Did you know that it
takes an experienced burglar less than 1 minute to break into a home?
It’s true! With over 200,000 burglaries in Australia in 2016, now is
a good a time as any to review your home security. This is especially
true if you have glass sliding doors because they have several common
weaknesses which burglars can easily exploit. With this in mind,
let’s take a closer look at those weaknesses and what can be done to
ensure better security.
Weakness 1 – Most
glass sliding doors have very simple latches
Even if you’re very
thorough when it comes to locking your glass doors, it mightn’t be
enough to deter an experienced burglar. Most have simple latches
which can easily be bi-passed simply by jiggling the door back and
forth. So what’s the solution? Install a heavy-duty, glass door loop
lock.
A heavy-duty loop lock
is made from toughened steel and can be installed on either the top
or bottom of your glass sliding doors. It can be purchased online at
Amazon, or any good hardware store for not a lot of money. What’s
more, the reliable loop structure makes it very difficult for a
burglar to break the lock.
Weakness 2 –
They’re often installed on the side or back of the home
It’s true. If you look
at most glass sliding doors you’ll see that they’re installed on
either the back or side of a property. This means that they provide
immediate cover for anyone looking to break in. The solution? How
about installing a door alarm. While not dealing with the root of the
problem a door alarm will soon let you know if a door has been
breached. Some models are quick and easy to set up and may well be
enough to scare off a burglar when triggered.
Weakness 3 – They
show off your possessions
While glass doors are
designed to let in light they also show off what’s inside your home.
This means that ultimately they give burglars a front row view to
your valuable and/or attractive assets. To get around this problem
you could of course install blinds or drapes, but these can be
costly. A cheaper option is to fit a window film which obscures the
view from outside. The privacy film allows the light in but keeps
prying eyes away from your valuables. It’s easy to install and
doesn’t leave any residue when removed.
Weakness 4 –
Intrinsically, glass doors aren’t as secure as other materials
While sliding glass
doors provide a welcoming aesthetic to your home, they just aren’t as
secure as say a wooden or metal door would be. If a burglar wants to
get in, then breaking the panels or forcing the door of it’s runners
isn’t too difficult. In this case, the best solution is to install a
protective film. Again this can be purchased from any good hardware
store or online specialists and provides some added strength should
any thief try to break the glass. In fact it’s designed to withstand
multiple blows without shattering, making it immediately harder for
burglars to break in.
If you’d like to find
out more about how you can protect your home and/or your sliding
glass doors then why not contact MA Security. In addition to
providing security guards, we also carry out security inspections on
homes and business premises. To find out more contact us on 1300
020 406 today.
