The population of South Atlantic states is, sadly, rather accustomed to yearly events that are hurricanes, hitting the coastal cities usually from the end of May to November. The hurricane seasons bring vast damage to the homes of the impacted areas, and the first thing to take a punch on your property are your windows and doors. Sliding glass doors security, specifically, requires a few extra steps. But, how to secure a sliding glass door? Let Elite Impact Glass walk you through.
Every homeowner whose house features big sliding glass panels knows the convenience they bring. You can easily access your patio and front yard; you can enjoy the view of your landscaping and the extra daylight you get. However, the glass doors are usually the first to bite the bullet in case of a heavy storm season.
Why Are French Doors Harder to Secure?
French doors present greater security challenges due to basic material considerations. Like sliding glass doors, the allure of custom French doors has largely to do with their major increase in natural lighting and greater views. Yet this also means French doors require extra precautions to secure them against forced entry and major storms.
How to Secure French Doors
1. Install High-Impact Resistant Windows and Glass Doors
Many hurricane-prone areas have local codes that include mandatory impact doors and windows. If your city or state is not very strict about this matter, consider the fact that these might be crucial for your protection in the hurricane season.
They are very hard to damage, as they are generally made of double-layer tempered glass with a special plastic film inserted between the layers. These will not shatter and will protect you when debris starts to fly around. It is good to mention that these are highly secure in case of home burglary as well. Before making the decision to switch, you should compare impact windows vs regular windows and consult with an expert.
2. Ensure the Door Hardware is Inaccessible
Like any door, maximizing French door security requires taking a hard look at the hardware. Are the hinges only accessible from the inside? Be sure it is, and the same goes for any screws or bolts along the door handle and deadbolt plating.
Quality also matters, and it’s important not to shortchange your security on sub-par designs. Our experienced door and window security experts are always eager to provide a professional assessment of your French door security and advise which brands are proven to resist even the most sophisticated intrusion attempts.
3. Use Two Deadbolt Locks
Assuming the hardware is solid and properly installed, also consider doubling up your deadbolts. This is an easy way to not only enhance burglary protection but also ensure your impact-resistant French door sits more firmly in the door jamb. Eliminating play is very important when it comes to withstanding hurricane-force winds and drastic pressure changes.
Remember that securing your doors also requires securing the recess, door jamb, and surrounding structure. You may even want to schedule a consult to verify the structure holding the door in place is itself sound.
4. Consider Full-Length Security Bars
Security bars are one large step beyond deadbolts, but only if you select the right product. A security bar running across the entire width of the door is the only way to go, as opposed to the small sliding bars that offer little protection.
Full-length security bars do create an extra step when locking or unlocking your French doors, but it isn’t difficult and makes a large difference to both security and peace of mind. They also serve as a reminder to take those simple but effective extra steps to enhance your home security with no loss in quality of life.
5. Integrated Door and Window Alarm Sensors
It’s also possible to integrate door alarm sensors into your home network. The most advanced door sensors can detect and alert you to both:
- Opened doors
- Breaking glass
Many people also integrate door/window alarm sensors into a professional home security service. This will alert both your family and a trusted home security provider of unauthorized intrusions (or even if you unintentionally leave a door ajar!).
6. Apply Hurricane Plastic Film
Another option, somewhat more cost-efficient and quicker, can be applying plastic hurricane film to the doors as an additional form of sliding glass door hurricane protection.
In case of flying debris, this accessory will do a fair job saving your glass panes. You should, however, keep in mind that while the film will save the window from possible breakage and flying shards, the glass might still get blown off the window frame.
7. Include Hurricane Shutters
Hurricane protection for sliding glass doors is complete once you decide to install impact shutters for your doors and windows. As they are always attached to the walls of your property, they are simple to put up in case of emergency. A special variety of these shutters are roll-down shutters; they may be found in many homes. They are usually made of extruded aluminum and controlled by a motor.
- Hurricane Fabric
This product was, just like the others of its kind, born out of true necessity. These fabric panels are lightweight, strong, durable, and an easy-to-install form of sliding glass door security. They can be installed by anyone; however, you can still hire a professional to install them.
- Boarding
When imagining the event of a hurricane, the first thing that comes to mind to most people is nailing boards to your windows and doors. It is for a good reason; this old-fashioned method is a cheap extra layer of sliding glass door for hurricane protection in cases of emergency. You can use boarding both for prevention and as recovery. Board-up services help you reduce liability risks and improve insurance coverage chance.
There are plenty of good options for securing your sliding glass doors; there is no specific answer on which one to choose, but the more of them you apply, the safer your property is. Hurricane season is a yearly event, and the good accessories protect you for years.
For price match guarantee, seamless installation, and top customer support, we encourage you to consider our services and products, and call today to get a free consultation from our professionals.
