Good Patio Door Locks Help Make Your Sliding Door Secure
Patio Door Locks : Be sure of your patio door security.
A patio door is a marvelous thing to have. No other type of door or
window can let in as much light and air and make access to your patio so
easy.
On warm summer days you can wander from inside to outside at will.
Spend
time soaking up the sun, then pop inside to fix a refreshing drink.
When the weather is not so kind, stay snug and warm inside behind your closed patio doors, and enjoy the view of the outside.
However when it comes to home security patio doors can sometimes leave a
lot to be desired, patio door locks being only one of the weak points.
Older Patio Doors.
The good news is that these days patio doors usually come with better security than was the case a few years back.
Unfortunately
many of the older doors that are still in use have very poor locking
protection.
It was usually the case that patio doors were fitted
with single point locks (that were often little more than latches,)
whereas now you will often find manufacturers fitting multi-point locks as standard.
This one thing alone is an important increase in security.
With older sliding doors where the jams have expanded it may be
possible to lift the sliding section a little and detach the door from
the locking mechanism.
That’s a boon for the thief, but one heck of a nightmare for you.
Maintaining
the door rollers in top condition and carefully inserting a row of flat headed
screws in the upper track should prevent your patio door from being
lifted out.
The screws should not project so far as to prevent the door from running freely, you will need to adjust as necessary.
Patio Door Locks and Improving Your Security.
Perhaps the simplest thing to improve the security of a sliding door
is to insert a length of thick doweling, or broomstick cut to size, into the lower
track.
This simple ‘trick’ can prevent the door from
being forced open even if your patio door lock is defeated.
Fitting
patio door replacement locks may be an answer if you doubt the
effectiveness of your existing locks. This is not always a simple task
however, especially with vinyl or uPVC doors, if you are not that
skilled at DIY you may want to hire a craftsman to fit the locks for
you.
You should also be aware that drilling holes in vinyl or
uPVC patio doors could possibly void any manufacturer’s guarantee.
It
may be advisable to check with the manufacturer as to the appropriate
place to fit your extra patio door locks.
 Sliding Door Locks. When it comes to home security patio doors can sometimes leave a lot to be desired. |
There are many locks, latches and security devices available that do not
require much in the way of installation.
There are clamp locks, both
keyed and unkeyed, that can be fitted to the top and bottom tracks. Many
of these allow the sliding door to be locked open a crack for
ventilation, (do not leave your home with doors or windows open.)
Very popular is a foot operated patio door lock that almost anyone
would find easy to use. Also available are patio door bolts that you can
fit top and/or bottom to prevent the door being slid open.
A patio door security bar, or charley bar,
is a device that fits between the sliding door and the jam. Many of
these fold up out of the way when not in use but when ‘locking’ are
highly visible.
Any security device that is visible is a good thing
because a burglar will often not attempt to defeat it, and damage your
property trying, but look for a target that is less defended.
Glass and Patio Door Security.
Another option for the burglar, rather than trying to defeat your locks, would be to try to smash the glass, after all the pane is large enough for him to
simply walk in if he breaks it.
 
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In fact most burglars will not try this for a number of reasons. One reason is because the sound of breaking glass attracts an awful lot of attention.
Next time that you hear the sound of breaking glass, even if it is just
a dropped drinking glass or a bottle, notice the amount of attention it
gets, much more than a bump or thud.
Added to the risk of someone hearing the noise a burglar also risks cutting himself and leaving his DNA. However . . .
.
. .there is always a chance that a burglar may try smashing his way in
through your patio doors and the more remote your property is the higher
the chance.
Double glazed panes are a lot tougher to break but if yours
is single glazed you could replace with laminated glass or Install Window Security Film.
Enjoy your sliding patio door – safe in the knowledge that you have fitted patio door locks that will keep the burglar out.
Home Door Security
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Patio Door Locks.
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