Making French Doors More Secure

Slide bolt or flush bolt for securing the passive doorbut french doors also have specific security concerns that make them more vulnerable to burglary than a standard door.
Making french doors more secure. All patio doors including french doors are more often left unsecured. Always lock your doors almost half of burglaries do not require a forced entry. First make sure the screws are tight. Its major advantage is that it doesn t rely on the sturdiness of your door instead it uses the strength of the floor.
This alone will make it a lot more difficult for a burglar to force the doors open. Improve security by adding slide or barrel bolts to the top and bottom. Make sure you have working locks on all windows. So to secure a french door you need to reinforce the glass.
If you re considering installing french doors or if you already have them here are some important measures you can take to keep your home secure. Deadbolt locks on the doors should have at least. Install an entry door viewer so you can see who s knocking before opening the door. Adjust track clearance so the doors can t be removed from their frame.
Secure the inactive door many french doors feature a simple lock joining the active and inactive doors together in the middle. Installing a door barricade can also come in handy. In case of vacant properties installing an alarm system or security camera is recommended on top of these options. Glazed or semi glazed doors can be made more secure by fitting a decorative metal grille on the inside or putting security film on the back of the glass.
Next check the doorjamb and both strike plates. Then upgrade the locks by replacing a poor cylinder lock with a better one or adding a multi lock system to the door. The hinges on your doors should have screws that are at least three inches long which will keep the doors more securely connected to the doorframe. If it extends less than 1 in or if it s wobbly a new deadbolt will be more secure.
For doors that come as a pair consider locking securing one of them permanently. Once you ve addressed the specific double door security weaknesses here take a look at the above article to make sure that all your doors are reinforced. Secure sliding patio doors with a security bar or a piece of closet rod cut to fit in the track behind the door.