French doors are an incredibly secure option for your home. Despite this, security is a common concern for homeowners who are considering them, largely due to the fact that they feature large areas of glass and hinges that are on the outside. A lot of modern French doors are fitted with security features as standard, but, if you want to further secure your doors, then there are plenty of options available to you. Here are just three of them.
Invest in security glass
Double glazing is strong, durable and resistant to external force, and is a secure option for your French doors. If you want to boost the security of your glass further, you could opt for a shatterproof or toughened option. Shatterproof glass is essentially laminated with a layer of film so that, if an intruder attempts to smash the window, the glass will crack but stay in place. This means that the intruder would have to repeatedly strike the glass to gain entry, by which time the homeowner or a neighbour will have probably been woken up by the noise and, as a result, called the police. Toughened glass is specially made to be stronger than standard glass of the same thickness, which makes it harder for intruders to smash it.
Lock the doors at the top and bottom
The weakest point in French doors is the area where the two functional panes meet, as it is furthest away from any locks or support. This point can be strengthened with the use of a multi-point locking system. By having a lock at the top, middle and bottom of the doors, the middle section is made stronger. Importantly, each of these points should be locked every time you leave the house or go to bed. You’d be amazed at how many break-ins occur by intruders simply walking through unlocked French doors. As with any windows or doors in your home, they are only secure if they are locked properly whenever you’re not around!
Hinge bolts
As French doors open outwardly, their hinges are on the outside of the door. As such, it is advisable to fit hinge bolts, as these stop intruders from being able to forcefully remove the door from its hinges. These are fitted on most modern French doors as standard, but, if you have old doors, you might like to look at investing in these to boost your home’s security.
Here at Hamilton Windows, our French doors are reinforced with galvanised steel and fitted with welded corner joints to strengthen them and boost security. So, if you live in Chertsey, Esher, Horley, Hook or a surrounding area, feel free to contact us today and find out more!
