Patio doors are the protective fence between your back yard and your property. Unless living above ground floor level it is very important to keep these doors secured. Locksmith and police reports shows that burglars often gain entrance to homes targeting patio doors. That’s instead of using a window or through the front door like some people tends to think. In most cases burglars will use a crowbar to force the patio door open or slide it. In less common events they will smash the glass of the patio door.
If you have been a victim of a burglary and need a patio door repair, get in touch with an experienced patio door locksmith for an estimate of what it should cost to repair the damage.
Although you may never suffer of a home burglary, burying your head in the sand is no tool against one. Unfortunately crime does occur on a regular basis in the UK and burglary is a common crime in London. According to the Telegraph “The city had endured 169 residential and commercial property burglaries per km sq in the first nine months of 2014”. Installing door and window security devices is the best way to protect your property against burglars. Securing your patio doors is a great place to begin. Even if you think that your patio doors are safe enough, take a look at the following ways to make them even more secured.
Installing security bolt locks on sliding patio doors
Some sliding patio doors, especially those that have been installed for a long time, feature pretty flimsy key locks that can actually be relatively easily broken open by hand with a little force. To help improve the security of your patio door and to ensure it can’t be forced open, think about installing additional locks to your doors. You can purchase these bolt locks of a hardware or a locksmith shop and they can be easily installed on pretty much any sliding door. They add a great deal of added security, they’re affordable, and you may even install them by yourself using the DIY booklet that comes within the package of the lock.
Get your patio doors protected with Security Grilles
There are some very good security gates and grilles solutions designed specially for patio doors. You can call a company that deals with security grilles for patio doors to see what solutions they could offer you with. Security grilles and gates are maybe the best way to prevent an easy access to your property and provide an actual deterrent. Be it retractable security grilles or fixed security iron gates use only solid products that are suitable to be fitted on patio doors.
Check the door each night
One of the main reasons why so many burglars are able to gain entry into homes via patio doors is the fact that the doors are left unlocked over night. Having sliding patio doors during the summer is great as you can open the doors wide and let some cool fresh air and breeze into your home. Many people however, will simply slide the door closed without locking it. When burglars try to enter your home at night, they want to be as quiet as possible so ripping/smashing open a locked door is not an ideal option for them. Gently sliding the door open and creeping inside the home however, makes robbing your house far easier. Always check that your doors and windows are locked each night, and even during the day when you go outside.
Get an alarm sensor fitted
You should try to have a burglar alarm fitted in your home as they’re great deterrent. Basically, a sensor is installed on the doors so that when the alarm is set, if the doors open, the sensor is triggered, and the deafening alarm goes off. This would frighten the intruder away before they can steal anything. It will also let you know someone is entering the property so you can call the police or act accordingly.