Sliding doors can be a beautiful addition to any home, but they are not always the safest doors when it comes to keeping out intruders, especially if they’re made of glass. Most of the time sliding doors provide backdoor or side door access, which means that not everyone considers the security of them, which is a big mistake.
Sliding doors can often provide a very good view into your home, from neighbours to intruders. These are easy targets for burglars, so don’t make the mistake of being negligent when it comes to the security of your home.
We at United Locksmiths want to make sure that you have all the tools you need to safely secure your sliding doors. Read on below for our top 4 tips to keep your sliding doors safe.
1. Get Proper Sliding Door and Roller Door Locks
While this may go without saying, many backdoor and sliding door locks are often inefficient, broken or out of date. A good, strong lock is your first barrier to protecting your home against intruders. Sliding door locks are often easily forced open, so thieves will target these first. If your door is not easily opened and your lock not easily broken, you have put up a first line of defence against any intruder. Burglars thrive off of speed and stealth. The more obstacles you put up for them, the harder it will be for them to break in and the easier they’ll give up.
2. Block the Tracks
To operate a sliding door, you’ll have to move the door along a set of tracks. The doors are fitted with a set of rollers, usually on the top or bottom, or both. If the latch can be easily compromised, you’ll want to have a back up plan. The best thing you can do is to put a bar into the tracks of the door when it is closed. Measure the bar before you place it so it is an exact fit. This bar can be made of anything, like metal or wood. It is simple and cost-effective, but it is still a very good way of keeping intruders out of your home.
Take your measurements to any hardware store and someone there will be happy to help you by cutting a bar to your precise measurements.
3. Chain Link Your Handles
If you have a sliding door that parts in the middle, try running a taut and short chain link through the handles when the door is closed. This will lock them together and prevent any outside intruders from parting your doors. If you have a door that opens from one side and therefore has one handle, you can still use this method, you’ll just have to do a bit of home improvement first.
Try attaching a handle to the wall where the door closes, and then using this as a stable base for your chain. Of course, you don’t have to use an actual chain. Bike locks could work just fine as well.
4. Reinforce Your Glass
You could have done all of the suggestions above, but what if you’re away for the weekend? Some burglars are more persistent than others and won’t hesitate to simply break your glass sliding doors and enter. That is why it’s a good idea to reinforce your glass doors using a protective layer of glass film. You can even buy some that have tints so that people cannot look through your windows.
The films are made to be durable and handle intense pressure, both to prevent break-ins and to protect your glass against strong winds or any damage from natural disasters. These are great to go in conjunction with the above listed security measures.
United Locksmiths is here to help with all of your security needs. For more information on how to reinforce your sliding doors, or for installation of good sliding door and roller door locks, contact us today.