Most break-ins happen through the easiest available opening: an unlocked door, a weak strike plate, a sliding door or window left on its latch, or a garage with an internal door nobody locks. The ten tips below focus on those weak points first, because small, inexpensive fixes there do more for an Ottawa home than any single gadget.

Have a question about a specific door or lock? Call (613) 707-4884.

Doors and Locks

1. Use a proper deadbolt on every exterior door

A spring latch in a knob or lever set can often be slipped or forced. A deadbolt with a full one-inch throw that actually engages the frame is the baseline for front, back and side doors, including the door from the garage into the house. Our guide to choosing a deadbolt for an Ottawa home explains grades and features in more detail.

2. Upgrade the strike plate and screws

The lock is only as strong as the wood it locks into. Many builder-grade strike plates are held by short screws that only reach the thin door jamb. Replacing them with long screws that bite into the wall framing, or fitting a reinforced strike, makes a kicked door far more likely to hold. See door frame reinforcement for the full approach.

3. Know who has your keys

If you have just moved in, lost a key, or lent keys to contractors or former roommates, you cannot be sure who can open your door. Rekeying the cylinders so old keys stop working is usually simpler than replacing the hardware.

4. Lock the door, even when you are home

It sounds obvious, but unlocked doors are a common way in, especially back doors and patio doors during the day. Make locking up part of your routine every time you leave or go to bed.

Windows, Patio Doors and Garages

5. Secure sliding patio doors

Sliding doors often rely on a small hook latch. Add a bar or pin in the track, check that the door cannot be lifted out of its track, and repair a latch that no longer catches. Our article on sliding door lock repair covers the common faults.

6. Check ground-floor and basement windows

Confirm every window latch closes fully, and add secondary locks or stops to basement and ground-level windows that are hidden from the street. Keep ventilation openings small enough that nobody can reach in.

7. Treat the garage as an entrance

Keep the overhead door closed, never leave the opener remote in a car parked outside, and lock the man door and the door into the house. An attached garage is a private place for someone to work on your interior door unseen.

Around the Property

8. Light the approaches

Motion-activated lights over entrances, the driveway and the back yard remove the cover of darkness, which matters during Ottawa winters when it is dark by late afternoon.

9. Remove hiding spots and tools

Trim shrubs that screen doors and windows, and lock away ladders and tools that could help someone reach a second-floor window or pry a frame. Never hide a spare key under a mat, planter or fake rock; give one to a trusted neighbour or use a keypad lock instead.

10. Make the house look occupied

When you are away, use timers for lights, pause deliveries or ask a neighbour to collect packages, and have someone clear snow from the driveway and walk. An untouched snowbank is an easy signal that nobody is home.

Where to Start

If you can only do a few things this week, start with tips 1, 2 and 3: a working deadbolt on every exterior door, a reinforced strike with long screws, and keys you can account for. Then work outward to patio doors, windows and the garage. Moving into a new place? Our new home security checklist puts these steps in order.

Next Step

If your exterior doors are missing deadbolts, or the ones you have are loose, worn or hard to turn, our deadbolt installation service page explains what is involved. To ask about your own doors, call (613) 707-4884.