A “push-in” is exactly what it sounds like: an intruder waits for the moment you open your door — for a delivery, a stranger with a question, a face you half-recognize — and forces their way through the gap before you can react. No picked lock, no broken window. The door was open, and then they were inside.

It’s one of the most common ways intruders get into occupied homes, and it works because it targets the one moment your locks are doing nothing at all. Here’s how to close that window.

1. Know who’s there before the door moves

Every push-in starts with an open door, so the first layer is information. Use the peephole or a camera every time, even when you’re expecting someone. If you can’t identify the person, the door stays shut — you can hear someone just fine through it.

2. Never rely on a chain

Door chains look reassuring, but they mount to the door trim with short screws and give way to a single hard shove. Treat a chain as a courtesy signal, not security hardware. If your plan for a partially open door is a chain, your plan is one kick long.

3. Control the gap

Most people think of a door as either locked or open. The dangerous zone is in between — and that’s exactly where push-ins live. If you need to accept a package or talk to a visitor, you want hardware that physically limits how far the door can travel while staying anchored to the structure of your home. That’s the design idea behind The Guard: its Pass-Thru mode lets the door open several inches for packages, airflow, or conversation while the arm — anchored into the door’s header, the strongest point of the frame — stops it from being forced any further.

4. Harden the frame, not just the lock

When doors fail, it’s usually the frame that gives — the thin strip of wood the strike plate screws into. Replace short strike-plate screws with 3-inch screws that reach the wall studs, and consider a heavier strike plate. A strong lock in a weak frame is a strong lock on the floor.

5. Make your home a boring target

Push-ins favor predictable routines and low visibility. Good exterior lighting, a visible camera or doorbell, and a habit of not opening the door for unscheduled visitors remove the easy opening an intruder is counting on. If something feels off, it costs you nothing to keep the door closed and say so through it.

If someone pushes anyway

Don’t try to win the shoving match — doors are levers, and surprise favors the attacker. Get distance, get loud, and call 911 as soon as you’re able. Everything above is about making sure that moment never arrives: see them first, keep the gap controlled, and make the door part of the wall.

The Guard — BeeStop’s multi-position security lock — was designed by our family for exactly this scenario. See how it works.