The number one priority for many homeowners is the safety and well-being of their family. Various security measures are used to secure all the points-of-entry into a home, but there is often one point of entry that gets overlooked: the sliding glass door. Sliding glass doors are typically located in the back of a home, and 22 percent of burglars enter a home from the back, according to The Chicago Tribune.
Sliding glass doors are commonly used as the default back door for many homeowners, and they are surprisingly, quite easy to break into when the proper security measures aren’t taken.
The locks are easy to pick – Most sliding glass doors only come with one lock and a professional burglar can typically get around that pretty easily. For example, the Orlando Sentinel reports that many burglars have been known to pick standard sliding glass door locks with a flat-head screwdriver.
Sliding glass doors are largely silent – Because sliding glass doors slide back and forth on a track instead of opening and closing like a standard door with a hinge, they are much quieter to open and close. Burglars know this and they will always attempt to get into your home through the sliding door first.
Sliding doors are essentially giant windows into your home – Burglars also like sliding glass doors because they allow burglars to case a room from outside. Having an uncovered sliding glass door leaves your home open to attack. A burglar can take a quick inventory of a large portion of your home without even stepping inside.
These are the reasons why it’s extremely important to make sure your sliding glass door is wired into your home alarm system, which can be easily done by technicians from professional security companies. Homeowners can also install glassbreak sensors on sliding glass doors in case a burglar decides to shatter the glass. Wiring the security alarm system to your sliding glass door should be the first step in securing the sliding door, but here are some practical ways to increase your security and deter criminals from targeting your home.
1. Test Out Your Lock.
Most sliding glass doors will have a lock on the inside of the door near the handle. As a precautionary security measure, lock your sliding glass door and firmly attempt to open it from the outside. If it doesn’t budge at all, you’re good to go. If you notice a slight give or if you can visibly see the door open, it’s time to fix your lock. Consider hiring a professional to bolster both your lock and your door frame.
2. Install a Slide-Locking Bar.
While this may sound like a technically challenging installment, it’s actually very simple. You may even be able to find a metal bar or slab of wood in your garage that fits into the sliding door’s track on the inside of your home. After you lock the door for the night, simply slide the block into the track. This will further keep the door from being opened if someone does try to pick the lock. While the alarm will still sound, it can’t hurt to even further protect the point of entry.
3. Maintain the Tracks.
Many of us have seen what happens when the tracks on a sliding door become jammed or broken. The door no longer slides fluidly, but in a stop-and-go motion that can cause it to completely fall off the tracks. This is very dangerous, not only because there is a risk of injury, but because it compromises the security of a home. If a burglar can easily get your door off of its tracks, he or she could easily gain access to your home. Clean the tracks of your sliding glass door from time to time in order to prevent this from happening.
So, logically speaking, it’s very important for homeowners to properly secure their sliding door(s). Since there are so many beach properties on the Jersey Shore, it’s even more important for residents to make sure the sliding glass door on a beach home is secure… because burglars will often target it as an entry point, given how often beach homes are left uninhabited.