Sliding Doors
Sliding doors add both a decorative and space-saving element to your home. Because these doors open sideways, they conserve space and are best installed in rooms that do not have the need for a regular door. Sliding doors made of glass, allow the natural light to easily enter your house without requiring a full door frame to be installed. While the doors add beauty and space-saving features into your home, their wide-open presentation leaves them as a possible easy entryway to thieves. Sliding door locks operate differently than regular door locks. The door moves along tracks usually made of wood, metal, or vinyl. There are usually rollers on the bottom of the door to facilitate the movement of the tracks. The locks are mostly latches that are not as secure as a regular lock and can be jiggled open much more easily. Because some people forget to lock their sliding doors, and the locks are easier to pick than regular doors, homes with sliding doors become more prone to theft.
How to secure your sliding door locks?
- Install security bars in the door - These affordable, durable, metal bars keep the door locked into place and don’t involve any additional construction.
- Upgrade your glass - Sliding doors made of glass are prone to break-ins since the burglar can smash the glass and enter your home. Consider installing durable glass that is “hurricane-proof” to prevent the glass from being easily broken.
- Have your sliding tracks checked regularly - Tracks can break easily, and when that happens, it is easier to break in through that doorway.
Remember to always lock your sliding doors, especially when they are not in use. and install precautionary safety measures to prevent theft.
