Door Armor MAX Single Door Security Kit, Door Reinforcement Set for Jamb, Frame & Hinges, 5-Piece Door Lock Security, 30-Min Installation, Corrosion Proof, White

We moved in to a new house recently, and I decided the exterior door hardware needed to be upgraded. The strike plates and hinges were attached with 1/2” long screws, which is ridiculous but seems to be common on newer houses. Basically we had privacy doors, one good kick would probably be enough to pop them open. After looking at some options I decided to try the Door Armor product. I initially ordered one set to try installing on the side door going out of the garage, because I wanted to try it out on a door where we weren’t really worried about appearance (which my wife was particularly concerned about).Shipping was prompt and the product arrived well packaged and in good condition. One note about that, the long (40”) door jamb reinforcement piece appeared slightly curved but it turned out the metal is pliable enough that it flattened down just fine when screwed into the door jamb.Installation was relatively straightforward and trouble free. I would say this job requires basic handyman skills. The first set I installed took about an hour, but that included gathering up tools and beer breaks, ha ha. There are a couple of things you need to be really careful about though. First is getting everything lined up properly, and marking where the screws go in with some precision. This is where a helper can be handy. The second thing is DRILL DEEP ENOUGH PILOT HOLES FOR THE SCREWS. Sorry to yell with all caps but this part is really important. These are long (3.5 inch) screws, and only 1/8” diameter. Without good pilot holes there is a pretty good chance of breaking the screws or stripping out the head when trying to drive them in. The first set I installed I only had a standard length drill bit that would only go in maybe 2”, and getting the screws driven all the way down got a little sketchy. For the second set I bought a 6” long bit, it cost $3.00 and I highly recommend it for this project.Once installed, the only thing that can be seen from outside with the door closed is the pieces that go over the edge of the door to protect the lock sets. With the door open the large jamb plate and the hinge reinforcement plates can be seen, but they are not obtrusive or ugly. The color we got matched our door hardware pretty well. When my wife saw what it looked like on the garage side door, she gave me permission to install this on our front door, so I have now installed two sets. I feel a lot better now knowing that if someone wants to break in through our exterior doors they will probably need to bring a battering ram or a sledgehammer instead of just kicking it once or twice.

Product: I purchased this product after buying a house that has a back door that opens directly in to one of the bedrooms. I wanted to reinforce the door frame for peace of mind knowing it could not be kicked in since the back of the house is relatively out of sight for someone to easily do so otherwise. I am very pleased with this product. The metal is very thick and solid. Having the option of multiple color finishes was nice to be able to match the color of the door to blend well. Even if the color didn’t blend, fully installed, it doesn’t stand out much anyway. (Pics below are in an unfinished room and of an unpainted door so it is deceptively noticeable). Installation was relatively easy, with one exception. The 9/64” drill bit you will need to screw the plates in (not included) needs to be much longer than the regular length bits you can find readily available at a local hardware store. Since the screws are so long and thick, they tend to bind and not be able to be screwed in fully unless you buy an abnormally long drill bit for your pilot holes. I purchased a “Bosch BL2636 Black Oxide Drill Bit, 9/64 Inch by 6 Inch;” also on Amazon and it worked out great with a little muscle. After getting the proper drill bit, installation only took about 30 minutes, moving at a slow pace.Packaging: The pieces came in a long box and were wrapped well in padding and plastic; so much so that it could have been thrown around in a delivery truck at the metal pieces probably wouldn’t have been scoffed in the slightest.Overall I am happy with this purchase and would recommend it for the price. From the research online I had done beforehand, it is about $20 to $40 less expensive than most other products that are comparable. After full installation and inspection, I am confident that it greatly enhanced the security and strength of the door. I will be purchasing again for other entryways in the future.

*UPDATED*Seller corrected this issue very quickly. Excellent customer service and solid product. Quick and easy install. Just be careful not to strip the screws.Ordered the MAX version, which is supposed to include the hinge covers. Was only sent the MINI version (no hinge covers). Quality does seem to be good though.