Sliding Patio Door Lock: Securing Your Home's Vulnerable Entry Points

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Several internet statistics show that up to 22% of break-ins happen through sliding patio doors, typically because most homeowners use less secure sliding patio door locks on their sliding doors.

Opting for high-quality and high-security prevention sliding glass door locks in your home can help protect your home against burglars and other types of intruders.

This article discusses sliding patio door locks and their role in securing your home's vulnerable entry points, like the patio and back entrances.

We also discuss the benefits of using fully secured sliding patio door hardware from reputable manufacturers.

What Is a Sliding Patio Door Lock?

A sliding patio door lock is a locking mechanism explicitly designed to protect your sliding glass doors from being carried off their tracks and prevent forced entry by offering an extra layer of security using specialized locking mechanics similar to the one used in deadbolt locks.

Sliding patio door locks come in a variety of styles and offer varying levels of security to your property.

Regardless of the kind of patio door lock you choose, ensure that it is capable of withstanding heavy break-in attempts and still offers smooth entry whenever you need to go in and out of your home or office.

If your sliding door is in the house and simply needs to prevent child entry, then a simple sliding door latch should do the trick. A more sophisticated locking mechanism like the Easilok A10 Sliding Patio Door Handle Lock Set is great for securing an external entry point like the backyard/patio.

Common Vulnerabilities of Patio/Sliding Glass Doors

The extensive glass surfaces of sliding patio doors make them desirable targets for anyone looking to gain unauthorized entrance into your home or facility.

Plus, most sliding patio doors come equipped with inadequate sliding door lock mechanisms, therefore increasing the vulnerability of patio doors.

Below are some of the other vulnerabilities patio/sliding glass doors may have:

Sliding patio glass doors without security bars and other track-securing measures can allow forced entry by being lifted off the racks.
Sliding patio glass doors without reinforced glass can be easily broken into, allowing entry by unauthorized entrants.
Most sliding glass doors come with basic sliding door locks that can be easily picked or damaged by an intruder.
Many homeowners overlook the vulnerability of their sliding patio doors to burglary and unauthorized entry and never properly secure their doors with high-security sliding patio door locks.
For homes with infants, reliable sliding door security options like security bars, security door braces, and more are absolute must-haves.

Types of Sliding Patio Door Locks

Several sliding patio door lock types are available on the market, and understanding the specific features offered by the different sliding door handles and locks is critical to picking the right one for your home.

In terms of categorization, you have sliding door locks that secure one sliding patio door panel to another or a contacting frame. These types of sliding door locks are known as single-door locks and, depending on the type, offer adequate security for your property.

However, the second category includes multipoint locking mechanisms, which offer enhanced security to your sliding patio doors and are usually very difficult to gain entry into.

A multipoint locking mechanism features three (3) or more bolts at different points in your sliding door, and the more the number of points, the better the extra security offered.

In terms of sliding patio door lock types, below are a few you can consider:

Keyed Locks: These are typically locks that can be opened with a key from outside. While these types of locks are great for locking and opening the door from outside, they are vulnerable to lock picking.
Double Bolt Locks: Double bolt locks are also known as deadbolt locks and can be used in conjunction with other types of sliding door locks. Double bolt locks are used to prevent the door from lifting off the track. This type of lock can only be opened from the inside. The bolt is typically installed above the door handle, and the bolt pocket is installed on the door jamb.
Mortise Locks: Mortise locks are some of the most widely used locks for securing entry doors in buildings that require moderate to high-level security. Most sliding glass doors come pre-installed with mortise locks. However, these are typically simple and can be replaced with more sophisticated ones. Mortise locks are installed inside the frame of a sliding patio door.
Security Bars: Security bars are commonplace in most homes with sliding patio doors, as they help to secure the door from inside by preventing the door from being slid from outside or inside. The role of the security bar is to serve as a wedge between the sliding patio door and the doorframe.
Sliding Track Locks: sliding track locks are less secure and cheap options for securing your sliding glass door as they are easy to install and remove. Sliding track locks are installed in the tracks of your sliding door to prevent the door from sliding when pushed.

Shop for Quality Sliding Patio Door Locks From All Security Equipment

At All Security Equipment, our product catalog consists of an extensive collection of home security systems and other related products, including highly sophisticated patio door locks and mortise locks for your glass doors.

Sliding patio doors constitute vulnerable security points in your home, and the best way to keep your home safe and secure is with a high-quality and reliable sliding patio door lock.

We understand that there are several options for sliding glass door locks available, and picking the right one might be a hassle for an untrained individual.

This is why our team is always on standby to help you with choosing the best-sliding patio door lock for your home.