UPDATE: Sliding glass doors...

[Dwight K. Schrute]

Just moved into a new place and everything seems to be in place for a nice, comfortable and (most importantly) safe residency. Minus one thought... My sliding glass door to the balcony; though being on the first floor, you might call it a porch, instead. So my questions are these...

1. Is there a way to improve the safety of a sliding glass door other than locking it and using a "slide-stop" (see below)?

2. Is there any particular item or product used to slide between the opening portion of the sliding glass door and the wall to prevent it from being forced open?

3. If there is no answer to question one, does the "slide-stop" serve any purpose as a determined burglar will simply shatter the door if he deems it necessary?

[TexAg08]

I hate sliding glass doors. When my brother moved to go to college, his duplex had sliding glass doors, and when my brother was home for christmas someone broke into his duplex through those doors by removing them from the tracks. Install lexan and slide-stops! Make sure its lexan that can stop a 45 bullet though.

[Xander]

I've seen security bars for sliding glass doors before, and while searching for an example, I found this article, which you may find useful.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/articl ... _door.html

[Dwight K. Schrute]

Talked with my pops about it and while he believes these "slide-stop" products may have some use, a piece of heavy duty PVC pipe cut to the correct length will do the same thing. He says there's not much you need in life beyond a good work ethic that you can't find at a small-town hardware store.

[Rokyudai]

Mr. Schrute,

As I am sure you have concluded, I believe that the determined thief will find a way and means to enter even if by smashing glass. The best advice I could give would be to minimize the 'showcase'. Moving from NY to TX I have found that many apartments and shared community domiciles have a glass door which appeals to the general population. It lets natural light in and gives the buyer a sense that his/her 'property' extends beyond the walls of his/her living space. So, if one finds themself in this scenario, I would suggest a good, sturdy 2x4 in the tract along with the "added security" that the stopper gives and most importantly: Make sure that either a good pair of vertical blinds (or my preferred method) or a pair of insulated drapes are installed as they completely block out a potential thief's visual of the room. You can add a well-placed table lamp on a timer close by to further reduce the appeal of the living space.

I also keep a small radio on when I am away...I try to use talk radio as it makes it harder to distinguish between regular radio and dialogue.

I hope my advice helps and you and yours stay safe!

[Crossfire]

Dwight,

Sliding glass doors on ground level apartments are definitely problematic. When my daughter was away at college, her apartment had one.

In addition to the security bar, we also got her a magnetic alarm. One part of it stuck on the door frame, and the other half on the glass. There were no screws, just sticky tape.

It won't keep anybody out, but it sure makes a lot of noise to warn you! And might be enough of a deterrent to make a BG look for someplace easier (and less noisy).

Good luck, and stay safe!

[The Marshal]

Simple...

Requirements:
* Concrete outside doors
* Pint can of brown wood stain
* 1/2" wide white chalk
* "Glock Perfection" sticker (or maybe a "Got SIG?" will do)
* Tool to open paint
* paper towels
* a friend
* warm dry day

Ok, so on a nice sunny day, you and your friend step outside the glass doors, and have your friend lay on their back on the concrete. Making a slight angel pattern with their body, outline their form with the white chalk.

Now help them up, and use the tool to open the brown stain/paint.
Carefully spill or splatter paint around the COM area of the outline. When in doubt, pour more around ground.
Reseal can, and use paper towels to cleanup.
While you are doing this, have your friend place the sticker on the glass door.

Done!
Oh, and make sure you "deny all rumors" that may come up around the apartment mailbox...

~Bill

[USMC-COL]

The sticks can keep the door from sliding open, but with most of the ones I have seen, if you put your hands on the glass and push it upwards, they will come off of the tracks.

Similar to previous suggestions, a good 1" or so dowel stick from HD or other place and placed in the tracks prevents the door from sliding. Two sturdy screws immediately above the door and into the upper track to keep it from being lifted off the track would secure it in place. 3M security film applied to the glass would enhance the glass and provide a certain amount of additional privacy. The security film comes in different grades to include a grade where a brick will not go through the glass.

[nitrogen]

If you don't plan on using the sliding glass door, you can drill a hole on the top and bottom (where the metal overlaps) and throw bolts through it. THat'll make it extremely difficult to pull the door out, in addition to the pipe.

BE CAREFUL. Drill SLOWLY if you do this, because you can crack and destroy the glass with the stresses of the drill.

[KBCraig]

I have a sliding door, and I hate them just like everyone else I know. Mine has a pin at the top that slips through the door and into the frame. It can't be lifted up that way.

[BadCo45ACP]

If you don't plan on using the sliding glass door, you can drill a hole on the top and bottom (where the metal overlaps) and throw bolts through it. THat'll make it extremely difficult to pull the door out, in addition to the pipe.

BE CAREFUL. Drill SLOWLY if you do this, because you can crack and destroy the glass with the stresses of the drill.

this is the best solution I've found. A variation of this is a patio dr. locking pin. You have to drill as above but the pin can be removed allowing the dr. to operate.

http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/police/ ... rs-Win.pdf

http://www.hometips.com/cs-protected/gu ... urity.html

[nitrogen]

If you do the pin, drill at a downward angle, otherwise a nice firm rap or tap can unseat the pin enough.

[Jungle Work]

If you're worried about your sliding glass door being lifted up and out to allow intruders into your home (a coupe of plumbers friends and about two seconds and they are in). Just take two large metal screws that will fit into the track of the top section of the rolling door. Drill a hole and screw in the first bolt, repeat with the second metal screw about 18 to 30 inches away depending on the size of the door.. Screw in the screws until the door will slide past them, just barely. Nobody will lift that door out of its tracks again from the outside.

A lot of burglars just crash in the glass of the Patio Doors. At least they have to make some noise doing it.

Jungle Work

[KBCraig]

The obvious problem is that there is no way to truly secure any glass door (whether patio or hinged), because the master key is cheap and readily available: