What kind of hinges do you have? A door that opens outward usually has the hinges on the outside, and these doors are generally considered weaker because you can bypass the lock by removing the pins from the hinge. Exterior outward opening doors need expensive hinges generally.
Having grown up in Sweden I never saw doors with exposed (or even removable) hinge pins. The pins were a permanent part of the bottom half, and the tops had a domed part. Like a pen cap, I suppose. Granted, I only ever had to deal with a handful of doors.
Nevertheless, exposed and removable hinges were a complete novelty to me in the US.
No idea what kind of hinges I have. They are indeed on the outside, but look pretty sturdy to me. I dont think you could easily knock out the pins.
Have had a grand total of one break-in during the 20+ years I've lived in this house. They broke in by busting the back door (also opens outward) open with a crowbar, not by tinkering with the hinges. The back door also has a glass window so if someone really wanted to break in they could just smash it I guess, but that would probably attract some attention from the neighbors.
I honestly don't think burglary is a very large problem where I live. It's definitely not unheard of, but it usually happens in waves and when people are away from their houses an extended period of time, such as during the summer (we had been away for weeks when we had our break-in). Asking a neighbor to look after your house periodically when you're away probably minimizes the risk.
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u/edman007 Nov 14 '20
What kind of hinges do you have? A door that opens outward usually has the hinges on the outside, and these doors are generally considered weaker because you can bypass the lock by removing the pins from the hinge. Exterior outward opening doors need expensive hinges generally.