Improving Your Sliding Door Security: The Complete Guide

But don’t let this scare you, as there are many ways you can improve the security of your sliding glass door and make it more secure to deter would-be intruders.

Use tracker blocks

Sliding screen door rollers open and close horizontally on both the upper and lower tracks. Naturally, one of the simplest ways to increase the security of your sliding door rollers is to put an obstacle, such as a tracker block, in the track to prevent movement.

You can make the tracker block by cutting a wooden broom handle down to size to fit the bottom track. This is a quick and easy way, and while it’s not secure proof, it definitely adds a level of security and prevention you didn’t have before. Also, it’s worth noting that this is nice to have for toddlers and the elderly, preventing them from opening the door.

Reinforce the glass

Your sliding glass door is made up of large sheets of glass. For a would-be burglar, this presents a nice, easy break-in (provided you haven’t reinforced the glass).

Simply applying security film to the inside of the glass can really improve the strength of the glass sliding door. This film makes it super tough to break through the glass. It can also protect against kids playing ball sports close to the window and prevent broken glass from an errant ball toss/kick.

You can buy rolls of security film for between $10 and $30 per roll, depending on the type, brand, and size. Though not difficult, successfully applying security film to a sliding door is a tedious task and we suggest that this be a two-person job, as it’s almost impossible to do on your own. We might suggest you consider looking to outsource this to a pro. AirTasker anybody?

Add a secondary lock

Locking your sliding door might be an obvious solution, but more often than not, the reality is that your sliding glass door won’t have a deadbolt. In most cases, it will use a simple latch that is clamped onto the door. To give your locks more power, we suggest installing a steel secondary lock system such as a deadbolt.

To install it, you can either contact a handy person or do this yourself. If you want to roll up your sleeves, here’s what you need to do: drill the screws holes into both door jambs and the sliding frame door. Then simply screw the loop lock into place.

Floor mounting

To stop burglars from lifting your sliding glass door out of the track, you have the option of mounting the sliding door to the floor. This can be done by simply installing a heavy-duty floor latch that hooks onto the bottom of the door that you can easily attach/detach using your foot.

Install alarms & sensors

Sometimes the most effective way to stop unwanted intruders is to deter them, and nothing deters burglars more than an alarm blaring in their ears. You can install door sensors that will go off once they detect the sliding door being smashed or someone trying to pry it open. You can also install additional home security cameras for maximum security and to record the intruder.

Close the blinds/curtains

Another simple yet effective way to deter burglars is to close your blinds or curtains before leaving. An open view of your entire living room allows the intruder to easily scope your home and identify any valuables they can steal. With an obstructed view, the burglar won’t be able to see your valuables and will think twice before going to the effort of breaking in.