Securing Sliding Glass Doors

Sliding glass doors present a very appealing target for burglars. They are probably the weakest point of a house’s defenses. These doors usually employ a latch system as opposed to the stronger locks found on normal doors. They also slide back and forth on tracks and can be lifted off those tracks and removed altogether. If you have an older sliding door you should have it replaced. Newer ones tend to be much sturdier and not quite as easy to get past. Here are a few things you can do to help secure these entry points.

• Place ant-lift devices like blocking pins to prevent the door from being lifted off the tracks
• Use window/door sensors and glass break detectors
• Place window security stickers in clearly visible locations on sliding doors
• Use blinds or curtains so a burglar cannot see through the door
• Use motion detectors

Anti-lift devices can usually be found at a local hardware store. The most important thing to remember is that they are not enough to secure your home by themselves. They should be used in addition to an alarm system with the motion and glass break sensors.