French Door Security 101

French doors have become a mainstay in modern home design and renovation. Featuring two adjacent doors with multiple small window panes, they are often used in foyers and back doors. While French doors are an undeniably brilliant addition to the home, they pose a serious security risk that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Security Concerns of French Doors

There are two major security issues associated with the use of French doors, one of which is the glass panes. Burglars and vandals can easily gain entry into a home through a locked French door simply by breaking a window pane and unlocking the door. Furthermore, French doors are easier to kick in, simply because they connect to each other instead of only to the wall like standard doors.

The combination of these two elements creates a serious hurdle in terms of home security. But there are some things that you can do to strengthen the security of your French doors.

Reinforcement Kit

Many home improvement stores, including Home Depot, sell specialized “reinforcement kits” that are designed to strengthen French doors. Once installed, the steel kit will reinforce active and passive doors, the slide bolt, and all hinges to which the doors are connected. These reinforcement kits will make it much more difficult for a burglar to kick in your French doors. It’s a quick and easy way to upgrade your French doors so they are stronger and more secure.

Double Deadbolt Locks

Single deadbolt locks require a key to open from the outside, but a handle from the inside, making them easy to get past once the glass is broken. Double deadbolts require a key to open from both the outside and the inside, so as long as you don’t leave the key in the lock, an intruder can’t open it through a broken window.

Add a Security Bar

In addition to using a reinforcement kit, you can also strengthen the security of your French doors by adding a security bar. Security bars are placed across the the doorknobs/handles of both doors, at which point it is secured into place. The purpose of this bar is to prevent burglars from kicking down the door, as it holds the two French doors together.

Window Security Film

Have you thought about applying security film to the glass panes of your French doors? If not, you should. For the price, it’s a cheap and effective way to enhance your French doors’ security. Security film is essentially a self-adhesive sheet of synthetic material that’s applied to the surface of glass windows. Once installed, it protects the glass from shattering — even when extreme force is placed upon it. Security film is often used in homes and residences that are prone to severe weather, although they can also be used for the purpose of burglar prevention.

Install an Alarm Sensor

To truly protect your home and its French doors, you can’t go wrong with a home security system. An alarm system will create a loud noise if the door or window sensors are tripped. For more protection, a monitored system will sound an alert offsite so the police can be notified immediately and potentially arrive in time to catch a burglar.

Let our home security experts assess your home’s security risks. We can make recommendations and design a custom solution to fit your home security needs!

Call us at 281-506-8466 or visit us online!

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