Although most burglars prefer to rob a home when no one is around, some are bold enough to invade a house while the occupant is inside. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, someone was home in 28 percent of robberies committed, and the person was subjected to violence in 7 percent of cases. One way to protect yourself is to fortify your bedroom door to guard against an unlawful entry. Here are a couple of tips to help you.

Get a Better Door

Many people believe that putting a good deadbolt on their bedroom doors will keep potential burglars out. However, this is only true if the thief has little upper or lower body strength. Almost all interior doors in a home are made from a lightweight material such as wood board and are hollow inside. Therefore, it would only take one or two hard kicks to break it down and gain access to the room.

For true protection, you must install a heavier door made of solid wood, steel, fiberglass, or a combination of these materials. The door should be solid through and through and a little weighty. These types of doors are much sturdier and would require a greater amount of effort to break down. By the time the burglar managed to brute force his or her way inside, you could escape the home or call the police.

Mind the Door Frame

When replacing the door, you'll also need to replace the door frame. A sturdy door isn't much help if the frame will easily give way after being rammed once or twice. You'll want to get the frame in the same material as or stronger than the door. For instance, if you get a wood door, then you'll want to invest in a steel frame.

You can thwart a particularly clever criminal who may try to cut around the lock and frame by installing metal rods in the door or frame and between the door lock and deadbolt. Any tool they use to try and cut the door will stop when it hits the metal, preventing further entry.

Lastly, the door hinges should be installed so they are facing inside the bedroom to prevent the home invader from trying to remove them. It's also important to use extra-long screws (at minimum 2 inches since the standard size is 3/4-inch) to secure the hinges, which will also strengthen the door against brute force attacks.

For more tips on fortifying your bedroom door, contact a door installation company for assistance.