Securing French Doors from Burglars
The weakest doors are French doors since they are not bolted into the wall, preferably two doors meet in the middle, and this is usually easy to swing open even if the lock is on.
Here are some of the methods people can use to secure their French Doors:
- Installing an anti-tampering screw, which is quite affordable
- Protecting the glass with security film
- Install new locks that secure both sides of the door in one place
How safe are French doors?
Our locksmith Fort Langley often get such a question. French doors comprise two doors: the active door, which is the most used, and the passive door, which is rarely used. Though French doors are also vulnerable to common security issues like other doors, the vulnerability of French doors is quite high, and this is because the two doors meet in the middle. This requires critical reinforcing measures to ensure the doors are securely bolted.
For maximum safety, the passive door has always to be secure, failure to which the active door will not also be securely locked, leaving chances for it to be easily opened.
Security problems with French doors
With the passive door adequately secured, then the entire door is said to be secure. However, this is no guarantee because the passive doors can also be unlocked with the help of the numerous tutorial videos on opening double doors.
Keeping your French Doors Secure
Using screws
The simplest and cheapest way to keep your door safe is by screwing each flush bolt, preventing them from being slid open until the screws are removed. This was done on the passive door since it is the most inactive. You can always remove the screws whenever you want both sides of the door open.
Using a window film
This is another easy DIY, though a little more expensive. This method entails installing a glass security film to prevent anyone from breaking the glass and opening it.
Secure French door locks
The best French door locks are the ones with ball bearing in the bolt. This ball secures the door whenever there is a strike on the other side of the door, therefore, making it almost impossible to pull the two-door apart.
Another significant feature is that it should not have a thumb turn; otherwise, the thumb can be used to turn the bolt on after breaking the glass. It is also essential to choose the double cylinder deadbolts which use keys on both sides.
Extra security measure
You can also go further and remove the flush bolt from the French door. Using the half or one-sided deadbolt will add additional security measures, and there will be no need to remove the crewed screws since you can use a key.
Even though French doors are vulnerable to security issues, this is quite typical to all exterior doors. All you need to do is use the methods mentioned above, and most importantly, choose the right locks for your door.
If you live in Langley, you can call our locksmith Langley company for quick service.