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Sliding glass doors are a great addition to any home. They bring in a lot of extra light and allow for easy access to one’s yard or back deck. For homeowners that like to entertain, having a wide entrance in and out of one’s home can be great for dinner parties and get-togethers. However, just as with any other entrance to your home, you will want to make sure you properly secure your sliding glass door. Whether you are a homeowner or live in an apartment with a sliding glass door, there are several things you can do that are simple and cost-effective.
Homeowners that want to increase their sliding glass door security can always replace the handle and door lock that is already on the door. This might be a good idea if the lock is starting to wear down, is not working properly, or is several years old. A latch and lock replacement can help reinforce and strengthen your sliding glass door once again.
Apartment dwellers should speak to a property manager if they are concerned with how their sliding glass door lock is functioning. Replacing the sliding glass lock yourself may be against your apartment contract. It is always important to address any safety concerns you may have with management and request a new lock if necessary.
You can purchase an additional lock for your sliding glass door. Patio door locks are inexpensive and easy to install. Adding an extra lock is a good idea, especially for patios that are on the first floor. Without a reinforcing lock, the latch lock on the patio door alone may not be strong enough to stand-up to a break-in.
This is a very common thing for homeowners with sliding glass doors to do. By placing a dowel in the tracks, you effectively stop the door from being opened. Even if someone were to break the handle and the lock, they would not be able open the door because the dowel is in the way. You can purchase dowels that are specifically made for sliding glass doors or go to a hardware or home improvement store and purchase a wooden dowel that fits in your door tracks.
Door alarms are another good installation you can make to help increase your sliding glass door security. They are small and hardly noticeable, yet will do a great job at alerting you if and when there is any kind of break-in. Door alarms are great because they not only let you know when something is wrong, but they are likely enough to scare off any intruder before they enter your home and have the chance to either steal from or harm you.
Since sliding glass doors can be shattered, reinforcing the glass is important if you want to increase security. Glass protection film is a good option if you are concerned with someone potentially breaking the glass. Protection film is made of translucent, polyester material that is shatter-proof. Even if a brazen criminal were to place repeated blows to your sliding glass door with a rock or weapon, their efforts will fail to shatter the glass completely. They will also wake up anyone in the house in the process of trying to shatter the glass.
Keeping your assets hiding is a simple way to keep thieves from being tempted to break-in to your home. If others are unaware of what is inside your home, you will be less of a target. One easy way to keep your assets private is to make sure your sliding glass door has blinds and curtains. Most homeowners already have blinds or curtains for their sliding glass doors, but if you do not, it would be a wise choice to invest in both.
If you are extra concerned and do not want anyone to be able to see inside your sliding glass door at any time, you can purchase privacy film to place on the glass. Privacy film makes it so that anyone looking into your sliding glass doors can only see a distorted or blurry image of what it inside. This kind of installation can be a good alternative for homeowners that do not want to have to worry about having their blinds or curtains covering their windows all the time for safety reasons. With privacy film, you can have peace of mind knowing that no one can see inside, even when the curtains and blinds are pulled back. You can let light into your home without worrying about who may be looking inside.
If you have any additional questions about how to improve your sliding glass door security, contact a locksmith in your area. It might even be beneficial to schedule a consultation with a locksmith, which will help you determine which security enhancements will benefit your home specifically. A lot of locksmiths even offer free consultations to new customers, so you can receive an expert opinion on how to improve your security at no extra cost to you. Call around in your area to find the right lock and key expert that can meet your needs.