Best Way to Secure a Sliding Glass Door

They are both functional and decorative, but sliding glass doors also pose certain security weaknesses. It is easy to take care of securing your home or sliding glass doors, however. Here are the simple secrets that you need to know.

Weak Latches

You should already be in the habit of locking all of the exterior doors including the sliding glass doors to your home. The locks that are built into these doors are only latches and they are weak, at best. Burglars can get past these latches by manipulating them with their hands.

Secure Sliding Glass Doors

One way to add more security to sliding glass door is to add a steel loop lock to the top or the bottom of the door. You can also add a keyed patio door lock so that it is difficult, if not impossible, to jimmy the door open. You can easily install one with tools that you have around the house, or you can hire Houston TX locksmith services to help.

Concealment

Be careful of concealing your sliding glass doors. These doors are typically installed on the back of the house where they are blocked from view by trees, other structures or by fences. Thieves like this because this concealment gives them a better chance of entering without being noticed.

Add continuous monitoring using a vibration detector or a security alarm to the door. These will go off when the glass is broken or there is any other sign of manipulation to the door or lock. This type of alarm should be a secondary type of measure and not a replacement for a whole-house security system.

Temptations

Sliding glass doors let plenty of light into your home but they also give potential burglars a peek into your belongings whether they are HDTVs or works of art. Fix the temptation by hanging drapes or by installing blinds. Make sure to close them when you are not home. You can go one step further and install privacy film. This lets light in but makes it hard to see anything from the outside in.

Easy Track Dislocation

When you upgrade the lock on the sliding glass door, you have taken a good step in the security direction. Go one more step and make sure the door stays in place and does not get dislocated from the track. Wedge something into the track like a wooden dowel. This keeps the door from being pushed off the track and compromised. Some people do not like the look of a wooden dowel but you could opt instead for a home security window bard. These can withstand impact and they are easy and inexpensive to purchase and install.

Broken Glass

Some burglars do not even bother trying to pick a lock or dismantle it. They just break the glass and get inside the house. One solution is applying clear protection film. It keeps the glass from breaking easily. A burglar would have to work pretty hard to gain entry to your house. And, if you have your alarm system on, they will not get in before the authorities arrive to apprehend them. Most burglars will leave anyway rather than fight to break in.

Enjoy your sliding glass doors without giving in to the weaknesses that are present. Focus on overcoming these weaknesses by following the above tips. Some of these are easy to do on your own while others are better left to expert locksmiths.

If And When You Need A Houston Locksmith

Pop-A-Lock Houston is one of the best locksmith companies in the area and in all of Texas. When you are in need of more security for your sliding glass door or any other door of your home, give us a call or contact us and we will help you.