We frequently discuss how to secure ordinary doors, but what about sliding doors? If you live in a house with a glass sliding door, you probably appreciate how it makes a tiny area appear larger, lets natural light rush into the room, and creates an almost seamless visual link between the inside and outside. But a traditional wood, metal, or fibreglass door is just more secure than a glass sliding door. Glass is after all easily broken, and a robber who prefers to avoid creating a scene by shattering the pane could take care of the weak lock sliding doors in a flash.
Latches, not locks, are used on sliding glass doors. Even novice burglars may easily bypass the majority of factory-installed latches. The door might also be moved out of the way by being simply lifted off its track, which typically doesn’t even need the use of any tools. Of course, a standard brick is a burglar’s go-to tool for breaking into sliding doors. They only need one powerful toss to get inside your house.
So, how can you stop robbers from entering your home quickly through your sliding doors?
1. Block the tracks
Moving horizontally along upper and lower rails allows sliding doors to open and close. Placing an obstruction in the track to stop motion is thus one of the simplest ways to improve sliding door security. A potential burglar cannot move the door open from the outside while the blocker is in place. A child who is naturally interested or an elderly relative who is confused and prone to roaming would both be hindered by a blocker, two situations that worry many families.
Cutting a wooden broom handle or dowel of comparable thickness to a size that fills the bottom track while the door is closed will allow you to create a door blocker. Commercial solutions are available if you don’t care to do it yourself.
2. Add window film
Sliding glass doors are incredibly easy to break. We advise using window film to dissuade burglars. An uninvited visitor will have a harder time entering thanks to this polyethene covering that prevents a broken sliding glass door from breaking apart completely.
Just to be clear, with sliding glass doors, robbers are not our primary concern. We’ve read numerous interviews with former burglars, and the majority of them claim that they preferred to break into a house as quietly as possible. Therefore, vandals and other intruders might shatter your sliding door instead of burglars.
Window film might also be useful if you don’t want people to be able to see through your sliding glass door but don’t have any blinds or curtains. Some window films contain patterns that allow you to see outside but prevent others from seeing inside. Just be sure to read the specifications; window films that are both shatterproof and private are uncommon.
3. Install a security pin
Install a security pin to stop intruders from merely pulling your door from the track. Drill a hole through the sliding door’s frame and into the stationary door’s frame while the door is still tightly closed. Take caution not to drill completely through the hole. To keep the two doors together, insert a patio door pin made of hardened steel. You merely need to follow these directions; you don’t need to be extremely handy. Make sure that your door rollers and tracks are in good working order.
4. Add a sensor alarm
A simple way to secure your sliding door is by using alarm sensors connected to a home security system. The majority of alarm systems have door/window sensors, and these sensors track door opening and closing motions when fastened to the door frame. When a door is forced open, an alert rings and assistance is requested.
Glass break sensors are also included in several alarm systems. These sensors pick up the sound when glass breaks. Depending on your service provider and settings, the device will notify either you or your monitoring centre when it detects breaking glass.
5. Install a surveillance camera
We don’t always use security cameras as a solution. They frequently demand recurring subscriptions, are costly, and can be challenging to implement. A security camera, however, is a superior choice for a susceptible area like a sliding glass door. Burglars and other intruders are less likely to tamper with your sliding glass door if you maintain an obvious camera trained on it. They don’t want footage of their criminal activity to be released.
Conclusion
Although they bring beauty to any home, sliding glass doors come with some risks. They present a safety issue since they can be challenging to secure, making it difficult to keep both intruders and small children inside. Simply adhere to the security advice provided above to safeguard your sliding doors in the best possible manner without sacrificing appearance.
Have a look at How to Secure & Reinforce Your Front Door Security
