Securing Sliding Glass Doors

 

Sliding glass doors are an excellent asset to any home, as not only do they allow for easy entry and exits, but they allow glorious natural light to sail through your home. However, it should be said that sliding glass doors also represent a major home security threat, as they can be bypassed or forced open much more easily than the typical deadlocked front door. Here’s a guide on the best ways to secure your sliding glass door, as prepared by the security experts at Golden Locksmith.

Auxiliary Locks

The default latch locks that are often included with sliding glass doors are not secure, which is why we recommend installing a new lock onto your sliding glass doors. One great form of auxiliary lock is by placing a high security chain within the sliding door’s frame tracks. This makes it much harder for the door to be forced or maneuvered open by burglars, making the lock resistant to forced attacks like sawing or cutting. You can also decide to install a secure deadbolt onto your sliding glass door, or door loop locks. Just make sure that the extra lock you choose to install works well alongside the one that is currently in place.

Glass Strengthening

You can fortify the glass around your lock through the application of glass security film. This cheap and easy to install film can absorb forced impact while holding glass together and preventing it from shattering. This is a budget friendly, yet effective way to exponentially increase the security of your windows.

Motion Sensor Alarms

This is what is known as a secondary security measure. A motion sensor alarm will operate effectively to scare of or deter burglars who try to fiddle with your sliding glass door – and it does this well. However, it should be mentioned that you will likely have to deactivate this alarm every time that you want to operate your own sliding door.

CCTV Cameras

CCTV cameras are another fantastic and budget friendly option for a sliding glass door auxiliary security measure. Not only is the simple outward appearance of a security camera a fantastic deterrent against attempted burglary, it also gives you the ability to monitor your sliding glass door to see if anything is amiss – as well as review footage in case you notice that somebody has tampered, or attempted to tamper with your sliding glass door.

Shades

While the entire purpose of sliding glass door hinges on their ability to allow the free flow of natural light, their transparency can function as a security risk in situations when you’re not home – as they allow for potential burglars to look into your home and either see valuables that may tempt them, or assess the fact that you’re not home. It’s a great choice to install shades over the interior of your sliding glass doors so that when you’re not home, or when you go to bed, you can obscure them, preventing passersby to be able to see clearly into your home.