Having your home burglarized is a nightmare scenario for any homeowner. In addition to the loss of valuable and sentimental belongings, you also feel violated and vulnerable knowing that a stranger has been inside your home.
Because of this, Americans are becoming ever more vigilant in securing their homes and protecting their families. They’re purchasing stronger locks and getting professionally installed home security systems. While ratcheting down on your home’s security, though, it’s important not to forget to pay attention to an item that many homes have — sliding glass doors. Easy targets for quick entry and exit, thieves absolutely love them.
Why Are Sliding Glass Doors Easy Targets?
Sliding glass doors provide a quick and easy access point into your home for three reasons.
1. They typically have weak latches. While we’re great at making sure that our main entry doors have solid latches, reinforced door frames, and hearty deadbolts, we don’t tend to pay as much attention to sliding glass doors. Their latches are easily bypassed by skilled burglars — and that’s if they’re even locked at all.
2. They’re made of glass. This gives a would-be thief a full view of the layout and valuables visible through that door. Once they’ve peered inside, it only takes them a second to break out the glass and gain access to your home.
3. They’re usually located in areas that are hard to see. Most sliding glass doors are easy targets because they’re located on the back of a home. This means they’re not visible from the street. Easy access plus limited visibility makes a prime access point for thieves.
Tips For Securing Homes with Sliding Glass Doors
While that all sounds pretty scary, your home doesn’t have to be vulnerable to a break-in simply because it has a sliding glass door. Here are some steps you can take to shore up your home security.
Install Alarms
Burglar alarms work to protect your home on multiple levels. First, they discourage a thief from lingering, as they loudly notify everyone in the vicinity that someone has broken in. Next, they notify the homeowner of a break-in that happens while they away. Most importantly, they notify the authorities so that police can secure the area and hopefully apprehend the thief.
Don’t Forget Break and Vibration Detectors
While some homeowners feel that it’s enough to set up alarms that will sound when a door or window is open, this is makes sliding glass doors easy targets. They provide the perfect way to access a home without triggering those sensors, as thieves will simply break the glass and step inside without opening the door. Break and vibration detectors installed on your sliding glass door and windows will alert you when someone is attempting to break through.
Customize Your Door Alarm
Sensors on your sliding glass doors needn’t be all-or-nothing. You may choose to have the alarm set up so that it sounds immediately if the sliding glass door is opened. You can also choose a setup that allows you to crack the door open a few inches in order to vent air inside or allow a pet to come and go freely. The alarm will sound if anyone opens the door any further.
Motion Detectors
Another key component of a cutting-edge security system is the effective use of motion detectors. While many basic motion detectors can be defeated by simply walking slowly or moving beyond the motion detector’s range, passive infrared sensor (PIR) motion detectors detect heat. A home security provider will be proficient at designing a plan that will consider the size of each room, as well as angles that may obstruct a motion detector’s range. They’ll create a system that will provide 100% coverage for your home.
Advanced Home Surveillance Cameras
Surveillance cameras do more than simply capture a break-in for review later. They’re a deterrent to would-be burglars who don’t want to be caught on film. Remote video verification allows you to watch streaming video and verify alarms, giving you peace of mind when you’re away from home. It’s not enough to simply know the things that make sliding glass doors easy targets without addressing them, and a professionally-installed camera system is one of the many ways you can make your home safer.
At ProTech Security, we have a strong history of experience, innovation, and customer service. The ProTech Security Advantage is more than 30 years of service in Northeast Ohio and a strong commitment to providing quality, cost-effective protection for homes, businesses, educational institutions and government facilities. To see what ProTech Security can do for you, contact us today.
