5 very easy steps to secure your sliding patio doors
Well I see you’re looking to secure your patio doors, great idea. When sliding patio doors first became popular for home owners, they also became popular for burglars. At first most people placed jamb bars to prevent the robbers to gain access after picking the patio door locks. Of course as it is in the profession of burglars to figure out how to break in to your home fast and easy, soon burglars began lifting the patio doors and removing it completely to gain an entry.
The later models of sliding patio doors have been reinvented to fit more rigorous security measures to make it harder for robbers to get access in to homes.
Here are 5 surefire things you can put into practice to secure your sliding patio doors. Some of the things you’ll need include:
• Patio door jamb bar with swinging hinge and saddle.
• 6 – 1.5 in pan head screws.
• Drill and drill bits
• Tempered screen-reinforced glass placement
• Alarm sticker
• Keyed interior patio door lock
• Interior dead bolt lock for sliding patio doors.
1) Install an alarm system if possible. This is not in your budget? Not a problem, you can easily buy an “alarm on premise” sticker and place it on the glass of your patio door, or a sign on your lawn. Make sure to place it where it’s very visible to would be burglars. The purpose is to give the impression that your home is protected by an alarm system, which in return will deter or turn off any hopeful robbers.
2) You need to have the glass replaced on you patio door with tempered glass. You will need an expert to do the job. Of course this is not an inexpensive option but it is sure to deter the hopeful burglars from breaking your glass door to gain entry.
3) You need to open you patio door completely and screw the 6 – 1.5 inch screws into the upper part of the door track. Make sure to drive a pilot hole before using the screws and place them evenly along the track. When placing the screws make sure to only go far enough to have the door operate without striking the screws. At the same time make sure that you leave them out far enough so that the track cannot be lifted.
4) Install the swinging hinge door jamb bar to the interior rail of the sliding door. Install the saddle in the interior of the patio door frame. Make sure to align the saddle to the end of the jamb bar in order for it to rest properly in the saddle. Once more use a drill bit to drive a hole prior to screwing anything in.
5) To finish install the keyed interior patio door lock at the bottom of the interior track to add even more security. This part is only for extra reinforcement of course, the jamb bar will already protect your home very well. I reiterate, use a drill bit to drive a hole before using a screw to fasten the door lock.
So there you have it, five simple yet effective steps to securing your patio door with little effort. As the years come and go something might change, obviously you want to stay ahead of the burglars to protect your home and family.
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