When it comes to the safety and security of your house and loved ones, you don’t want to take chances. Thieves are always looking for new entry points into high-end homes, and sliding doors are often one of the weak points they’ll aim to exploit. 

Some common security options for sliding glass doors include applying a shatterproof window film or dropping a dowel on the track. Unfortunately, these solutions can be both inconvenient and unsightly. How can you protect your home in a way that doesn’t take away from its aesthetic? 

Here are a few things to consider when it comes to enhancing sliding door security without impacting the overall look and feel of your home.

Laminated Glass

You may have heard of tempered glass when it comes to your windows and doors, but it isn’t the go-to choice for someone concerned with sliding door security. Instead, you want to go with a laminated glass door. This type of glass has one or more polymer interlayers, making it extremely strong and resistant to damage, whereas tempered glass is mostly designed to break safely into small pieces.

Laminated glass is perfectly clear, allowing you to protect your home without disrupting the view. You can even customize the appearance by adding a color or tint.

Beyond keeping robbers out, laminated glass also resists damage due to extreme weather conditions, including hurricane-force winds. It can also offer noise reduction and UV protection properties!

Quality Frame

Weak, thin metal that’s poorly bonded with the adjoining pieces or susceptible to corrosion creates an opportunity for thieves to force their way through the door itself, even if your laminated glass won’t break. 

You never have to worry about someone kicking in your sliding glass door when you have a door made with a quality frame. Sturdy, quality steel or aluminum will outlast vinyl or low-quality metals while offering an elegant, timeless look. 

At the same time, the frame should be well-fitted and equipped with high-end rollers to move smoothly and easily along the track for everyday use. Even if the frame is heavy, it should feel weightless to slide. 

It’s all about finding the balance between form and function, and sliding doors should offer the best of both worlds. Our custom sliding doors at Panda Windows & Doors are constructed with high-quality steel and aluminum that have enough weight to resist anyone who might try to force their way inside.

Multi-Point Locking Mechanisms

Burglars often break in by prying or jimmying the lock on your sliding door from the outside. Sometimes, they may even pop the entire door off the track. Multiple locking mechanisms and quality hardware such as the Tev 500 can prevent this. 

At Panda Windows & Doors, our durable sliding door systems offer maximum protection against this type of forced entry because we have both multi-point locking and concealed throw-pins at the top and bottom of the tracks. 

 Not to mention, your locks should always be made of high-quality material that will be resistant to deterioration and corrosion with exposure to the weather. Panda offers steel hardware options for coastal areas as well. 

Sliding Door Sensors

A sliding door sensor is a subtle addition to your doors that gives you a heads-up when something might be awry. It can alert you when the door opens or is left open for an extended period. If and when the door is propped open, it sends a message straight to your phone or sounds the alarm. 

Some may even be able to slide the door closed if you aren’t home to right the situation. 

When integrated with your security system, it is possible for your sensor to automatically call for security on your behalf. 

Broken Glass Detector

Like a sliding door sensor, a broken glass detector is an additional layer of sliding door security that you may want to implement in your home. Any time that the glass is shattered, the sensor immediately sends off an alarm and sends burglars running before they get caught. It’s a small device that will not intrude on a sleek design scheme inside of your home. 

While the damage may be done to your door (and it should be minimal if you have laminated glass), the interior of your home and your family is kept secure. 

Keep in mind that some sensors can be extremely sensitive to reverberations in the glass, such as children who run into the doors without looking. This could trigger a false alarm so homeowners often prefer it to have an auditory component where it sounds when it hears the glass shatter.

Lighting

Of course, there’s another thing you can do to make your property less appealing to thieves and miscreants: add more lighting. 

Decorative lighting makes your home appear attractive and welcoming to any guests you may invite over. And in addition to enhancing curb appeal when the sun goes down, it can serve an even more important function: deterring bad actors. 

When someone is thinking about breaking into your home, they might not want to be lit up by your porch lights or other decorative lighting elements. It’s a surefire way for them to get caught either because their face shows up clearly on security cameras or because a neighbor sees them struggling to jimmy the lock on your sliding door. 

Bright lights are best for deterring thieves, but if you want to maintain a calmer mood lighting near your sliding glass door, look into motion-sensing lights that light up or brighten with movement. You can also strategically place the lights near columns or corners so they illuminate the area without straining your eyes when you look outside.

Get More Sliding Door Security with Panda

While you can install sliding door sensors and broken glass detectors to notify you the moment the house has been breached, these efforts to protect your property may not be enough. Instead, a quality door will prevent a thief from ever getting that far in the first place. 

The construction of a sliding door itself can affect its overall level of security. Everything from the frame to the glass to the locks works together to keep burglars out. 

Panda Windows & Doors prides itself on the high-quality performance of its windows and doors. We can protect your home from extreme weather conditions just as much as we can from the ill-meaning burglars who are casing your property. 

Our state-of-the-art security features and custom designs give you the level of protection you need. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help supply your home with a secure sliding door today!