Sliding doors are a beautiful add-on to any home, however, pose a security-risk. Because they can be difficult to secure, they pose a safety problem, especially when it comes to break-ins. If you happen to have a sliding door installed in your home or you are someone who plans to get a sliding door installed to your home, we recommend that you read through this article to find out how you could maximize security. 

1. Install A Security Bar

One of the best ways to secure a sliding glass door is.. you guessed it - to keep it from sliding. Luckily in our day and age, there is quite a large variety of security bars or “Charley bars” available that do just that. Security bars are typically placed in the track of the sliding glass door, whereas charley bars are placed further up the door and mounted with screws. This allows for the bar to easily swing in and out of place. What's awesome with security bars is the fact that it is simply a two-minute install. With the Charley bar, you’ll need to have a drill to screw in one side, but after that, simply adjust the bar to the correct height and push it into place.

2. Install A Sliding Glass Door Lock

This is probably the most common option that individuals opt for. The strongest way to secure your sliding door is with a sliding door lock. These locks are installed at the top of your door at the point where the stationary glass and the sliding glass door meet. These locks work in addition to the door locks and can only be opened by an adult or tall child. They are so safe that they make it almost impossible to jam the door open, from either the inside or the outside. Most of these locks come with two locking positions: one that will completely lock it and a second that will let you lock the door in place at either 3 or 6 inches open to allow for ventilation.

3. Install Smart Sensors

This is a great option for our smart-home homeowners who wish to add extra protection to their home. If you want to take things one step further, consider installing some form of electronic security. This option is usually less effective when it comes to stopping a break-in but is a great alert system. Most of the electronic options are sensors that you place on your doors, and you can get door sensors that are part of a larger home security system. These monitors will alert you whenever an intruder is in the vicinity of your sliding door. It will do so by sounding an alarm or by sending a notification to your phone. Such smart sensors work well with almost all sliding door options, such as: glass or french sliding doors, and etc. 

4. Get A Security Door Brace For French Doors

As much as these windows are beautiful, extravagant and VERY wide, they may serve as an opening for unwanted viewers. Due to that, they pose unique challenges when it comes to security. Like sliding glass doors, the locking mechanism isn’t always the strongest and the amount of glass surrounding the lock makes it easy for a burglar to work around. The best way to secure French doors is to literally stop the doors from opening with a security brace. What's great about braces is that they are able to withstand a lot of force and pressure. They help keep the doors from opening by simply holding them in place. Even if the glass is broken and the doors are unlocked, a brace will hold them in a closed position.

5. Consider Covering Your Doors

Simple, yet smart, covering your doors can do the job just fine. Most people love the natural light and views their sliding glass doors and French doors let in, but sometimes it’s those very views that make the doors unsafe. They offer a wide-ranging look into your home so anyone can see practically anything that's valuable. A simple fix for this problem is covering your doors with some sort of curtain or drape. Most people opt for long, vertical blinds due to their easy opening and closing mechanism. However, these break easily—especially if you have pets or children. Other stylish and functional options include sliding panels or shutters, which allow for opening and closing but aren’t as flimsy as vertical blinds.

Conclusion

We hope that after reading this article, you have gained a better understanding of how you can best protect your home. Sliding doors are a beautiful piece, to any home. But like anything beautiful and pleasing, there is some sort of deficiency in some other factor, such as its security. 

Like mentioned above, there are several different ways you can maximize the security of your home through securing your sliding door. Although, note that additional security measures go beyond this list. We suggest you research further if did not happen to find the option that best works for you. 

Like always, Supreme Sliding Doors License Number CGC1534581 is here to assist. If you wish to speak to a sliding door specialist regarding any of your safety concerns, feel free to call one of sliding door specialists at (813) 444-2076 and we will be more than happy to assist.