Home security & break-ins

Why doors get kicked in at the frame, not the lock

After a forced entry, people expect to see a broken lock. What we usually find is a perfect deadbolt still sticking out of a door, and a strip of splintered frame lying on the floor.

By Timmy Creighton, founder and licensed locksmith · Major Key Locksmith · October 2026

Where the strength actually is

When a deadbolt is locked, the bolt sits in a hole in the door frame lined with a small metal plate called the strike. A kick does not attack the lock. It attacks that frame. If the strike is held on with short screws into a thin strip of trim, the trim splits and the door swings open with the lock still locked.

Four checks you can do in five minutes

1. Strike screws. Open the door and look at the plate on the frame where the bolt goes. If the screws are short, the plate is only holding on to trim. Longer screws reaching into the solid framing behind make an enormous difference.
2. Bolt throw. Lock the deadbolt with the door open and look at how far it extends. A residential deadbolt should throw about an inch. A bolt that only half-extends when the door is closed is catching on a misaligned strike.
3. Lock the door, then push. If the door moves a lot in the frame when locked, the bolt is not seated well, or the frame is soft.
4. Hinges. Hinge screws matter too, on the hinge side the door can be forced as easily as the lock side.

What a reinforced strike does

A heavier strike plate, or a longer reinforcing plate, spreads the force of a kick across more of the frame and anchors it deeper into the framing. It is one of the least expensive security upgrades there is, and it does more for a typical door than swapping the lock.

Then the lock

Once the door and frame hold, the lock is worth looking at: a solid Grade 1 or 2 deadbolt on exterior doors, and a high-security cylinder where key control matters.

If you want us to look

We do a home security assessment for $250 where every entry point is walked and rated, so you know which door is actually the weak one before you spend anything on it.

Questions people ask

Is a better lock enough to stop a kick-in?

Rarely on its own. Most kick-ins break the frame around the strike. Reinforcing the strike and screws is usually the more important fix.

Can I put longer screws in the strike myself?

On many doors, yes, and it is worth doing. Be careful not to pull the frame out of line, or the bolt will stop seating and the door will be harder to lock.

What if the frame is already split from a previous break-in?

It needs repairing before the door can be called secure. A new lock in a split frame is still a weak door.

Keep reading

Any price mentioned here is the one published on our pricing page as of October 2026. The final price is always confirmed with you before any work begins. More answers from the blog →