Many people these days have sliding glass doors in their home. These are generally doors that lead out to the back garden or patio area and they are a popular choice because of the many benefits that they offer. This includes a modern and attractive appearance, the ability to enjoy more natural light indoors, and being able to see more of the outdoors even when you are inside your home. However, as with any other type of external door, you need to ensure that your sliding glass doors are properly secured and protected in order to reduce the risk of break-ins. While you can choose reinforced or double-glazed glass for your doors in order to protect against them being smashed you also need to consider the locks for these doors.
Making sure your sliding glass patio doors have suitable locks will provide you with greater peace of mind as well as more security and protection for your home. The last thing you want is to have thieves and other criminals seeing your sliding doors as an easy means of access to your home. The good news is that you can access a range of primary and secondary sliding glass door locks that will help to protect your home and secure your doors to reduce the risk of anyone being able to break in. These locks are both affordable and essential if you external sliding glass doors in your home. The good news is that you can also learn how to install them yourself, which means that you won’t have to worry about paying someone to do this for you. All you need to do is pay for the locks and any accessories you may need and you can then get your sliding patio doors properly secured to provide additional protection for your home.
Extra Security By Fitting Additional Sliding Glass Door Locks
Of course, your external sliding glass doors will already have some sort of lock on them, which is the lock that came with the doors when they were installed. However, many people want to have additional security by installing sliding glass door locks into the door frame, the jamb, and the slide glass door itself. While your main lock may seem sturdy and robust enough, adding additional security with a secondary locking system will help to ensure that thieves and criminals do not see your sliding doors and slide patio doors as an easy target. You will find a range of secondary locks that you can purchase for your sliding doors and many are designed to fit most types of doors. All you need to do is determine which ones are best suited to your needs. You should then be able to install them yourself.
First of all, you need to determine which secondary locks are going to best suited to your needs. You will find a range of options available and some of the factors to consider when making your choice include:
- The cost of the locks: The cost of secondary locks for your sliding glass doors can vary based on the make and style of the locks. Some offer more security than others, which means that they are likely to cost a little more. However, this means greater peace of mind so for most people it is worth paying a little extra.
- The size of the locks: Secondary locks for sliding doors come in a range of sizes. You should make sure that you take the measurements of your sliding doors so that you can determine which ones are going to be best suited for your needs.
- The style and design of the locks: Another thing to look at is the style and design of the different locks to see which ones are going to be most suitable for your doors. You can choose from various different styles and many of these are suitable for all glass sliding doors.
- The level of security they offer: One of the most important aspects to consider is the level of security that is offered by the secondary locks. Obviously the great the level of security the higher the level of protection.
- The quality of the locks: You should make sure you invest in high-quality locks that are made by a reputable manufacturer. This will ensure that they are effective in providing security and protection.
- The ease of installation: If you are planning on installing the secondary locks yourself, you should also look at how easy they are to install. The locks should come with full installation instructions so you will be able to determine whether you have the skills and confidence to fit them yourself.
Looking at these various aspects will help you to make a more informed decision with regards to the locks you choose for your sliding glass doors.
Changing The Main Lock On Your Sliding Glass Doors
If the main lock on the sliding doors is damaged or needs replacing for some other reason, you can follow some simple steps to get it changed over. As long as you have the right tools, this shouldn’t be too much of a problem. The items you will need to do this include:
- Vacuum cleaner
- Broom
- Power drill
- Drill bit of 1/2 inch and 1/8 inch
- Steel punch
- Screwdriver
- Tape measure
- Hammer
- Permanent marker
- The lock kit for your door
You can then follow these steps in order to fit the new lock:
- Clean the track on the sliding door: Your first job will be to use the broom in order to clean the track on the sliding door. You should both the back and front of the track to loosen the dirt. You can then use your vacuum to get all of the dirt up.
- Mark the hole for mounting: You then need to mark the hole for mounting. You should get your lock and align it at the bottom of your door. You then need to use your finger to tap the base of the outer door so that you can determine where the glass ends. Use your marker to mark the area. Take your lock and place it against the inner door to align the lock bolt with the mark that you’ve made. Ensuring that the lock is not crooked, use the marker to draw a circle in the top screw hole of the lock for your first mounting hole.
- Drilling the first hole: Next, use your steel punch and place it in the middle of the circle you have marked. Tap lightly with a hammer to make a small indentation. Then use your drill to create the first mounting hole. Be careful when you do this, as otherwise, you could end up damaging the glass.
- Mark and drill the second one: You are now ready to mark the second hole. Use a screw to attach the lock to the inner door via the first mounting hole and ensure that it is straight and aligned. Then use your marker to mark the second hole. You can then follow the same process to drill out the second mounting hole.
- Marking and drilling the lock bolt: Once you’ve done this, use both screws to attach the lock via the two mounting holes. Push in the lock bolt and use your marker to draw around it so that you know where you need to drill out. You should then unscrew the lock and remove it. Use the punch and hammer to make the indentation for the lock bolt and use the smaller drill bit to make a hole. You can then use the larger drill bit to widen it.
- Installation of the lock: Your final step is to get the lock installed. So, take your lock and reattach it via the mounting holes you made. Push in the bolt and make sure it slides into the bolt hole properly. Then you simply need to test out the lock by locking and unlocking it several times to make sure it works okay.
By following these steps, you should be able to get your sliding door lock fitted without any issues and you can save on the cost of getting someone out to install it for you. With the secondary locks, you simply need to follow the instructions given by the manufacturer depending on the lock that you purchase.
Rest Easy With Increased Security
Once you have installed your sliding glass door locks, you can rest easy in the knowledge that you have increased security and protection for your home. You can even benefit from discounts on your home insurance if you have high-quality locks that offer high levels of protection, so bear this in mind when you are making your choice. With the right locks that are properly installed, you can make your doors far more secure so you can enjoy all of the benefits that come with having sliding glass doors in your home without the worry of providing easy access for criminals.
