Tips For Better Patio Door Security

Having a secure home is important to protect your family and your possessions. Most people will take steps to secure their front door, but often forget the patio door. The truth is, patio doors can be a weak point for intruders. Luckily, there are a few easy things you can do to greatly improve your patio door security and help you and your family rest easy. 

Add Blocking Bars

One of the easiest yet most effective ways to improve your patio door security is to install blocking bars. These are simply bars that sit in the tracks of sliding doors, and prevent the door from being opened.

This provides an additional level of security for sliding doors. If the latch or lock is broken the intruder would still be unable to get through the door due to the block. This would then require them to actually break through the door, which is far more effort and less subtle than just breaking through the lock, if they want to enter the home.

Best of all, these bars are quite affordable and take only seconds to install. Just make sure that you get one that is large enough to prevent the door from being opened. Too small, and a would-be intruder may be able to squeeze through the gap. 

Install Motion Activated Lighting

Installing motion activated lighting in the vicinity of your door is another great option. While it won’t stop a determined intruder, it will provide warning to movement and deter opportunists. People looking for easy scores at night may be turned off by a motion light going off.

Motion lighting also gives you an early warning that someone might be around. If the light goes off, you know there’s something out there that made it do so. It also gives you clues as to where they might be as well as better visibility at night. While not as effective, motion lighting can be used as part of a larger security setup. 

Use Double Glazed Glass

When installing new patio doors opt for those made of double glazed glass. This glass is built stronger, and is much harder to break than traditional glass doors or windows. 

Along with other measures, like blocking bars, a double glazed window can make it extremely difficult for an intruder to enter through your patio doors. It takes a lot of effort to break a double glazed glass door, and this gives you ample opportunity to react to the situation. That is, if they’re not already completely deterred by the needed effort in the first place. 

Add Security Films 

If you’re not quite ready for a full door install but still want to increase the strength, security films are another great option. These are vinyl films that you can apply to your doors that significantly increase its strength. The bonus here is that they can be applied to existing doors without needing to replace them, as well as being able to be cut to fit a variety of sizes.

There are different varieties of these available that vary in strength and opaqueness. Generally, the more opaque the more strength it will have. This does however come with the downside that it will obstruct your view. Most homeowners will opt for a translucent or semi-translucent film to strike a balance between visibility and security.  

Install a 3 Point Locking System

Another great security option that can be used for all your doors is a 3 point locking system. This replaces the existing lock, and provides a heightened layer of security. 3 point locking systems are much harder to break, and the added effort will often be enough to deter a criminal.

3 point locking systems provide up to 3 times the protection from break-ins compared to regular deadbolts. This means it’s much harder for a criminal to break or pick the lock, and gives you more peace of mind every time you lock your door. 

Put Up Blinds Or Curtains

While this won’t actually provide any extra security, it can help stop some crimes of opportunity. It follows the same advice as “keep your valuables out of sight” by limiting a criminal’s visibility into your home.  

Many crimes are that of opportunity, a criminal sees something valuable and decides in the moment to steal it. By adding something to hamper visibility, you prevent this type of crime from happening. It can also make it more difficult for a criminal to scope out your home. While not an actual security tip, it can nonetheless make you less likely to become a target. 

Utilize a Home Security System

Lastly, you always have the option to integrate your patio door with a home security system. These vary by provider, but often provide live monitoring and tools like motion sensors or alerts for things like open doors to protect your property.

These services also vary quite a bit in price, so it pays to do a little research to find a price and feature list that fits your needs. A nice perk about these services is they can often provide 24 hour monitoring, meaning if something happens when you’re not home they can help handle the situation. A full home security system isn’t for everyone, but for those looking for that extra peace of mind it can be helpful. 

Patio Door Security

While no method is 100% foolproof, taking active steps to secure your home is the best way to protect it. Criminals are always getting more crafty and devious, so we homeowners need to be constantly aware. The above tips should hopefully help you secure an often neglected entrance to your home, and help you sleep soundly at night.