It is a no-brainer that sliding doors are a sleek and functional design that adds glamour to a home. But how safe are they? In reality, sliding glass doors can be challenging to secure and pose a safety problem when trying to keep intruders outside and kids and pets inside—they can not compare a sliding glass door to a traditional metal door or even a wooden door.
In this article, we’ve laid down five cool ways to secure your sliding door without sacrificing aesthetics.
Ensure You Use High-Quality Glass
The first and most crucial tip is to ensure that your sliding glass door is made from high-quality glass. This will ensure that the glass does not shatter easily. When shopping for glass for your sliding door, you will notice different types in the market.
Some are stronger than others. For example, a tempered glass door (which is very popular) easily shatter into small shards upon impact. In contrast, laminated glass tends to be more vibrant and remains in place with minimal damage even with high impact. If you already have a door, you can consider having a sliding door replacement.
Reinforce the Glass
Alternatively, reinforcing your already installed sliding door can give it extra strength. You can fix sliding glass door by applying a security film or a shatterproof film to the insides of the glass. These thin vinyl films act as shields and add a firm support layer to the glass, making it difficult to break. This keeps the burglars away and protects against strong wind and other environmental hazards.
In addition, some brands offer films that are opaque enough to prevent anyone from seeing inside while still allowing enough sunlight to seep through—therefore allowing you to enjoy maximum privacy while still enjoying the beauty of your glass door.
Glass Door Lock
Well, if you don’t have it already, you should consider installing a sliding glass lock. These locks work in addition to the regular door locks to reinforce security. They are installed on top of the sliding door where the stationary and sliding glass doors meet.
Sliding glass doors are an excellent way to ensure that any unauthorized person can’t open the door from the outside and kids can’t open it from the inside.
Alarm System & Glass Break Detector
Lately, it has been common practice for homes to have a functional alarm system. In fact, studies show that it is less likely for burglars to invade a home with an alarm system. Therefore, if you already have an alarm system (or plan to install one), request the technician connect a wire to your sliding door. This way, you will be notified if someone tries to break in through the door.
In addition, we recommend adding a glass break detector to the glass. This is an efficient way to trigger the alarm as soon as someone tries to break the sliding glass door glass.
Use Security Bar
Another simple and efficient way to reinforce the security of your sliding door is to use strong metal bars (or wood) that fold into place and brace against the door to lock it into place. This is a simple DIY sliding glass door repair that can help you save a few bucks while still keeping your door safe.
Another option is installing a barricade that prevents the door from opening from the outside. But keep in mind that you can remove and install a metal bar whenever you want, but a barricade is permanent. To check your glass sliding doors for security, you can always call 24hr Sliding Door Repair professionals at 877-299-9179.