Springtime has finally arrived, which means summer isn’t far behind. Soon it will be time to throw all of the windows open to really enjoy the weather. If you’re lucky enough to have sliding glass doors, you’ll probably open them too – maybe for the first time in a year. When you do, I want you to do one thing. Look at your doors and think about how secure they are. Because sliding glass doors are one of the weakest points of most UK homes. Lots of them can just be lifted out of their runners! So before it’s time to use them, here are a few ways to secure them better.
Check Your Door Frame
When you had the sliding doors put in, hopefully the company involved checked your doorframe was suitable for a locking mechanism. If you’re considering sliding glass doors, this is a must. Since glass doors come in all sorts of sizes, shapes and styles, you’ll need to consider where on the door you want the lock installed, if you want them on one or both doors, and how you’ll be able to secure and use them effectively. All of the answers to these questions can be found in the doorframe.
Add Shatterproof Film
Even the toughest glass for these kinds of doors can be broken. Large panes of glass present an easy target for burglars, who can just hit the glass to break it and gain entry. This also makes them a safety hazard in your home. Between potential break-ins, rambunctious kids and general household accidents, there are a lot of ways you could end up with glass on the floor. Shatterproof films remove that risk. They give your doors an extra layer of protection, and make sure that if the glass does break, it still stays as one pane within the film.
Install a Sliding Glass Door Lock
This might be stating the obvious, but you really should have a lock on every sliding glass door. Even internal ones. If you do nothing else from this list, do this one. Specifically, install a lock that’s designed for sliding glass doors. These are attached at the top of the door -so children can’t get hold of them! They also make it impossible to force the door open, even when it’s locked on the gap to allow air circulation in.
Install a Deadbolt
Or a door brace. If you’re looking for even more security, then either of these will be a good option for you. Most sliding door styles will allow for the addition of a deadbolt, which stops the door from sliding back. A door brace makes sure that the doors stay in place however much force is applied. If you’re not sure, you can always ask us, since we supply and fit a wide range of locks.
Install CCTV
There was a time when CCTV was only installed in business premises. But now it’s become more and more common to see some form of CCTV in homes too. Ideally, you want cameras fitted at the front, back and side of your property for added peace of mind. You can do this yourself of course, but we would always recommend that you use a trusted security company to design and install the perfect system for you.
At My Locks, we get a lot of callouts for broken sliding glass doors, and pretty much all of them weren’t protected properly. If you’d like to find out more about protecting your doors this year, just get in touch with our team today to book a survey.