Along with “more closet space,” increasing concerns with security rank high with my remodeling clients. On several jobs I have combined the two needs into a “secure closet” for storing stereo systems and other valuables. If you are building a closet anyway, the extra effort and material is minimal. Existing closets can easily be beefed up.
Obviously, the door must be solid-core (preferably metal-clad). I hang it in an exterior jamb that has been blocked solid to the framing to eliminate any crevices that might accept the end of a crowbar. I prefer to install an outswing door to minimize the chances of someone kicking it in. This means the hinges have to have non-removable pins. I replace the regular hinge screws with 3-in. hardened screws (like those used for hanging cabinets) to make sure they reach well into the studs. I also use these screws instead of finish nails to hang the jamb. They go in fast with a screw gun. Then I install a good deadbolt with all its reinforcing hardware. Burglars have been known to kick in walls if they can’t kick in doors. So as a final touch, I cover the interior walls of the closet with -in. plywood.
Do all these precautions work? My local police department tells me that nothing will keep out a determined burglar if he is persistent enough — the best you can do is place as many barriers as possible in the way. When I moved to Oakland three years ago, the first thing I did was to build a closet of this type. Soon after, I had to leave town for a month. When I returned, my place had been broken into, but the secure closet had been frustrating enough that the burglars left empty-handed.
Michael Mulcahy, Oakland, CA