French doors pose a potential security risk due to their similar appearance to sliding patio doors. They have two doorframes filled with either a single pane of glass each or a grid of smaller panes. The primary difference between sliders and French doors is the opening mechanism. To secure French doors, replace standard locks with high-security deadbolts and multipoint locking systems. Reinforce the glass by applying a security film to make it harder to break, or replacing it with laminated or toughened glass.
To secure outward-opening French doors, choose doors with impact-resistant glass and high-quality locks, install security hinges, use outswing door security measures, and consider adding motion. Apply glass security film on glass panes to prevent burglars from smashing them. To secure French doors, install a screw that prevents the unlocking of the passive door, install security film to protect the glass from being broken out, and install new locks that join both sides of the door together so they cannot be separated by swinging both sides open at the same time.
If the doors open in, consider adding two door-jammer bars, one underneath each handle, to prevent each door from being pushed in. A third option is to permanently lock one door, reinforce the doors with a metal bar, add security bars over the window panes, and consider using reinforced materials and alarm systems.
A double door reinforcement kit is a great option for securing French doors, which comes with two brackets and four screws. Other effective solutions for securing French doors include using a reputable installer, using laminated or toughened glass, cylinder locks, security hinges, multi-point locking system, and more. By following these tips, you can make the classic glass doors in your home more safe and secure.
📹 Rosie’s Three-Minute Tips: Securing Double French Doors
Rosie, a home remodeling expert, shares a simple security tip for double French doors. They demonstrate how easily a flush bolt can be unlocked, leaving the door vulnerable. Rosie then reveals a quick fix using screws to prevent the bolt from being accessed, enhancing the security of the door.
How do you increase glass strength?
Tempered glass, also known as safety glass, is used for demanding applications due to its resistance to mechanical and thermal stress. It is strengthened through controlled heating and cooling, resulting in a glass that is less susceptible to light transmission, specific gravity, and the coefficient of expansion. Tempering involves heating the glass above its strain temperature but below its deformation temperature, and then rapidly cooling the external surface.
This creates compressive stress on the glass surface, which must be neutralized before catastrophic failure can occur. Adam, a graduate of the NYS College of Ceramics at Alfred University, joined Kopp Glass in 2009 and completed his Masters of Science in Materials Science in 2013. As the Director of Enabling Technologies, Adam maintains a robust technology roadmap that aligns with market trends and customer requirements. He is passionate about exploring new materials and technologies that will leverage glass manufacturing into new markets.
How to secure French doors for a hurricane?
French doors are a popular choice for homeowners due to their increased natural lighting and views. However, they also present significant security challenges due to their material considerations. High-impact resistant windows and glass doors can help protect your property from hurricanes, which can cause significant damage to homes. To secure your French doors, install high-impact resistant windows and glass doors, ensure the door hardware is inaccessible, use two deadbolt locks, consider full-length security bars, integrate door and window alarm sensors, apply hurricane plastic film, and include hurricane shutters.
These measures can help protect your property from forced entry and major storms, ensuring a safe and secure environment for your home. Elite Impact Glass can guide you through the process of securing your French doors to ensure their safety and protection during hurricane seasons.
How to reinforce double doors from inside?
Reinforcing home doors is crucial for enhancing security and safety. It can be done by inserting a dowel rod, DIY security bar, belt, or heavy furniture in front of the door. Portable door locks can also be used. Strong doors deter potential break-ins, provide peace of mind during emergencies, and can withstand harsh weather conditions. They also enhance energy efficiency, reduce utility costs, and protect the interior of the home. By following these steps, you can significantly improve your door’s resistance to forced entry and make it more durable against wear and tear. Consult a professional for a long-term, robust solution.
How do you brace a French door?
French doors are a popular choice for Memphis homeowners due to their elegant style and ability to let in natural light. However, they are not as secure as other types of doors. To make French doors more difficult for criminals to break into your home, follow these steps:
- Install anti-snap lock cylinders to resist forced entry attempts.
- Ensure proper fitting of security hinges.
- Install multi-point locking systems on all French doors.
- Use door chains or bars.
- Keep doors and windows locked.
French doors offer a timeless and elegant look, allowing plenty of natural light to enter the home. They can create an illusion of space in smaller homes, divide larger spaces, and are relatively easy to maintain. They are available in various styles and designs to suit any home décor.
French doors also contribute to energy efficiency by keeping heat in during winter and out during summer. They can also add value to your home if you decide to sell it.
Why are my exterior French doors not closing properly?
External French doors may not close properly due to various reasons. One possible solution is to tighten the hinges, replacing screws if necessary. If the screws don’t tighten, consider replacing them with larger ones or using a packing or wall plug. If the doors have wooden frames, remove them and plane the edges. Use sawhorses to set the doors down on, hand plane off small amounts, and rehang the doors to ensure enough wood is planed. Sand the edges for a smooth finish and apply primer or varnish to protect the door against the elements.
If the doors don’t lock, it could be due to the locking mechanism or handles, obstructing the frame or an alignment problem. Check if there’s no debris or household items caught in the frame, and if the doormat is trapped. Modern French doors are secure, and checking for these issues will ensure their continued functionality.
How can I make my exterior French doors more secure?
French doors, known for their elegant design and ventilation, are often targeted by burglars. To ensure security, homeowners should use reputable installers, install laminated or toughened glass, install cylinder locks, security hinges, a multi-point locking system, and secure existing French doors. Poor installation can lead to inadequate security and make French doors vulnerable to burglars.
Toughened glass is a significant security risk, as it makes breaking glass panels more difficult. Lifestyle Windows offers standard toughened glass in their French doors, making it a standard feature. By following these steps, homeowners can ensure the safety and security of their French doors, reducing the risk of burglars breaking into their homes.
How can I make my glass door stronger?
Reinforcing sliding glass doors with a security film, typically made from vinyl, can make them harder to break and provide additional protection from strong winds or storms. While some films can prevent intruders from seeing inside, they can still allow natural light in. However, at night and with lights on, anyone outside can still see through the glass.
Closing blinds or curtains can also serve as an effective deterrent against thieves. An open view of the room inside allows intruders to identify valuables, while an obstructed view forces burglars to think twice before breaking in.
How can I make my glass front door more secure?
Security film is a protective layer applied to glass surfaces, making it more resistant to penetration and retaining shattered pieces. It enhances the security of glass doors and deters burglars. Available from various manufacturers, it requires cleaning the glass, measuring and cutting the film, applying it to the door, removing air bubbles, trimming excess film, and letting it dry. This simple upgrade significantly improves the security of glass doors.
What can you put on glass to make it stronger?
High Ion Exchange (HIE™) glass is a chemically strengthened glass that increases its strength through a post-product chemical process. The glass is submerged in a bath containing potassium salt, typically potassium nitrate, at 300°C. This causes sodium ions in the glass surface to be replaced by larger potassium ions, which wedge into gaps left by smaller sodium ions. This results in a surface of compression and a core in compensating tension, increasing the glass’s strength by 6 to 8X that of float glass.
The ion-exchange process creates a deep compression layer on the glass structure, reducing the introduction of flaws once incorporated into the end product. HIE™ glass is available in various sizes, from a minimum thickness of 0. 30mm to a maximum thickness of 19mm. The maximum size is approximately 51mm diagonal. The relative increase over annealed glass is 5x, meaning it is 5 times greater.
How to make double front doors more secure?
The objective is to fully secure the flush bolt and then affix a screw to its underside to preclude any further access.
📹 Entry Enforcer Door Safeguard Upgrades for Double Doors/French Doors
Stop burglars before they get in with these security upgrades for French doors by The Entry Enforcer, serving the metro Atlanta …
As someone who has french doors and was burglarized just a few weeks ago by someone coming through them, I strongly suggest anyone who sees this pay close attention to how thin and weak the material is on the inside edges of the door. The burglar, in my case, literally kicked in the door and the composite material simply shattered. I came home to find my doors standing wide open with the deadlock still fully extended but a gaping hole on the non-active (or whatever he called it) door. At the moment I have a 2×4 across them screwed into studs with 3″ screws – I will need to repair the non-active door and then plan to install something like door armor which is basically a set of steel pieces that reinforce the jamb and, due to the length (something like 48″) and multiple screw points, redistribute the impact over a much larger area. Hopefully that will do it as I can’t afford any more burglaries! Long story short – feel free to follow Rosie’s advice (I will) but also pay close attention to the other weaknesses and plan accordingly, I implore you to do so for your and your family’s safety!
I’m desperate for knowledge on how to replace the wood trim on the door with the flush bolts. My dog demands to come in during thunderstorms and when I wasn’t there she tore half the wood trim. I don’t know what to ask for. I can’t afford to replace the doors. I hope you can help. Thanks for sharing your tip that is valuable knowledge.
This is a terrible fix lol. Eventually your wood screws are going to create a hole that will keep getting bigger every time you drill it in and out and then grab a bigger screw and so on and so on. Buy and install the latching style (I don’t know the term, but it’s what I have on my French doors)that requires the active door to be open in order to actually recess or protrude that pin into the door.
i’m not a professional, but it seems to me that if the door is installed correctly and your flush bolts and door locks are well-aligned, you should not be able to get that tool in far enough to catch the flush bolt. i just tried it on two of mine – i was only barely able to get within reach of one of the four bolts. so i re-aligned the strike plates for a more snug fit. i can’t even get a putty knife in there now! thanks for the article, though – now i know to check the doors for a good fit. i don’t want to screw the lock shut, though – the whole reason for our French doors are the full-open views across the garden and decks. plus the wonderful natural airflow – if we are home, those suckers are OPEN! cheers.
Never occurred to me, thank you. It would seem to me, unless you are willing to smash windows, that a sliding door would be more secure. I know because when I was younger I learned with my brothers if you throw the weight of a human body at the middle of locked French doors they usually will open. Those flush bolts you mentioned don’t seem to go deep enough or the doors flex enough to unseat them.
Put in the screw and now you can’t open the door? Not an intelligent solution. Install a top and bottom Thick Slide Barrel Door Bolt (Slide bolt gate latch/ Barrel bolt door latch) away from the door opening on the inside of the door. They even make them with locks. When I lived in Ann Arbor MI we attached padlocks on all of the windows.