Oak Brook Quick Locksmith: Security With Sliding Glass Doors
Anyone with a property that they are responsible for wants to keep it protected. You will make sure to cover all the basics, like the front door and its sturdy locks. You also might think about your garage door being a potential point of entry into your home. Many even consider locking their windows. But one thing you don’t want to neglect is your sliding glass door. What do you know about security with sliding glass doors? Oak Brook Quick Locksmith is here to discuss security with sliding glass doors, and hopefully provide you with guidance if you are looking for assistance. Of course, if you are in Oak Brook, IL you can give us a call to schedule an appointment!
A sliding glass door is going to have small latches which connect onto a metal piece in the frame of the door. Said latches operate via moving a lever and they are simple to open. Unfortunately, here is what this means for homeowners: the security on sliding glass doors as they come just isn’t adequate. You will need a higher level of security and one way to obtain this is through a deadbolt lock. You’re probably wondering why a sliding glass door needs security and what components could be used to break in. Here, we will discuss weak points of your sliding glass door.
The Sliding Glass Door Tracks
The tracks are what the sliding glass door operates on. Tracks are there instead of hinges. Therefore, a criminal could easy manipulate them and remove them altogether. Simply using a crowbar could raise the door right off the tracks. This is a security flaw that can’t be overlooked.
A View Right Inside Your Home
One of the benefits of a sliding glass door is also one of the downfalls. It allows you a clear view of the outside world – which can certainly be beautiful and relaxing. The problem is, while you are admiring the beautiful trees and flowers outside, there could be someone scoping out the inside of your home. This makes a sliding glass door a risky point of your property.
The Sliding Glass Door’s Panels
Of course, the glass panels are a nice perk of a sliding glass door – with the big, single plates of tempered glass, you can see right outside. But again, people can also see inside. Another issue with tempered glass is that if it breaks, it won’t necessarily break into big pieces. Rather, it’s going to break into small pieces without edges that are sharp, so a criminal could easily get in through your sliding glass door upon breaking the glass, and they won’t necessarily have to worry about getting hurt in the process.
Sliding Glass Doors Are Often Out of Plain Sight
When we say sliding glass doors are often out of plain sight, here is what we mean – they are frequently in the back of your home, where you won’t have a lot of neighbors with eyes on your property. Sliding glass doors typically go out back and lead to a patio or deck. Maybe you even have a fence that wraps around your yard, making it hidden even more. If someone were to try to break in to your property through the sliding glass door, a neighbor might not see them do it.
Do More Than Just Standard Locks
Now that you know a sliding glass door does little in offering protection for your property, and actually might be a weak point even though you love the view it offers, we are here to provide you with some tips on how to keep it secured. Securing your sliding glass door and making sure it has the right security is very important. You need to install locks that work and allow you to unlock and lock your sliding glass door from the outside. A standard sliding door lock might not be enough. You might want to consider flush mount handle sets in combination with a locking cylinder. You can also have other locking mechanisms installed, like an anti-lift lock. There are locks made to be attached to the bottom or top of the sliding glass door, too. A hinged bar can prevent the sliding glass door from being able to slide open.
Apply A Film
Another option to better secure your sliding glass door is to apply a film that still allows you to see outside, but does not allow potential criminals to see right inside of your home. If your sliding glass door opens right to your kitchen, a potential intruder could easily see that no one is home, especially if they have been scoping out your property. Maybe you have curtains but you want them open during the day to allow natural light inside. This is completely understandable – so have the film installed to be used during the day, then at night when the film is not effective, just pull the curtains closed.
Impact Glass
You can also use impact glass. This basically adds another layer of security to the sliding glass door. A person could break the initial layer of glass, but would have a difficult time getting any further. The hope would be that this would deter a criminal from trying to continue to get into your home.
So now you know that you have options to better secure your sliding glass door, from new locks, a locking cylinder and so on. Oak Brook Quick Locksmith hopes that you have found this information regarding security with sliding glass doors to be useful, and hopefully we have provided you with the guidance that you needed. Of course, if you are in Oak Brook, IL feel free to give us a call to schedule an appointment or to have us look at your sliding glass door. A locksmith will be able to install the aforementioned security locks and more. Don’t ignore this part of your property – you need sliding door locks!