Sliding glass doors are a popular aspect of many people’s homes, but how do you secure a sliding glass door? What are some of the strategies that could prevent someone from entering a home through a glass portal?

The weaknesses of a sliding glass door are many: easy to access latches; positioned in concealed spaces, often the rear of a house; transparent, allowing full view of the interior; and easy to break.

Professional assessment with a follow-up as to specific recommendations for a particular property provides the best solution for securing a sliding glass door.

There are various kinds of sliding glass doors, and so there are many ways to secure them.

We have gathered a list of the different ways you can suggest to secure these types of entrances, depending on the property, location, and desires of your customers.

To provide the best service, you need to know the common and not-so-common ways of securing a sliding glass door to suggest.

Utilize a Dowel or Security Window Bar

This simple method is an excellent strategy when you are asked to secure a sliding glass door that has internal tracks. Placed at the bottom of the sliding glass door and in the tracks, most dowels are wooden, but a locksmith has several, sturdier options that a potential client can purchase.

Customers may want to consider a security window bar or Charlie bar. These may be made from metal, wood, or reinforced plastic. Not only are window bars more aesthetically pleasing, but they can guard against multiple impacts. A Charlie bar is waist-level high, approximately 3-feet, so your customers do not have to keep bending to remove their security bar to walk onto their patio. The Charlie bar lifts and lowers to offer your customers the most convenience and security.

A tip when installing a window bar in your customer’s home? Measure its length based on how the door fits into its frame. This setup will reduce any movement of the door which may allow an unauthorized person a chance to get in.

Another tip is to paint the bar to match your customer's door. Blending a bar into the existing framework will confuse someone attempting a surreptitious entry by preventing them from recognizing the bar.

Install a Hardened Steel Loop

Often, to get into a sliding glass door, manipulating the door is all someone needs to do. You do not need tools to accomplish this task; just by using your hands and jiggling and slightly warping the door and track the sliding glass door may be accessible even when locked.

To protect your customers against the weak latches that come with sliding glass doors, installing a steel loop is an excellent option. You can connect this reinforced steel loop to the top and bottom of their sliding glass door, so it is challenging, nearly impossible, for someone to manipulate the latch.

Keyed Patio Lock

Another option is a keyed patio lock. This lock can be installed to the frame of your customer’s sliding glass door. This locking mechanism will also significantly hinder any attempts to break in.

Double Bolt Lock and Key Lock

A double bolt lock is installed by attaching one side of it to the door frame and the other to your customer’s sliding glass door. When the door is closed, the frame and door pieces lock together and the bolt locks into place.

An Alarm System

Though many people may believe that you only open or repair locks, you know that another facet of your position is to install alarm systems. To boost the security of your customer’s sliding glass door, you can install a break glass or another type of security alarm.

As most sliding glass doors are located at the front and sides of people’s homes, to conceal them, this also provides someone with a perfect spot to break in without notice.

Should someone try to manipulate your customer's lock or break the glass,, the vibrations associated with breaking the glass or lock will trigger the alarm system.

Ensure your customers’ know that this alarm system does not override physical locks. It is a secondary precaution to give them added protection.

Add a Privacy Film

Sliding glass doors allow for many advantages, such as natural light, a view of nature, and they give an upscale look to many homes. The glass panes also allow potential burglars to view your customer’s valuables.

To help them keep these valuable items, you can install a privacy film. This prevents someone from easily viewing the interior.

Glass Protection Film

Another type of film that does a lot more than prevent viewing the interior is glass protection film. Transparent or opaque, your customer’s glass may look fragile to the close observer, but should they try to enter, they will find it is not. Transparent glass protection film is a fantastic way to secure the glass on your customer's sliding glass door.

It takes a good deal of force to break many types of film, requiring a hammer or other type of tool that will create a significant amount of noise and effort.

Chain the Door’s Handles

If your customer has a sliding glass door that opens up from the middle, installing a taut chain around the handles can prevent break-ins. If only one handle exists, you can drill another handle into the wall next to the sliding glass door and then use the chain.

When you protect all of the potential security hazards that come with a sliding glass door, you can be assured you have given your customers the best chance to enjoy their sliding glass door and minimize the possibility of unauthorized access.

Install an Anti-Jimmy Door Plate

One of the best protections for a sliding glass door with the tracks on the outside is an anti-Jimmy door plate will suffice. These plates are screwed into the top of the door. They should be fitted to allow easy travel in and out for your customers and prevent lifting up the tracks and with them the door.

Final Thoughts

These sliding door security options provide you, and your customer, various ways to protect against intrusion.

Consider recommending a combination of security measures, depending on the door and client desires.