Should I get a screen for my front door?

[Melanie]

Would you feel safe having your door left open during the day if you were a SAHM? I really wish we had a screen for airflow, but then I think, "Would I really leave it open when we are home alone?" I know I could get a safety screen, but they just are not my style as far as looks or what they insinuate (i.e. like bars on the windows).

What do you think? Am I overly paranoid? I live in a generally safe area, but this is America, stuff still happens.

TIA

[searchdog]

I don't have a screen door, but I can tell you that I leave my garage door up most of the day and leave my front door unlocked when I am home and moving about. With that said if I am going to be upstairs for a prolonged period of time I do lock the door and also lock it when it starts to get dark. I realize I am probably taking a risk, but I trust my neighbors (we all watch each others houses) and DD and I are in and out so much through the day I just leave the door unlocked.

On a side note I do keep my car locked in the driveway, so go figure.

[bnme]

I am so curious to hear what others say! I leave doors and windows open all the time with out a thought - I am only concerned that kids can't get out, but never worry about anyone coming in. My DH and I are also in the habit of going out with the house unlocked and never locking the car. I feel very safe but I know I should be more careful. My thought is always "If someone really ones to get in, they'll find a way".

FWIW I live in the suburbs of NYC, about an hour away. Its very suburban and statistically safe, but not 'country' or small-town or along the lines of everybody knowing eachother at all. I would say most people probably do not keep doors locked while home but always lock up the house when leaving.

ETA: I am not saying that this is a good idea, just what we do!

[Melanie]

"FWIW I live in the suburbs of NYC, about an hour away. Its very suburban and statistically safe, but not 'country' or small-town or along the lines of everybody knowing eachother at all. I would say most people probably do not keep doors locked while home but always lock up the house when leaving."

That sounds similiar to where we live.

[bostonsmama]

I've wanted one for a while, but like you, I don't like the ones with the bars across the center. Also, I'm a compulsive dead bolt locker with my front door. Although I live in one of the safest areas in my city (with almost non-existent crime), an area a couple miles down the road had a home invasion where the lady left her front door unlocked because her husband was due to come home any minute and an intruder walked in off the street and raped and mutilated her. It was pretty awful...and after that, everyone bolt locks the front door.

But besides that, the day sun is just too hot to get a cool breeze blowing through the house. I like to wait until 5 or 6pm to open any windows, and by then my DH is home and I feel one million times safer!

So, if you can find a nice screen door with a strong metal frame that locks well, get it, because those with your DH home, you're bound to feel safe enough to use it. Or, do you have a back door you could put a screen door on. We lost our screen door for our sliding back door in a hurricaine, but we leave it open anyways on cool spring and fall days. Also, because my backyard fence is high & locked, I have less fear of someone walzing in or seeing inside my home.

HTH & sorry I'm so long-winded

[ribbit1019]

I live about 20 min outside of Downtown Cleveland, so that may be why I am overly cautious. But I deadbolt my door and never answer the door when I am home alone. Esp with DD. If DH is home, then he'll answer it. He grew up on the West Side of Cleveland and is a little more rough and tumble than I am. ;)
I know it sounds paranoid, but honestly, I have a peep hole and I will answer the door if it is a neighbor or someone I know, my family has keys to my house, and my friends will always call first. Anybody else can knock on someone else's door. :P
Now were it my parents house where there is more farm than houses and virtually no crime, I would get it in a heart beat for air circulation. But I feel safe there. If you don't feel safe, don't bother.

Christy
Maddy aka "Little Miss Squirmy Monster"

How old is Maddy? "UN! AAAYYYY!" ClapClapClap

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[Marisa6826]

I also live in the 'burbs of NJ. I have a big glass door (instead of screen) that I leave unlocked all day. I will only leave the second floor windows open at night, but lock all doors (and alarm the house) if we're gone and at night.

When I take a nap during the day, I lock the front door, but don't arm the alarm. If any door opens, the alarm panel chimes (we have one in our bedroom).

I don't think a screen door is necessarily unsafe. If somebody wants to get into your house, they will, KWIM?

-m

[Calmegja2]

This is what we have, and I would so pimp this out to anyone who would listen to me:

http://www.phantomscreens.com/

I do live in a suburb of a university town, but I'm literally in a subdivision that borders on farm country, if that matters. I never leave it in place if we're leaving the house...but if we're home and in and out of the house, you betcha we're using it.

[kristine_elen]

I've been debating this, too. We have a "screen" door but right now it's got plexiglass in it. I live in a pretty safe area, but every once in a while you hear about people who drive around looking for easy targets, and I'd say a screen door is an easy target. I'm thinking of getting the kind where you can have a screen and plexiglass and is adjustable so you'd have to do a *little* more work than just cut the screen (though not much). I wish this wasn't an issue.

[amp]

I'd really like to get one, and I think I'd feel safe most of the time with it open, but locked. We live in a very safe area and in a nice neighborhood. I'd close the main door if I wasn't going ot be in the main part of the house, and of course much of the summer here is too hot to leave it open, but I open windows often in the spring and fall, and a door isn't much different. Then again, I also have thought about a storm door as a 2nd barrier for those times I do open the door for someone (which I don't always do). I'd keep it locked, and hopefully the person would have another layer (albeit flimsy) to go through to get in, whereas just opening my door with no storm door/screen door, leaves me wide open. The reason we haven't is just that we haven't set aside a little money for it and have other priorities. I'd like to do it in the next year or so though.

[Wife_and_mommy]

I'm a security freak and always have the doors locked esp. if I'm home alone. If you're comfortable with your doors being unlocked, I'd go for it. Even if you are paranoid and only use it when dh is home, I think you'll still get some good use out of it. I'd like to put one on our front door and will do that when it comes up on the list.

Elizabeth

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A second baby blessing due early February 2006!

[zuzu]

Melissa, mom to Sarah (5/03)

[zuzu]

We have a storm door that is a screen covered with two panels of glass that can be raised and lowered at various intervals from the inside. (I'm not sure if I'm explaining this well - it's a pretty standard door - nothing special.) This door also locks, so I often slide open one of both of the glass panels to let in some fresh air and then lock it. I wouldn't leave the house without closing and locking the regular front door, but do this a lot when we're home. I live in suburban Maryland, and feel perfectly safe doing this. I think they also make similar doors with retractable screens, which probably look even better than ours does.

Not to sound defeatist, but I think if someone really wants to get into a house they will try - no matter how easy or difficult we make it for them.

Melissa, mom to Sarah (5/03)

[sugarsnappea]

We have a storm door that has glass in the winter, and a screen in the summer. I am more worried about my 4 year old taking off when it is open, than an intruder. My door has a deadbolt and I am considering getting another one to put on the top, where she can't reach. FYI- I live in a suburban subdivision.

[caridura]

I must be paranoid too, because I would NOT leave it open. Too many crazy things happen and I just don't feel safe doing it. I live in a nice, 'safe' neighborhood, but still don't feel safe enough to leave doors open.

[himom]

Here's something close to what we have:

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=21440-950-25162202&lpage=none

We had a screen door for a while but I wanted it locked because of DS and for some of the reasons below. The biggest problem with this was the lock was on the inside and when other household members tried to get in they were locked out. With security doors you can key or flip a deadbolt from the inside, but you can also open it with a key from the outside. I also like it because DS can get a good view of the outdoors while being perfectly safe, and we get a nice breeze through the door.

I'm not worried about someone who "really" wants to get in. That's what my pitt bull is for. ;) I'm cautious about being an easy target for the casual criminal.

I've had solicitors open my screen door, lean into my house, try to come in and sit down, etc and that really bothered me. Our neighborhood is very nice and is considered safe, but we still sometimes have rude sales people or people just looking for trouble. A woman was recently assaulted, tied to a chair, gagged, and robbed in the daylight very near here, and she told the news it was teenagers looking for quick cash and portable expensive stuff.

I just don't want to take any chances with DS here.

[Melanie]

That is what I was thinking of, the security door. However, I'm vain and my front door is so pretty (we've always lived places with plain ones but we put this one in ourselves with a decorative window, etc) and I don't want it covered.

I guess I need to chose safety, vanity, or no breeze.

Thank you to everyone for your responses!

[KrisM]

We have that as well. What is nice is that Andrew can lean on it and be leaning on glass, rather than screen. He stands at the door and watches cars and people go by quite often. It has a pretty good lock and we keep it locked when we are home.