If you've got valuables to protect but don't want to invest in a wall safe, you can create a security vault from a closet. It won't turn your home into Fort Knox, but it will serve as an added deterrent to burglars. Materials:
Solid-core door
Door hinges
2" or longer wood screws
Phillips- and flat-head screwdrivers
Drill, with drill bits, driver bits, spade bits and hole saw
Hammer
Double-head nail
Deadbolt lock kit (keyed on one side only)
1-1/2" x 1/4" strip of aluminum stock
Hex-head wood screws or nonremovable wood screws
Safety glasses
Although thieves could enter your closet by breaking through the dry wall, they're more likely to go for the obvious choice: the door. So it makes sense to strengthen your door as much as possible. If your closet has a hollow-core door, replace it with a solid-core wood or steel door. Most interior doors have only upper and lower hinges. To make the door more secure, install a center hinge. Most hinges are secured with short screws (figure A), but you'll enhance security by using longer screws that bite into the wall stud behind the doorjamb (figure B). It's best to place hinges on the inside of the closet so thieves won't be able to pull out the hinge pins and remove the door. If the hinges must be on the outside, there's still a way to prevent the door from being pulled out of the doorjamb. Remove both center screws from each hinge. Drive a double-headed nail (figure C) through the center mounting holes in the door (figure D) so the second head protrudes about 3/8" above the surface of the hinge plate. Then drill out the center mounting holes on the doorjamb hinge plates, using a bit slightly larger than the diameter of the nail head. When the door closes, the nail head will extend into the hole on the other side of the hinge (figure E) and act as a miniature deadbolt, thus preventing the door from being pulled out. For added security, install a deadbolt on the hinged side of the door. Now that you've addressed the hinged side of the door, it's time to work on the other side. A keyed doorknob provides some security, but a deadbolt lock (or two) provides more. The deadbolt should have a key on one side and a knob on the other (figure F). This will prevent you from accidentally getting locked in the closet, and it will allow you to lock the door from the inside if you need a place to hide. Most deadbolts can be readily installed with a couple of screwdrivers, a hole saw, a spade bit and a chisel. For optimum security, install the deadbolt about halfway up the door. The gap around the closet door could provide a thief with a way to break through the door. To close off this avenue, install a metal strip (figure G) around the edge of the door so that it covers the gap. All you need is a piece of 1 1/4" by 1/4" flat aluminum stock (usually found in the same aisle as screws and bolts in a home-improvement center) cut to the height of your door. Drill mounting holes through the strip, and attach it to the door with hex bolts or nonremovable screws.
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