Home Security Information Series
Type: Knowledge-base article Reading time: 11 min

Important Information

General information

This information is provided as general home security guidance only.

It is not personalised security advice, legal advice or insurance advice.

Editorial independence

Home Security Planning produces independent guidance using publicly available research, official guidance and practical home security principles.

Content is not sponsored by product manufacturers.

No guarantee

No security measure can eliminate the risk of burglary or other crime.

Recommendations may reduce risk but cannot guarantee prevention.

Official information

Where crime statistics are discussed, they are drawn from publicly available official police/government data.

Home Security Planning presents and interprets that data for clarity. Reporting methods, geography and publication schedules differ between jurisdictions, and missing figures are never treated as zero.

Product information

Products discussed are examples of suitable security solutions. They are not endorsements of any particular manufacturer.

Local requirements

Building regulations, security standards and insurance requirements differ between countries.

Users should verify local requirements before purchasing or installing products.

Currency of information

Content is reviewed periodically against current official sources and practical guidance.

Official guidance, standards and datasets may change; always prefer the latest official source for figures and requirements.

How to Secure Your Home After a Break-In

Once immediate safety and reporting needs are handled, the next job is practical: stop the same opening being used again tonight, then harden the wider property so opportunity does not simply move to the next weak point. Start from what to do after a burglary if you are still in the first hours after discovery.

Key recommendations

  • Board or brace damaged openings the same day it is safe to disturb the scene.
  • Replace or rekey locks and strengthen strikes/frames where force was applied.
  • Check every reachable door and window on the same façade or access route.
  • Improve dark side/rear paths and genuine detection only after physical gaps are closed.
  • Use a structured whole-home review before buying a shopping list of gadgets.

Who should read this guide?

  • Homeowners re-securing a property after forced entry
  • Anyone arranging temporary board-up or locksmith work
  • Households prioritising lasting improvements after a burglary
  • Readers linking specialist hardware guides to a post-incident plan

Supporting information

1. Immediate temporary security

Temporary measures buy time: plywood or professional board-up on broken glazing, a braced door, padlocks on compromised outbuildings, and ensuring other external doors are deadlocked. Tell a trusted neighbour if the property will look partly open during repairs.

Fix safety and weatherproofing first, replace what failed, harden against the same entry method, then step back for a whole-home review.

2. Damaged doors, locks, and frames

Forced doors often fail at the lock, strike, or frame — not only the leaf. A new cylinder in a split jamb can fail again. Inspect the strike plate screws, jamb, and hinges; long screws into framing and reinforced strikes are common upgrades after kick-in or jemmy attacks.

Kick-in failure points

Front view of entry door showing strike split, hinge pull-out, jamb split, and threshold weakness as failure zones

Strike split — Jamb tears around bolt

Hinge — Screws pull out

Jamb split

Threshold / bottom gap

Force near lock height · Impact zone

Most kick-ins fail the frame — not the lock. Strikes tear through soft jamb timber, hinges pull out, and the jamb splits along the lock line.

Read more: why deadlocks matter, reinforced strike plates, and door frame reinforcement. Compare electronic options carefully in smart locks vs traditional deadlocks.

3. Windows, glazing, and sliding doors

Broken glass needs weather-tight temporary cover, then permanent reglazing. Also review ground-floor and accessible upper openings that were not damaged: keyed locks, restrictors, screens, and film address different risks.

Specialist guides: window security, window locks and restrictors, security screens, security film, sliding glass door security, and patio door security.

4. Side, rear, garage, and other openings

Many break-ins use quieter routes than the front door. After an incident, walk side gates, rear lanes, garage-to-house doors, roller doors, sheds, pet doors, and balcony access with the same seriousness as the damaged opening.

Start with temporary closure of the breach, then rebuild outward through doors, windows, perimeter, lighting, and detection — each layer reduces remaining opportunity.

See side and rear access, garage entry doors, garage roller doors, sheds and outbuildings, and balcony door security.

5. Outdoor lighting and visibility

Dark approach paths favour quick, low-visibility work. Motion lighting on side and rear routes, and trimming planting that hides doors from neighbours, support physical repairs — they do not replace locks.

Guides: security lighting, motion sensor lights, and reducing concealment.

6. CCTV, alarms, and detection

Cameras and alarms help when they cover the routes that matter and when someone will respond to an alert. After a break-in, check whether existing systems were armed, powered, and aimed usefully — then add detection only where a remaining gap is clear.

Physical barriers resist entry. Visibility reduces concealment. Detection raises alerts. Each layer supports the others when planned as a system.

See CCTV placement, CCTV buying guide, home alarm systems, and video doorbells. Dummy cameras alone are a weak substitute — dummy vs real CCTV.

7. Security habits after the incident

Hardware fails faster when habits slip: unlocked side doors, open garage rollers, keys left outside, or social posts that advertise emptiness. Rebuild simple routines while repairs are underway. For travel later, see home security while on holiday.

8. Prioritising improvements

Order work by failure mode: (1) temporary secure, (2) repair the compromised opening properly, (3) harden similar openings on the same access route, (4) visibility and detection, (5) whole-home review. Layered thinking is explained in layered home security.

If you are concerned about another incident soon after the first, read repeat burglary risk for an evidence-based overview — then keep improving opportunity reduction on your property.

9. Structured reassessment

A calm walk-through with a checklist beats ad-hoc shopping. The free Home Security Planning assessment maps doors, windows, lighting, access, and detection into a score and ranked list for your layout.

Start the free assessment when temporary securing is in place, or return to what to do after a burglary if you still need the immediate-incident checklist.

FAQ

What should I secure first after a break-in?

Make damaged openings weather-tight and harder to re-enter: board or secure broken glazing, brace or repair forced doors, and replace or rekey compromised locks when a locksmith can attend. Then review other reachable openings so you are not protecting only the failed point.

Should I change locks after a burglary?

If cylinders, keys, or door hardware were damaged, forced, or may have been taken, replacing or rekeying those locks is a common practical step. Even when keys were not stolen, a kicked or jemmyed door often needs new hardware and a stronger strike or frame — not only a new key.

Is temporary boarding enough?

Boarding and temporary braces reduce overnight exposure and weather damage. They are not a lasting security layer. Plan permanent door, lock, frame, or glazing repairs as soon as materials and trades are available.

Should I buy cameras first?

Detection helps after physical gaps are closed. A camera that records a second easy entry through the same weak door does not fix the failure mode. Prioritise compromised openings, then lighting and genuine detection where they address a named gap.

What about sliding doors and windows that were not damaged?

Review them anyway. Offenders often choose the quietest reachable opening. Secondary locks, anti-lift devices, restrictors, screens, or film may matter on undamaged openings that share the same access route. Use the specialist guides linked below rather than guessing.

When should I do a full home security assessment?

After temporary securing and when you can walk the property calmly. A structured assessment turns an incident into a ranked improvement list across doors, windows, lighting, access, and detection — without replacing police or insurance steps.

Sources

This guide draws on widely published burglary prevention advice. It is not a substitute for manufacturer instructions, local building rules, or professional security advice.

  • Police residential burglary prevention and target-hardening guidance after forced entry
  • Crime prevention agency advice on locks, frames, glazing, and secondary openings
  • Locksmith and door hardware standards guidance for repair after kick-in or jemmy attack
  • Fire and emergency egress guidance when reinforcing doors and fitting secondary hardware