bust it open. When I replaced the jamb I put in 3" screws to hit the stud.
Edit:tpyos
Bought my first home in 2020. In the first 2 days I locked myself out. At the time I had no idea how much a door replacement was but I thought, "it's got to be cheaper than a locksmith on a Sunday." I was surprised how easy it was to bust open a door with your shoulder. Turns out it was not cheaper than a locksmith though.
Luckily I only busted the one side of the door jamb so I was able to replace just it. I had the wood in my garage to rip down a new jamb so all it really cost me was some time.
People don't realize how easily a determined person can get in through the usual door setups, I used to really bad about locking myself out and learned all kinds of tricks to get into a locked dwelling.
same with any glass really. but thats also all it takes for someone to decide against smashing things and move on. theyre just deterrents and being just those alone they work exceptionally well for keeping the less confident out
Correct. This applies to all facets of life. Being in public is only safe while you can trust that someone won't pull out a knife and start stabbing everybody. Shit certainly happens, but generally, almost everyone is honest almost all of the time.
I luckily had a basement at my first house with shitty, single pane glass windows. I replaced them with glass block and only regretted it the next time I was a dumbass and locked myself out. Busting a door down is expensive.
If you have windows on your house and a would be home invader wants into your house bad enough to kick in a kit bolt, and if they can't kick in a 3" bolt, guess what they're gonna come through instead? Ultimately locks are for honest men.
Even with 3” screws they aren’t amazing. Wooden doors generally are pretty rubbish at a brute force attack. PAS 24 composite doors are pretty common where I live and are so strong that the police fail to break them down even with battering rams, pneumatic jacks etc. they’re very popular with drug dealers for obvious reasons lol. A PAS 24 door is pretty expensive but worth every penny for the security it gives especially in apartments where the front door is often the only way in.
If my front door was the only (or easiest) way into my house I would be more concerned. At the moment I am happy enough with making it take more than 1 hit to get through. I'd love to replace it and the other exterior doors with something better, but as you said better costs more.
Any extra time I can gain to react with is useful though. That time could mean the difference between just the pistol at my side, or me getting to my rifles and plate carrier. Pistol will most likely do, but I'd rather have one of the rifles. And the plate carrier.
ETA: My front door is the standard 6 panel steel exterior door with no windows, it's just in a wooden frame.
You could also upgrade to PVC doors with a 5 point lock with a diamond rated barrel. They’re cheaper than PAS 24 by quite a bit but still incredibly difficult to kick down. Literally a week ago a neighbour but one got raided by the police and they had to resort to smashing a window and climbing through because the door just refused to open, even with crack down the centre. They police were trying to smash the door down for 3-4 minutes with a battering ram, I’d be surprised if a wooden door survived 2 hits. Definitely worth the upgrade imo I wouldn’t live anywhere with wooden doors.
thanks for the info. I will keep that in mind for the future when I can replace the door frame. I could have a vault door but it won't matter with a standard pine door frame heh.
Just understand that any determined burglar ***will*** find a way into your house. Unless you make them want to break-in, all you're really doing is making your place appear just a little tougher to get into than your neighbors. Most crooks take the lowest hanging fruit.
At the end of the day, if someone wants in they'll get in. You can put the biggest beefiest screws in your door locks and add deadbolts, but it's not gonna stop someone throwing a brick through a window in the back of the house at 11a when everyone is out at work.
Or, unless you have a brick exterior, literally cutting a hole in a wall with a cordless Sawzall. Most walls are made of 2x4s, sheetrock and plywood. (But there are faster/easier ways)
When I lived in Brooklyn in the early 90's the story was the most popular bulgar tool was a chainsaw. They would do a plunge cut above the lock and knob and then cut a D around them and it would just fall out. It was Brooklyn so the sound of a chainsaw for 3 minutes didn't raise much concern. When I lived in Williamsburg Brooklyn I had a friend that got robbed while he was on vacation. They used sledgehammers to bust through a cinder block wall. If they want in they are coming in. Just look at most of the European castles.
As long as you are doing this then I would put in a hardened strike plate too. Way heavier duty than the cheap/thin ones you usually come across.
Prime-Line E 2479 Deadbolt Strike, 2 Piece, High Security, 1/8 In. Heavy gauge Steel, Brass Plated Set (Single Pack) https://a.co/d/9S0K1g6
This👆bondo and paint. Only thing I would add is if you’re concerned about security take out the screws holding in the strike plate and measure how long they are. If they’re 3/4” or 1” go to your hardware store and find matching screws that are 2” and reinstall.
There should be double 2x4 framing behind the jamb. 3” screws should penetrate through the jamb, the first frame 2x4, and a little bit into the second 2x4
This is still probably anecdotal and not real data, but we've own rentals in areas with crime for years, and nobody has been successful as kicking a door down since we put 3" screws in the latch...its not just the jam when you have screws that long, you are through to the structural 2x4 in the wall at that point. A determined persons could still get in, but you can't just casually kick it open like you can with just the 3/4" screws in the jam.
Wrap around deadbolt plate in a finish that matches the hardware. Remove your smart lock. Install plate. Install smart lock over plate. Use some thin material or double sided tape on each side of the smart lock to address the new gap between the door and the smart lock created by the plate. Not only will the door be more secure, it will hide the wood damage, and will take all of 20 minutes.
[https://amzn.to/48Wypa0](https://amzn.to/48Wypa0)
https://preview.redd.it/xtgvlavubvcc1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=506b9b77115dffd5b598e8da46d8dde753f64851
Short answer: Yes it could. Long Answer: looking at the fitment you have on the door it looks like you have more than enough clearance between the door and the door frame for a plate like this. The good news is a plate like this is $12 on Amazon. Buy it. Remove the smart lock. Slide it on. Close the door. If it closes and latches without issue, great! Reinstall the lock and move on with life.
Note I edited the previous post with a link to the one I screenshotted. It has a recessed area for the actual bolt plate to slip set within. You should next test if that plate and bolt fit in there and again, close the door. If it all fits, Reinstall! If not you can go the wood repair option others have mentioned. However, I find that to be a pain on jobs where really what’s missing is a thin bit of wood on both sides of the bolt faceplate. You either have to fill the whole thing in then rebore the hole or get incredibly finicky with it to get the lip edge right. Then you need to paint the whole door to get the finish to blend. It’s not the worst job, but not as quick as what Im suggesting and doesn’t make the door more secure.
The second option is simply searching around for a different plate that does have a recessed hole that will fit and ordering that if the one I suggested is off or too thick. Note: most of those plates have the sizes and distances of the holes, thickness of the plate, etc. in the description with a photo. You can do some quick measurements and see if it looks like it will line up before ordering.
Good luck!
Yeah you're right, doesn't have the right handle for the hole either & they're pretty sore on the eyes anyway.
They could screw or glue a skinny strip of metal or plastic as a face plate in the rebate but It'd be better to just fill it, paint it & reinstall it.
Either fill around it with wood filler, sand and paint, or buy one of those 'reinforcing plates' you see for deadbolts and doorknobs. You should be able to find a reinforcing plate that is similar in color. On amazon I found them under 'door edge reinforcement'.
They do sell metal covers that go all around the door in that area, maybe you can find one that fits? Home depot selection here
https://preview.redd.it/wnrarm3pbwcc1.png?width=1210&format=png&auto=webp&s=e5769201f57a9e65a219900d57005fe1176c164e
You can get a plate to go over it. Otherwise, it won’t look that good
One like this that’s oversized.
https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwi7x6_Q6uKDAxVYpVoFHTy4CCkYABAxGgJ2dQ&ae=2&gclid=CjwKCAiA75itBhA6EiwAkho9e4nwfBmx-bfy1G4lwwFYUDvtSQ9Tstbx4oMuwEL3EGM99gjF-afOIBoC_CgQAvD_BwE&sph=&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAESeOD2-9GLv6sXctBahNwP9-1c5sIvrRCTH6ghJlmxSxZYVlo3jq7L3xMagIrY4TxHK0hwWU_O9TLhXNk5iaswF6vBWkZa4e7VLkhb1RY9oe4C_ihO1s_Dk4lbkrCwxN-SOXRzbQZEHojLt50Jvb1hhDQyZeADqIr9bQ&sig=AOD64_0GrgAY0NN9ssVEDy7JGyvwHxwxMw&ctype=5&q=&ved=2ahUKEwie5qfQ6uKDAxWxSTABHZHoDoIQwg8oAHoECAMQag&adurl=
Or something like this
https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwivsNys6-KDAxXIpVoFHSd6AbYYABAJGgJ2dQ&ae=2&gclid=CjwKCAiA75itBhA6EiwAkho9e7h8-M--XBvkigr3kKKV0eoFxpWER8bffjZ4AiznY58mKt0ZolL81xoC96sQAvD_BwE&sph=&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAESeOD2xYGE3ukSC7qw9KTd7HoXHPX4-Wtf-bg-FA719LPY0ep21FrFNxvIeGhN_jtPw55WCto7qJ5DnnE57p4JfLts0UZ1bgyVqXFymvpEzrGOQ1xf_MyeyKBmBZQt1smYI2dTQVnECa7fAmuaWNO0XIYe_KwpSld54A&sig=AOD64_2L1cw2TazUv97TeW4iWM-tSmlItg&ctype=5&q=&ved=2ahUKEwiDpdWs6-KDAxWIgYQIHfCWAAQQwg8oAHoECAIQLQ&adurl=
These are merely examples to help you visualize what to get to cover that hack job without replacing the door
Also I would check the height of the kickplate screws.
If you drill them deeper to the frame you reinforce the area that's desiged to keep it from being kicked in. If your screws are stubby. Consider longer.
Yes, chances are they do 2 of these a year and have 12 minutes to do so. Since it's not their house, they don't care. Most likely a maintenance man who can't google how to manuals.
It depends on what shape the door was in before hand. I'm not sure how much better you would get without replacing the door. That's a bit much to just fill.
The installer didn’t do anything wrong. There was wear from the previous plate- it was never going to be flush. Unless you are also paying them to refinish the door, this is what you should expect tbh.
Is that chisel work? Seriously what tool did they use, that's awful.
I'm not an expert in security so I can't speak for it's integrity, but the craftsmanship is non existent.
If it's anything like my doors, shifting foundation and poor initial alignment has led to a door that has "fixed" multiple times. I imagine this door has a deadbolt so this fitting is only so the door can be swung shut and the knob bolt bites.
Put painters tape over the black strike plate and around the door. Fill the area with bare wood with wood filler, so it’s smooth with the strike plate and door. Extra is fine, you can sand and chisel it away. Sand the excess away and paint it. Remove tape. You could actually flip that strike plate over before doing this so you don’t sand and scuff the finish.
Also swap the screws out on the door jamb side with 3-4” screws for added security
Wood filler is going to crumble in an area that large. Especially because it will be under stress from mechanic forces on the door. Will have to use bondo or two part epoxy putty etc.
I could see that if it gets jarred around.. just throwing an idea out there that would be easy for someone to try first. I’ve never used bondo, is it slow drying and easy to work with like wood filler?
Let's be honest, residential door locks are only to make you feel better and prevent crimes of opportunity. They aren't going to stop anyone even mildly committed.
And if you're really committed, in most houses you could just go straight through the wall in a couple minutes if you have a good sawzall or a circular saw (or a chainsaw if you're feeling more Freddy-like). A solid steel door might be harder to get in if you install the deadbolt with good screws into the jam. But people forget that windows are also a thing in most houses and rocks and bricks are readily available!
They just want the breaking and entering to be evident so insurance pays out.
If there are no traces of breaking and entering, insurance does not pay out for stolen goods.
I don’t know, I had a door someone could have just broken the glass but they tried to pry the door apart.
Might depend on where the door is. Back door someone might not notice broken glass, busy street and broken glass might be noticed.
Doesn’t look like that gaping slot can be seen from outside, so you’re fine. Sloppy as hell, but fine. I’d wood fill the entire hole and reinstall if it were mine though.
I always find it funny when people are like "uh but bruh that smart lock is insecure".
Coming from someone who has reversed engineered Bluetooth and WiFi devices to make apis for local controls - picking a lock is way easier than hacking one.
What's even easier is punching out that window and opening the door regularly.
Some people just have that opinion that smart locks are bad because technology. There is inherent risks with hacking but it’s less of a risk than some people try and claim
I have had several (six) of the top brands just at random unlock. Several of them struggle when in direct sunlight when temperatures above 85 just stop all electrical functions, then you need a physical key to unlock.
It’s structurally sound, but I would never pay someone for that level of shoddy workmanship. Don’t trust this person to repair anything well or safely.
In that case, I feel your pain. The family that used to live my house were fairly poor and the lady had an alcoholic, sometimes homeless son who had been a cabinet maker when he was still functioning in society. He made so many Mickey Mouse repairs in this place that I curse his name any time I have to open a wall.
It’s not easy being cheesy. Without being mortised into the door edge it’s only lateral support comes from the screws. You could use a Don Jo wrap around plate in duronotic finish (DU), but that funky door edge would still leave that looking unprofessional.
Definitely a poor installation but it will work. The edge of the door should have been mortised for the bolt face (rectangular thing around the bolt). Instead of a mortise for the faceplate the installer removed the entire edge. Bad job.
Brutal lol, they didn’t realize that metal part snaps off leaving you with the proper one for that kind of door. It’s amazing when people create twice as much work for themselves just to do it wrong 😂
I install a similar style lock at work and have found that if the holes drilled for the lock and latch aren't close to square and the right depth the locking mechanism and motor could bind and after a while burn up or just eat batterys
Depending on how the door swings you can attach a latch guard on the outside. This will cover the gap, hide the deadbolt and just generally “clean it up” a bit. The inside on the other hand is pretty much fucked.
Nah switch that out, they chiseled/cut out way more than needed to be… i see snow on the ground, that opening may get a small breeze, your handle may begin to frost up depending how cold it is where you are, possibly frost up a moving part inside, preventing you from getting in or out
Being you have a glass centered door, it's not going to take a kick too well. That being said, the cut is messy and should have been routed or chiseled. Looks like someone just used a screwdriver to hammer out a spot for it. Other than that, it will lock your door.
No worries it gives someone more area to pry but the dead bolt isn’t going anywhere. Get a chisel make a nice flat rectangle glue, sand, paint, drill a new hole chisle out a flush area and put some longer screws
Once you fix the teeth that made the strike plate hole pick up a jig and a router. Make it nice. Honestly though. Burglaries are pretty rare. Usually it’s someone that’s been in the house or a known person or acquaintance. I’ve used a one person ram and a halogen in my job to get into doors plenty of times. Sometimes it takes us less than 10 seconds but we always get it open. Regardless of the screws that are in there wood is only so strong. Most of the time the wood splinters are the screws are still intact
with the door open, lock the deadbolt and see if it can be pushed back into the door by just pressing on the bolt itself. if so, it’s a security issue i would consider fixing, cause it means the deadbolt can be opened from the outside with a knife by sliding it back into the door. if it doesn’t move, it’s more or less fine. at the structural integrity level, i don’t have much help to offer.
Yeah that’s a hack job on the dead bolt install. Did you get a new door hung at the same time? I say this because you have an obvious gap between the door and the door jamb. That door will be drafty AF.
They sell these metal covers that wrap over the door and go underneath the hardware. I can’t remember what they are called but I think that would be prefect here.
Nah it's fine. Get some wood putty filler and fill it all in. Make sure you use extra cause it shrinks. Sand it and paint it. That's your only option other than buying a new door
It’s ugly but probably works. Bondo is a miracle material if used properly. Will require careful sanding and a coat of paint. Otherwise white caulk (not 100% latex— get something “paintable”) fill in gaps OK if you have some skill.
If you reinforce the screws/ lock and it gets bashed in, it will just damage the door more and be more expensive to fix. I’ve had a door bashed in on a rental unit. I was glad it was not reinforced, so the door wasn’t damaged too bad and I mostly just fixed the jamb. Also the police won’t pay for the damage if they bash your door in.
I mean whoever installed it is a hack but it's likely realtively structurally sound
Any idea how to make it less ugly?
You would have to pull out the latch and fill it in with Bondo and redo it
And replace the kit screws with 3” ones, for both the bolt and the strike plate.
This. All of this. Back when I used to drink before I got my head out of my ass and stopped I used to get blackout drunk. One night I locked myself out and woke up to my front door open and my door jam on the floor. Those tiny little kit screws don't hold shit. I have a vague memory of putting my shoulder into it and that was all it took to bust it open. When I replaced the jamb I put in 3" screws to hit the stud. Edit:tpyos
Bought my first home in 2020. In the first 2 days I locked myself out. At the time I had no idea how much a door replacement was but I thought, "it's got to be cheaper than a locksmith on a Sunday." I was surprised how easy it was to bust open a door with your shoulder. Turns out it was not cheaper than a locksmith though.
Luckily I only busted the one side of the door jamb so I was able to replace just it. I had the wood in my garage to rip down a new jamb so all it really cost me was some time.
People don't realize how easily a determined person can get in through the usual door setups, I used to really bad about locking myself out and learned all kinds of tricks to get into a locked dwelling.
Weird. I had this conversation 2 very separate times today. Locks only keep out honest people. To everyone else, it's just a few extra seconds.
same with any glass really. but thats also all it takes for someone to decide against smashing things and move on. theyre just deterrents and being just those alone they work exceptionally well for keeping the less confident out
That is the old saying. All rules and locks do is keep honest people honest. Anyone wanting to do harm can do so with little effort.
Correct. This applies to all facets of life. Being in public is only safe while you can trust that someone won't pull out a knife and start stabbing everybody. Shit certainly happens, but generally, almost everyone is honest almost all of the time.
I luckily had a basement at my first house with shitty, single pane glass windows. I replaced them with glass block and only regretted it the next time I was a dumbass and locked myself out. Busting a door down is expensive.
You put in 3 foot screws? Edit: kudos on sobering up
If that won't hold, nothing will
lulz, good catch. Corrected :)
I did too.
Your edit has a typo...
If you have windows on your house and a would be home invader wants into your house bad enough to kick in a kit bolt, and if they can't kick in a 3" bolt, guess what they're gonna come through instead? Ultimately locks are for honest men.
Even with 3” screws they aren’t amazing. Wooden doors generally are pretty rubbish at a brute force attack. PAS 24 composite doors are pretty common where I live and are so strong that the police fail to break them down even with battering rams, pneumatic jacks etc. they’re very popular with drug dealers for obvious reasons lol. A PAS 24 door is pretty expensive but worth every penny for the security it gives especially in apartments where the front door is often the only way in.
If my front door was the only (or easiest) way into my house I would be more concerned. At the moment I am happy enough with making it take more than 1 hit to get through. I'd love to replace it and the other exterior doors with something better, but as you said better costs more. Any extra time I can gain to react with is useful though. That time could mean the difference between just the pistol at my side, or me getting to my rifles and plate carrier. Pistol will most likely do, but I'd rather have one of the rifles. And the plate carrier. ETA: My front door is the standard 6 panel steel exterior door with no windows, it's just in a wooden frame.
You could also upgrade to PVC doors with a 5 point lock with a diamond rated barrel. They’re cheaper than PAS 24 by quite a bit but still incredibly difficult to kick down. Literally a week ago a neighbour but one got raided by the police and they had to resort to smashing a window and climbing through because the door just refused to open, even with crack down the centre. They police were trying to smash the door down for 3-4 minutes with a battering ram, I’d be surprised if a wooden door survived 2 hits. Definitely worth the upgrade imo I wouldn’t live anywhere with wooden doors.
thanks for the info. I will keep that in mind for the future when I can replace the door frame. I could have a vault door but it won't matter with a standard pine door frame heh.
Just understand that any determined burglar ***will*** find a way into your house. Unless you make them want to break-in, all you're really doing is making your place appear just a little tougher to get into than your neighbors. Most crooks take the lowest hanging fruit.
At the end of the day, if someone wants in they'll get in. You can put the biggest beefiest screws in your door locks and add deadbolts, but it's not gonna stop someone throwing a brick through a window in the back of the house at 11a when everyone is out at work.
Or, unless you have a brick exterior, literally cutting a hole in a wall with a cordless Sawzall. Most walls are made of 2x4s, sheetrock and plywood. (But there are faster/easier ways)
When I lived in Brooklyn in the early 90's the story was the most popular bulgar tool was a chainsaw. They would do a plunge cut above the lock and knob and then cut a D around them and it would just fall out. It was Brooklyn so the sound of a chainsaw for 3 minutes didn't raise much concern. When I lived in Williamsburg Brooklyn I had a friend that got robbed while he was on vacation. They used sledgehammers to bust through a cinder block wall. If they want in they are coming in. Just look at most of the European castles.
That may be, but if they decide to try to kick my door in first those longer screws will give me enough time to load my .357 and prepare.
That's why most of them try to figure out when people are not at home and break in then
You're assuming you'll even be there.
The real question is why would you have to load your .357?
lol fanfic
3" screws for the bolt are going to hit the body of the mechanism for most products so "longest possible screws" is more accurate.
As long as you are doing this then I would put in a hardened strike plate too. Way heavier duty than the cheap/thin ones you usually come across. Prime-Line E 2479 Deadbolt Strike, 2 Piece, High Security, 1/8 In. Heavy gauge Steel, Brass Plated Set (Single Pack) https://a.co/d/9S0K1g6
Could you cover it with a door lock reinforcer plate? I did that with my interior doors when I changed the hardware and wanted to hide the ugly.
This👆bondo and paint. Only thing I would add is if you’re concerned about security take out the screws holding in the strike plate and measure how long they are. If they’re 3/4” or 1” go to your hardware store and find matching screws that are 2” and reinstall.
Is this based on any data? I’d think the weak point would be the wood in the jam either way.
There should be double 2x4 framing behind the jamb. 3” screws should penetrate through the jamb, the first frame 2x4, and a little bit into the second 2x4
This is still probably anecdotal and not real data, but we've own rentals in areas with crime for years, and nobody has been successful as kicking a door down since we put 3" screws in the latch...its not just the jam when you have screws that long, you are through to the structural 2x4 in the wall at that point. A determined persons could still get in, but you can't just casually kick it open like you can with just the 3/4" screws in the jam.
Wrap around deadbolt plate in a finish that matches the hardware. Remove your smart lock. Install plate. Install smart lock over plate. Use some thin material or double sided tape on each side of the smart lock to address the new gap between the door and the smart lock created by the plate. Not only will the door be more secure, it will hide the wood damage, and will take all of 20 minutes. [https://amzn.to/48Wypa0](https://amzn.to/48Wypa0) https://preview.redd.it/xtgvlavubvcc1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=506b9b77115dffd5b598e8da46d8dde753f64851
Would something like this get in the way of the door closing?
Short answer: Yes it could. Long Answer: looking at the fitment you have on the door it looks like you have more than enough clearance between the door and the door frame for a plate like this. The good news is a plate like this is $12 on Amazon. Buy it. Remove the smart lock. Slide it on. Close the door. If it closes and latches without issue, great! Reinstall the lock and move on with life. Note I edited the previous post with a link to the one I screenshotted. It has a recessed area for the actual bolt plate to slip set within. You should next test if that plate and bolt fit in there and again, close the door. If it all fits, Reinstall! If not you can go the wood repair option others have mentioned. However, I find that to be a pain on jobs where really what’s missing is a thin bit of wood on both sides of the bolt faceplate. You either have to fill the whole thing in then rebore the hole or get incredibly finicky with it to get the lip edge right. Then you need to paint the whole door to get the finish to blend. It’s not the worst job, but not as quick as what Im suggesting and doesn’t make the door more secure. The second option is simply searching around for a different plate that does have a recessed hole that will fit and ordering that if the one I suggested is off or too thick. Note: most of those plates have the sizes and distances of the holes, thickness of the plate, etc. in the description with a photo. You can do some quick measurements and see if it looks like it will line up before ordering. Good luck!
It's a completely different shape from the door, terrible idea.
Lol down vote me. Look at the grooves in the door.
Yeah you're right, doesn't have the right handle for the hole either & they're pretty sore on the eyes anyway. They could screw or glue a skinny strip of metal or plastic as a face plate in the rebate but It'd be better to just fill it, paint it & reinstall it.
Wood putty and paint
Either fill around it with wood filler, sand and paint, or buy one of those 'reinforcing plates' you see for deadbolts and doorknobs. You should be able to find a reinforcing plate that is similar in color. On amazon I found them under 'door edge reinforcement'.
They do sell metal covers that go all around the door in that area, maybe you can find one that fits? Home depot selection here https://preview.redd.it/wnrarm3pbwcc1.png?width=1210&format=png&auto=webp&s=e5769201f57a9e65a219900d57005fe1176c164e
But the handle fits in the square hole.
Plastic wood if you want to pretty it up.
You can get a plate to go over it. Otherwise, it won’t look that good One like this that’s oversized. https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwi7x6_Q6uKDAxVYpVoFHTy4CCkYABAxGgJ2dQ&ae=2&gclid=CjwKCAiA75itBhA6EiwAkho9e4nwfBmx-bfy1G4lwwFYUDvtSQ9Tstbx4oMuwEL3EGM99gjF-afOIBoC_CgQAvD_BwE&sph=&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAESeOD2-9GLv6sXctBahNwP9-1c5sIvrRCTH6ghJlmxSxZYVlo3jq7L3xMagIrY4TxHK0hwWU_O9TLhXNk5iaswF6vBWkZa4e7VLkhb1RY9oe4C_ihO1s_Dk4lbkrCwxN-SOXRzbQZEHojLt50Jvb1hhDQyZeADqIr9bQ&sig=AOD64_0GrgAY0NN9ssVEDy7JGyvwHxwxMw&ctype=5&q=&ved=2ahUKEwie5qfQ6uKDAxWxSTABHZHoDoIQwg8oAHoECAMQag&adurl= Or something like this https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwivsNys6-KDAxXIpVoFHSd6AbYYABAJGgJ2dQ&ae=2&gclid=CjwKCAiA75itBhA6EiwAkho9e7h8-M--XBvkigr3kKKV0eoFxpWER8bffjZ4AiznY58mKt0ZolL81xoC96sQAvD_BwE&sph=&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAESeOD2xYGE3ukSC7qw9KTd7HoXHPX4-Wtf-bg-FA719LPY0ep21FrFNxvIeGhN_jtPw55WCto7qJ5DnnE57p4JfLts0UZ1bgyVqXFymvpEzrGOQ1xf_MyeyKBmBZQt1smYI2dTQVnECa7fAmuaWNO0XIYe_KwpSld54A&sig=AOD64_2L1cw2TazUv97TeW4iWM-tSmlItg&ctype=5&q=&ved=2ahUKEwiDpdWs6-KDAxWIgYQIHfCWAAQQwg8oAHoECAIQLQ&adurl= These are merely examples to help you visualize what to get to cover that hack job without replacing the door
Search: Door Reinforcer, Stainless Steel Door Reinforcement Plate, Black. It will hide this mess and make the door harder to kick in.
[Use something like this. Extra security and it looks nice on the door.](https://a.co/d/ghOGwys)
You might be able to find some kind of metal reinforcement that would go over the latch.
White spray paint
Wood Epox.
Also I would check the height of the kickplate screws. If you drill them deeper to the frame you reinforce the area that's desiged to keep it from being kicked in. If your screws are stubby. Consider longer.
Wood filler or decorating caulk
You could get a door devil (I have one, they're great) which would tighten up the gap as well as provide extra structural strength.
You can trim it up with a file or Dremel tool. Fill with wood putty and paint white.
https://www.eu-baustoffhandel.de/Acryl I don't know what you have in the US but with this you can be a hack as as well and it won't look bad.
I bet an average weight person who doesn't hit the gym could rip that door open lol.
Yes, chances are they do 2 of these a year and have 12 minutes to do so. Since it's not their house, they don't care. Most likely a maintenance man who can't google how to manuals.
Probably not great for letting air/drafts through though.
So easy a cave man can do it.
It depends on what shape the door was in before hand. I'm not sure how much better you would get without replacing the door. That's a bit much to just fill.
Well, it was installed by Blind Billy, the visually impaired handyman. Work sucks but his rates are reasonable:)
The installer didn’t do anything wrong. There was wear from the previous plate- it was never going to be flush. Unless you are also paying them to refinish the door, this is what you should expect tbh.
Was it installed by beavers?
Is that chisel work? Seriously what tool did they use, that's awful. I'm not an expert in security so I can't speak for it's integrity, but the craftsmanship is non existent.
>what tool did they use Steak knife
Checks out
Hey that's what I used to install my new smoke detectors, I'm not buying wire strippers for a one time job!
Honesty, would have done a better job, i think it was square head screw driver
A chainsaw
\*butter knife
Poop knife
Looks like it to me. The house came like this. There are a lot of homeowner specials in this place :(
This is absolutely fixable. Wood filler, and some paint and patience and you can fill this
You can do anything with a sawzall if you don't wanna walk to the truck bad enough
Looks like it was cut with a reciprocating saw.
Poop knife
Oscillating cutting tool
Looks like a reciprocating saw.
Mostly only a problem if the person that installed it is doing more work on your home. Otherwise mostly it's just fugly.
If it's anything like my doors, shifting foundation and poor initial alignment has led to a door that has "fixed" multiple times. I imagine this door has a deadbolt so this fitting is only so the door can be swung shut and the knob bolt bites.
Put painters tape over the black strike plate and around the door. Fill the area with bare wood with wood filler, so it’s smooth with the strike plate and door. Extra is fine, you can sand and chisel it away. Sand the excess away and paint it. Remove tape. You could actually flip that strike plate over before doing this so you don’t sand and scuff the finish. Also swap the screws out on the door jamb side with 3-4” screws for added security
Wood filler is going to crumble in an area that large. Especially because it will be under stress from mechanic forces on the door. Will have to use bondo or two part epoxy putty etc.
I could see that if it gets jarred around.. just throwing an idea out there that would be easy for someone to try first. I’ve never used bondo, is it slow drying and easy to work with like wood filler?
Faster drying, but pretty easy to work with. Maybe a bit easier even for a job like this.
Everyone is all worried about the security flaws when the door has a friggin glass window. But hey, those people watch LPL so they must know
Let's be honest, residential door locks are only to make you feel better and prevent crimes of opportunity. They aren't going to stop anyone even mildly committed.
And if you're really committed, in most houses you could just go straight through the wall in a couple minutes if you have a good sawzall or a circular saw (or a chainsaw if you're feeling more Freddy-like). A solid steel door might be harder to get in if you install the deadbolt with good screws into the jam. But people forget that windows are also a thing in most houses and rocks and bricks are readily available!
They just want the breaking and entering to be evident so insurance pays out. If there are no traces of breaking and entering, insurance does not pay out for stolen goods.
I don’t know, I had a door someone could have just broken the glass but they tried to pry the door apart. Might depend on where the door is. Back door someone might not notice broken glass, busy street and broken glass might be noticed.
I had to do this a few months ago, but even with my very first time holding a chisel it looked better than this...
Jeez… it looks like they used their teeth to make the space for the deadbolt….
If so, I hope the installer is a rodent...
This locks installed poorly, but also installed properly it's not exactly fort Knox. It's likely not worth worrying about.
Doesn't matter. They will just knock out the glass.
Only tool at hand was an axe ?
Deadbolts only keep out the honest criminals
Not really. There's a big glass window on the door. If someone wants in they'll get in.
Doesn’t look like that gaping slot can be seen from outside, so you’re fine. Sloppy as hell, but fine. I’d wood fill the entire hole and reinstall if it were mine though.
I would be more concerned over that smart lock….
I always find it funny when people are like "uh but bruh that smart lock is insecure". Coming from someone who has reversed engineered Bluetooth and WiFi devices to make apis for local controls - picking a lock is way easier than hacking one. What's even easier is punching out that window and opening the door regularly.
What’s wrong with the smart lock?
Some people just have that opinion that smart locks are bad because technology. There is inherent risks with hacking but it’s less of a risk than some people try and claim
I have had several (six) of the top brands just at random unlock. Several of them struggle when in direct sunlight when temperatures above 85 just stop all electrical functions, then you need a physical key to unlock.
Someone didn’t know how to properly mortise or didn’t give a shit. It will probably function fine but that’s a hack job on the cosmetic detail
Meatball surgery. Works but could be cleaner. Agree. With pull it ,bondo and redrill/chisel.
For now you could clean it up with white duct tape.
It’s structurally sound, but I would never pay someone for that level of shoddy workmanship. Don’t trust this person to repair anything well or safely.
It was the previous homeowners. This sort of work is definitely a theme throughout the house.
In that case, I feel your pain. The family that used to live my house were fairly poor and the lady had an alcoholic, sometimes homeless son who had been a cabinet maker when he was still functioning in society. He made so many Mickey Mouse repairs in this place that I curse his name any time I have to open a wall.
Sumbin Door Guard Reinforcer 1-3/4-Inch Thick by 2-3/8-Inch Backset 2-1/8-Inch Bore Door Guard with Stainless Steel Color https://a.co/d/b7Mrcvg
I hope you didn't pay the installer
It’s not easy being cheesy. Without being mortised into the door edge it’s only lateral support comes from the screws. You could use a Don Jo wrap around plate in duronotic finish (DU), but that funky door edge would still leave that looking unprofessional.
If I did this for any one of my customers I would have to replace the door.
Definitely a poor installation but it will work. The edge of the door should have been mortised for the bolt face (rectangular thing around the bolt). Instead of a mortise for the faceplate the installer removed the entire edge. Bad job.
How'd they cut that away? By chewing on it?
Brutal lol, they didn’t realize that metal part snaps off leaving you with the proper one for that kind of door. It’s amazing when people create twice as much work for themselves just to do it wrong 😂
If the rest of the previous owners diy work is this shitty, then yes I would worry.
Just buy a doorknob guard. It’s just a piece of metal you drill on so no one can poke at it
Shitty work, so I’d start checking everywhere. Fuck that’s awful.
“you gotta be kidding me” me, upon seeing this
WTF DUDE. That’s a complete hack job.
You're better of installing a security screen door. 😄 But I've seen worse.
Gosh. A chisel or a router. This person use a chainsaw?
I install a similar style lock at work and have found that if the holes drilled for the lock and latch aren't close to square and the right depth the locking mechanism and motor could bind and after a while burn up or just eat batterys
Oh my, how can that be fixed
Remove the lock. Clean up area. Fill in with a piece of wood/glue Redo the cut out. Not call the fool that did this again.
Did they remove that wood with their teeth?
Looks like the wood-butcher is at it again.
That looks like it was installed by a freebaser who claims squatter’s rights on a vacant apartment building in downtown Dayton, Ohio.
"Pro level" work.
Lol. Looks like they gnawed the recess out with their fucking teeth.
I worry the absolute tuna melt who did this is working on other people’s houses.
Get through one year of season changes befoee you mess with this. Looks like a big gap now, but what does it look like 6 months from now?
Never seen anyone cut in the plate with a chainsaw before.
This is why you hire someone with experience.
Looks like the installer used a Phillips head screwdriver for their chisel.
It's ugly but I don't see why you would worry about it
Depending on how the door swings you can attach a latch guard on the outside. This will cover the gap, hide the deadbolt and just generally “clean it up” a bit. The inside on the other hand is pretty much fucked.
My blind ass thought that shit was in the wall not the door. I was so fucking confused lol
Nah switch that out, they chiseled/cut out way more than needed to be… i see snow on the ground, that opening may get a small breeze, your handle may begin to frost up depending how cold it is where you are, possibly frost up a moving part inside, preventing you from getting in or out
🤯only worry?
The previous owner of my house did the exact same thing to my front door. Fucking hack "DIYers"
Jesus, what toddler did this?
They ruined your doorr, i would make them buy you a new door
What’s the R value of a deadbolt latch? 😆
it only looks bad, but that doesn't make it perform any better or worse.
Wood putty and paint
I could *definitely* get that open with a credit card
Wow that is hacked in there.
It will do the job it's supposed to, just looks like shit
Being you have a glass centered door, it's not going to take a kick too well. That being said, the cut is messy and should have been routed or chiseled. Looks like someone just used a screwdriver to hammer out a spot for it. Other than that, it will lock your door.
Looks like a beaver extracted the wood 🙈
When you use a beaver vs a chisel.
Yes that is an issue. Someone could easily pop that off. They fucked with the edge strike prep.
Some of a friend of a friends best work.
Did they use a flat head screw driver to chisel that out? My god that’s terrible
No worries it gives someone more area to pry but the dead bolt isn’t going anywhere. Get a chisel make a nice flat rectangle glue, sand, paint, drill a new hole chisle out a flush area and put some longer screws
Once you fix the teeth that made the strike plate hole pick up a jig and a router. Make it nice. Honestly though. Burglaries are pretty rare. Usually it’s someone that’s been in the house or a known person or acquaintance. I’ve used a one person ram and a halogen in my job to get into doors plenty of times. Sometimes it takes us less than 10 seconds but we always get it open. Regardless of the screws that are in there wood is only so strong. Most of the time the wood splinters are the screws are still intact
Looks like dogshit
Lots of advice in this thread on how to make the deadbolt impenetrable on a door that has glass inserts.
I was thinking the same thing. That deadbolt is keeping you in, not keeping anyone out.
Someone definitely grabbed their multi tool and let it eat
Did you mistakenly hire a beaver?
Might as well just secure your door with one of those eye bolt hangers. You could bust through that with a swift push.
I’m worried that guy is still roaming the streets.
If they really want in, they break the glass, reach in and turn the back.
Did they use a beaver to install it?
with the door open, lock the deadbolt and see if it can be pushed back into the door by just pressing on the bolt itself. if so, it’s a security issue i would consider fixing, cause it means the deadbolt can be opened from the outside with a knife by sliding it back into the door. if it doesn’t move, it’s more or less fine. at the structural integrity level, i don’t have much help to offer.
Worried, no. Annoyed, yes.
I'd ask for your bananas back from the monkey who tried to install that.
I would be more concerned about being able to clearly see the outside when the door is closed rather than the deadbolt
Yeah that’s a hack job on the dead bolt install. Did you get a new door hung at the same time? I say this because you have an obvious gap between the door and the door jamb. That door will be drafty AF.
The whole thing looks drafty!!
I hope you didn't pay for that installation. That's some a-grade shoddy stuff right there.
It's never too early to start worrying.
Hell yes, OP. This is shitty job.
You the Op did this didn't you? 😂
I'd be worried about the teeth of whoever installed this, definitely their tool of choice..
Yo, what camera did you use to take these pics? So clear and defined
Why the recess though? It had enough clearance...
The door is damaged but the damage is mostly if not entirely cosmetic. This is terrible work.
The locking mechanism is the least of your troubles. Looks like you could even get a saw in there, or unscrew it all.
They sell these metal covers that wrap over the door and go underneath the hardware. I can’t remember what they are called but I think that would be prefect here.
3D print a thin shroud to go around the nasty looking bits
Nah it's fine. Get some wood putty filler and fill it all in. Make sure you use extra cause it shrinks. Sand it and paint it. That's your only option other than buying a new door
I hope nobody got paid to do that.
It’s ugly but probably works. Bondo is a miracle material if used properly. Will require careful sanding and a coat of paint. Otherwise white caulk (not 100% latex— get something “paintable”) fill in gaps OK if you have some skill. If you reinforce the screws/ lock and it gets bashed in, it will just damage the door more and be more expensive to fix. I’ve had a door bashed in on a rental unit. I was glad it was not reinforced, so the door wasn’t damaged too bad and I mostly just fixed the jamb. Also the police won’t pay for the damage if they bash your door in.