Sliding glass doors

[TheDude]

Curious how INGOers secure or what you use to secure these kind've doors. Have a freind who was burglarized with the entry point being these doors and wondering how to beef mine up.

 

[clt46910]

There are locking devices that block the door at the rails . Don't use a stick, they can be defeated easily.

 

[CarmelHP]

There are locking devices that block the door at the rails . Don't use a stick, they can be defeated easily.

Do you have a brand or source? I've been looking for something like that and have been unsuccessful.

 

[ddenny5]

These doors are easy to secure by drilling holes and inserting nails at the top, middle, and bottom of the door. However, they can still break the window. I would try to hide the fact that you have these doors from the outside using landscaping. Also, placing obsticles in the way also helps not that you are trying to hurt them but to discourge them from coming into you backyard like a privacy fence around you patio. Also, you may even be able to install an alarm system will go off if they try to force it open.

 

[rhino]

Mechanically blocking the door, either with screws/nails as mentioned above, or with one of those adjustable bars (we have one of those) will help.

Breaking is always a possibility, but keep in mind that doing so makes a lot of noise. Most won't want to do that. Another thing you can do is put one of those laminates/films over the glass to help make it a bit more resistant to shattering.

If I had the option, I'd replace sliding glass doors with solid core wood or steel doors. I value security more than I do having a nice view into the back yard.

Does anyone make a decent lock for sliding glass doors? Too many of them will open if you just wiggle the door back and forth a little, and that's not a good thing!

 

[TheDude]

Thanks for all the comments guys. My doors do have a lock but a bit of imagination would defeat them.

 

[mercop]

Breaking the glass out of the door in almost one big piece without making a bunch of noise just takes some forethought an training. One of the fastest ways to take a team into a house.

 

[w_ADAM_d88]

My locking device is a privacy fence with a 100 pound Lab inside the fence. They would have to get threw the fence, get threw the lab, then get threw the door, after that they would have to deal with me, unless of course I wasn't home.

 

[colt45er]

Mechanically blocking the door, either with screws/nails as mentioned above, or with one of those adjustable bars (we have one of those) will help.

Breaking is always a possibility, but keep in mind that doing so makes a lot of noise. Most won't want to do that. Another thing you can do is put one of those laminates/films over the glass to help make it a bit more resistant to shattering.

If I had the option, I'd replace sliding glass doors with solid core wood or steel doors. I value security more than I do having a nice view into the back yard.

Does anyone make a decent lock for sliding glass doors? Too many of them will open if you just wiggle the door back and forth a little, and that's not a good thing!

Thanks for all the comments guys. My doors do have a lock but a bit of imagination would defeat them.

Anderson and Pella both make good doors. There are all levels, but there higher end stuff is good. Also, the extra foot lock is nice to have. It basically replaces the old broom handle.

Now, with that said.....MANY of the sliding doors out there are installed incorectly. Generally there is a hook that comes from the door itself and hooks UNDER a pin in the frame. Many times these are installed upside down so the hook goes VOER the pin. This allows the door to unlock by lifting the moving panel up a little. Most doors can be installed to open on either side, left or right. Because of this, the handles are installed after the door is installed.

As for breaking, as Rhino stated this is very loud. I was sitting next to my sliding door when it caught a rock from the mower in the back yard. Sounded like a shotgun going off. This is far from the prefered method of entering.

All new doors should be tempered glass. Tempered glass is LOUD!! Now, as Rhino also stated, it is possible to get the safety film for the glass. It basically makes the door just like windshield glass.

 

[a.bentonab]

I realize that it is old and simple, but how can a big stick be defeated? no way can someone pull the door hard enough. The door can be lifted (if unlocked) about 3/4" or at most 1", so if you get a stick with a diameter of 1"+ I don't see how this isn't a simple, cheap, effective method? That said, of course breaking the glass is a loud option. I remember watching "how to catch a thief" once and to prevent people from busting out small windows next to a door and reaching through to unlock the door, they used a spray or maybe "painted" something onto the glass. It was really amazing in that the glass COULD NOT be broken. I think he used a crowbar and couldn't break the glass. I don't know if this could work on a whole door or not.

 

[samot]

I realize that it is old and simple, but how can a big stick be defeated?

I was wondering the same thing

 

[Fargo]

I realize that it is old and simple, but how can a big stick be defeated? no way can someone pull the door hard enough. The door can be lifted (if unlocked) about 3/4" or at most 1", so if you get a stick with a diameter of 1"+ I don't see how this isn't a simple, cheap, effective method? That said, of course breaking the glass is a loud option. I remember watching "how to catch a thief" once and to prevent people from busting out small windows next to a door and reaching through to unlock the door, they used a spray or maybe "painted" something onto the glass. It was really amazing in that the glass COULD NOT be broken. I think he used a crowbar and couldn't break the glass. I don't know if this could work on a whole door or not.

Its easy, you just lift the door out of the lower track with a prybar. Then, you slide it out of the upper track and set it silently to the side. Regardless of what kind of slide block you have, you MUST install set screws in the upper track to prevent them door from moving up high enough to be removed from the lower track.

Best,

Joe

 

[Eddie]

Its easy, you just lift the door out of the lower track with a prybar. Then, you slide it out of the upper track and set it silently to the side. Regardless of what kind of slide block you have, you MUST install set screws in the upper track to prevent them door from moving up high enough to be removed from the lower track.

Best,

Joe

I'm no door expert but I arrested my share of burglars back in the day. Most of them didn't bother to carry many tools. They would open a sliding glass door by placing both palms flat on the glass and shoving upwards. The door lifts up and the lock disengages. I did this once for a friend who had locked his keys in his house. He had a stick and the door lifted right up and over it.

 

[Paco Bedejo]

Good topic. I'm closing on a house at the end of this month & it has a big ol' sliding glass-hole in the side of it. I'm considering using some of my $8,000 Obama-money to replace the glass-hole with a wide-framed swinging door.

 

[IndyBeerman]

I realize that it is old and simple, but how can a big stick be defeated? no way can someone pull the door hard enough. The door can be lifted (if unlocked) about 3/4" or at most 1", so if you get a stick with a diameter of 1"+ I don't see how this isn't a simple, cheap, effective method? That said, of course breaking the glass is a loud option. I remember watching "how to catch a thief" once and to prevent people from busting out small windows next to a door and reaching through to unlock the door, they used a spray or maybe "painted" something onto the glass. It was really amazing in that the glass COULD NOT be broken. I think he used a crowbar and couldn't break the glass. I don't know if this could work on a whole door or not.

Unless it's really tight fitting, you can slide a coat hanger in between the doors and hook it and pull it up. I could come over and demonstrate just how easy it is to do it. Did it to almost all of my friends and relatives who had them after my aunts house was broken into when I was staying there and found out how they did it.

 

[6birds]

If I had the option, I'd replace sliding glass doors with solid core wood or steel doors. I value security more than I do having a nice view into the back yard.

I don't want to live in a shipping crate. You can, if it makes you feel better.

To the OP, the new bottom rail push locks, with a factory lock installed correctly, is about the best you can do. If they really want to enter, they will go to a window just as fast, jimmy the garage door (if attached), etc.

• Start with locked doors and windows, add motion lights around the perimeter.
• If you have the cash, add an internal alarm for broken glass or motion inside the house, with lights and noise.
• If you have more cash, pay for a service to monitor.
• If that doesn't do it, buy a shipping container, and weld it shut each night. (sarcasm font needed here)

Be safe.

 

[nahfuten]

1.5" PVC pipe + shatter resistant film on inside of glass

 

[littletommy]

The sliding doors we had when we moved here were a pain to lock properly, but I used a piece of 1x1 aluminum tube to wedge the thing shut when we were home. I finally tore the thing out and put in a steele door with half glass. It's not in an area we are in a whole lot, or can see from the rest of the house, just where we come and go from, so I didn't mind cutting down some of the view.

 

[Colt]

Sliding door security

This thread made me nervous. I have three sliding doors. I don't like them and plan on replacing them some day, but not now. I tried the lifting method and couldn't unlatch them. There seems to be a retainer on the latch to prevent this. I can understand how the coat hanger trick would be an easy way to defeat the stick, although I haven't tried it yet. I appreciate the tip. Cutting the stick a little too long and jamming it in place with the low end near the gap between the doors would seem to be an easy solution. If someone wants to start breaking glass, bars are the only solution. My dog is big but he wags his tail when approached by anyone, friend or stranger!

 

[furbymac]

post one of your better targets from your last range visit on said door and wala they see the target then run(or if you did poorly laugh and walk on in)