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closing the bedroom door!

3K views 30 replies 27 participants last post by  Celtic Pride 
#1 ·
my fiancee and i have an alarm system, a firearm, and two plans for what to do if we're awakened by the alarm. if anyone breaks into our home, they'll probably find us arguing about if we should have closed our bedroom door.

she thinks the right thing to do would be:

1) shut and lock the door
2) grab phone, dial 911
3) hunker down behind bed, ready to defend ourselves.

i agree with everything except for #1. i think it unnecessarily moves one of us closer to the intruder. it also limits our ability to evaluate the situation and take action (ie, you can't defend yourself from something you can't see).

her point is that it adds another barrier between us an the intruder.

for two reasons (two crazy cats) we can't just keep the door closed.

what do you guys think?

-ayan
 
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#2 ·
Close the door. If it is a quality door with a good lock with a rabbited jam and hindges on youe side it will be a tough one to get into.

Unless they are shooting thru the door or trying to break it down what are you shooting at?
 
#3 ·
With the door closed , it is 1 more layer of defense. No one can charge your room if the door is shut. If they are beating down the door, you can be emptying mags.
 
#4 ·
She's right, close the door and have lots of furniture between you and the BGs. Let them come fully into the room, hit them in the face with 15 million candlepower and buckshot. Follow-up with .45 as needed.

Here's another thing to consider: You have 3 children in 3 other rooms in the house, the alarm sounds and intruder is in the home. Whattaya do then?
 
#31 ·
If all of your bedrooms are upstairs, you leave your wife in the room with the telephone and the .45. You move from the room and defend the top of the staircase. Now your in a position to protect everyone. If the children are downstairs and you are upstairs or vice versa you do what every father does. You cowboy up- grab the shotgun- and kill everyone in the house without your name. :aargh4:
 
#11 ·
Sorry man but gotta go with close it. That's my #1 since Mars (870) is behind the door.
 
#14 ·
Hate, to say it but she is right. My wife and I sleep with the door closed and our 2 month old son sleeps in his basinette in out room. Now, as we shop for a new home we will hope to find a house where the master bedroom is connected to another.
 
#15 ·
1) shut and lock the door ... for two reasons (two crazy cats) we can't just keep the door closed.
If you two have thought through the realities of a home invasion, then you realize keeping a strong permiter at all times is important. That includes the door, the casing, the locks/braces.

Got cats? So long as it wouldn't result in a line-of-sight issue between the BG and you, consider installing a small/custom kitty door that they can just squeeze through. That would unfortunately allow sound to pass through, but it would still leave a reasonable barrier, proof he/they were bent on a felony (when the crashed door becomes proof), etc.
 
#18 ·
Don't foget about the possibility of getting a good dog. My Belgian Shepherd "Wally" is my first line of defense. He's jet black with no other markings and quiet as a mouse until something happens. He sleeps at the top of the stairs near the bedrooms. He cornered my brother-in-law one night in the coat closet (it was the first and last time he visited). :hand10:
 
#24 · (Edited)
yep, me too, my yellow lab is a fiesty female, she's our early warning system (and she has worked in this capacty before)

now for the topic....if no kids, close it, if kids: you better have a plan with your spouse and kids, practice it and be ready before the SHTF.
In my case, the 3 yr old is right across the hall, the other end of the hall is the only way to our rooms from either front or back door and I will be covering this hallway with the Mossy and H&K while the wife (with her Glock) gets the kid to our room and we hunker down.
I really hope it never happens, because that hallway will be a nasty fire zone for any scumbag that enters!

edited to add: right now I have cheap hollow doors, I'm going to upgrade the master bedroom to a solid door, install a deadbolt that locks only from inside, and replace one screw in each hinge in door jamb and door, put a double-headed nail in the jamb side, one in each hinge will fit inside the hole where the screw in the door side of the hinge was, will provide some additional strength against door breach
I hope thats understandable since I just rambled on lol
 
#20 ·
Forgot about the 3 kids part...Part of your drill should be getting the kids into your room or one of theirs with MaMa in armed attendance dialling 911 from the cell phone as soon as the alarm sounds.
If that is not possible then find the best spot for area defence and have the cover points reinforced if possible. (this is thinking your room and kids rooms on same hallway).
 
#28 ·
He said that they weren't married.... so my FIRST bit of advice is this:

MARRY THE GIRL ! She seems like a keeper, with a smart head on her shoulders and someone who will be on YOUR side, keeping you out of trouble.

Marry her before someone else sees these fine qualities in her. Good luck, I wish you two a healthy, safe and long life together.

Joe L.
 
#23 ·
Different Point of View...

on the closed door. I keep my door open...but...I have TWO dogs. One is a 'Golden', and a great watch dog. No one walks anywhere near the house without her telling us. Now the other, is a 125# Rhodesian Ridgeback, and he can both 'write the check and cash it'...:danceban: ...You know what I mean Vern?
I don't worry about someone busting the door down. There's plenty of fire power in each night stand...and I have a great warning system! You just can't compete with a good canine for a home warning system! :congrats: Just the way we do thing around 'these parts'!
My $.03...inflation you know!

ret:knockedout:
 
#25 ·
crazy cats
You mean there's sane ones?!?

Just the wife and I and she'll need to wake me up for the alarm.
As to the kids? I'd arm 'em. But that's probably why I don't have any.

I've thought of putting in a real steel security door just for the master bedroom/panic room. Ditto on shutting it: "Just shout yer badge number and I'll have the 911 operator confirm it."
 
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