Hi,
I'm new here and need some advice on beefing up security on my house. I live in a brick row house with plaster interior walls. Whoever installed the front door made it flush on the interior side inside a substantial trim piece. I have no strike plate at present, and need to install a hefty one. The problem is that the screws for any strike plate align with the gap between the brick wall and the plaster. It looks like there used to be a strike plate as there is a hole there, but there would be nothing substantial for the screws to grab. My feeling is that the door should not have been mounted flush, but a couple inches inside the frame so that it could be secured. I'm not keen on redoing the entire frame so short of that I would like to find an extended strike plate, with screws a couple of inches over from the edge. I cannot find such a product, however they make "extended lip" strike plates which is the right concept but extends in the wrong direction.
What is your advise on this situation? I do realize the prudent thing would be a full redo of the door frame, but I am seeking all, and hopefully easier options. You can see from the photos what I am talking about. Thanks.
You can see in the last photo the joint between the brick and the plaster.