Four Security Tips and Ideas for Mobile Home Owners

If you live in a mobile home, you may need to consider a few different things about home security than someone who lives in a traditional home. Wondering how to ensure your mobile home is safe? Here are some tips on locks and security:

1. Add a deadbolt to your door

In many cases, mobile home doors come standard with a simple knob that locks. To bolster the safety of your door, add a deadbolt to it. In most cases, you can add your own deadbolt -- you simply need a tool that can help you cut a hole in the door and a notch in the frame. Alternatively, you can have a locksmith add the bolt for you.

2. Consider replacing your door

In order to be effective, the dead bolt needs to be in a sturdy frame. Otherwise, a potential thief could simply push the door open by using a lot of force and ripping through the frame. To eliminate that risk, consider replacing the door and door frame in your mobile home.

Ideally, you want a solid core or metal clad door with a solid wood or metal security door frame. Also, insist on a peephole in the door so that you can see anyone who comes to your door.

3. Add security screens

If you have a screen door on your front door, consider replacing it with a more secure option. In particular, consider a locking storm door with a security screen. That way, you can leave open your main door, let the fresh air come through your screen door and not worry about thieves being able to break or cut through the screen.

Additionally, as most of the windows in a mobile home are accessible from the ground, you may also want to replace your existing window screens with security screens.

4. Make sure the house is not mobile

A unique threat that mobile home owners face is that an enterprising thief could simply take the whole house. To ensure that doesn't happen, remove the wheels from your mobile home when storing it in one place for a long time, and put the house up on concrete blocks. If that is not possible because you are only staying in the area for a short time, make sure that your coupler is locked so that no one can connect your mobile home to their hitch and haul it away.