This Simple Tip Involving Screws Will Make Your House a Lot More Secure

Many people think that making their homes safe would involve spending a lot of money for state-of-the-art gadgets and having elaborate security systems installed. That’s not necessarily the case all the time. Often, the most practical moves to improve the security in your home involves common sense and just a few dollars that would hardly make a dent on your budget.

Marianna Harrison — a real estate agent based in Texas — recently shared a valuable practice that definitely improves a home’s security features without breaking the bank. It’s something she learned from her father.

The "tiny change" makes a big difference.

On her Facebook page, Harrison wrote: “My dad gave me this advice a long time ago when I moved into my first apartment. He even came out and changed the screws for me as soon as I moved in. Someone else recently posted about it and I thought I would share!”

She explained: “A good home security tip that you may have never thought about…. Most contractors install the plates with the supplied screws which are only a half inch long and come out with one kick by a burglar. He installed four-inch screws in their place that go through the door frame and into the framing of the house.”

While the use of the longer four-inch screws may not totally keep out determined criminals, they could buy you time so you can call for help and move to a more secure spot in your house where the intruders can’t get to you. ” They can kick for a long time before they get tired! You can see in the picture the screw in his hand is the screw supplied with the door hardware. Making a burglar make a bunch of noise and be foiled in their initial plan can not only give you time to arm yourself but they will most likely move on to an easier target,” Harrison said.

This DIY tip went viral!

As of this posting, Harrison’s tip had gotten more than 500,000 Facebook shares.