Sliding glass doors are often utilized in a home to allow easy access to a backyard patio or deck. While a sliding patio door provides convenient access to outdoor spaces, it also allows you to place furniture without needing to worry about interference from a swinging door. And you can’t beat a sliding door for maximizing the amount of natural light that enters your home and providing sweeping views of your yard.
Homeowners love sliding glass doors because they let natural light flood your indoor spaces. But they can potentially make you a target for burglars. With all that glass surface, it can often provide a wide view from the outside of the contents inside your home. Sliding doors are often left unlocked, and even when locked they can be easily picked by an experienced thief.
To minimize the chance of a burglar entering through your sliding glass door, it’s a good idea to beef up its security beyond the standard door lock. A typical lock either latches a small plate near the handle on the door to the door frame, or has a sliding bolt that slides up into the upper frame to lock it. Upgrading to a double bolt lock provides more security and protection. One part of the lock is attached to the door frame with the other part attaches to the sliding door. When the door is slid shut, metal bolts firmly attach the two doors, preventing them from being opened.
As a secondary line of protection, use a security bar. Also known as a foot lock for sliding glass doors, security bars are installed on one side of the door frame and can be lowered down into place as a brace along the sliding track. Security bar kits are available in most home improvement stores, or you can make your own using a thick wood dowel or piece of lumber cut to the size of your sliding door track.
In addition to locks, you can minimize the view into your home from outside. This can easily be accomplished by installing curtains or blinds. Sheer curtains will block the view while still allowing daylight to enter the room. If you want your window treatments to also increase energy efficiency, you can opt for heavier curtain fabrics.
Vertical blinds are another option. They obstruct views from the outside when fully closed, while allowing you to control the amount of light entering by opening the blind slats. For all types of window treatments, they can help warm your home in the winter by leaving them open during the day via solar heat gain. Solar heat gain is the amount of solar energy passing through the windows being converted to heat. No matter what window treatment you choose, valances for sliding glass doors can tie it into your home’s style and decor.
Sliding glass doors offer homeowners a number of benefits while keeping your family safe. Ensuring your door is secure from intruders while still allowing easy access, energy efficiency, and wide views of your yard will provide maximum enjoyment of your sliding glass door.