What's the best way to prevent burglars breaking in through a sliding patio door?

Answer 1

1 Rottweiler & 1 loaded shotgun should do it!

Answer 2

You can stop someone from sliding open, but you can't stop someone from breaking the glass. Not withstanding what you see on TV, this is the way most burgulars do it. Why? It's easy, fast and can be done very quietly.

To protect you while you are home, use a dowel or board about 2 inches shorter than the track with the door closed. This will prevent the door from being slid open and the noise should alert you in time to call 911 or scare the intruder away.

To protect you while you are away, lock the door, get an alarm and make sure your insurance is up to date.

If you are going to be gone for a long time, have someone get your mail and newspapers. And don't leave valuables in sight.

You can also use your christmas light timers to turn lights on and off at dirrerent times and leave the radio turned on to a talk radio station loud enough to barely hear outside with the door closed.

Answer 3

Two methods:
With both sliding doors slid shut, CAREFULLY drill a hole through the center of the aluminum edges of the doors where they overlap. As long as the hole is in the middle, it will miss the glass. Make certain the drill does NOT go all the way through the outer door, thus to the outside, thus making it easy for the bad guys to poke the nail or bolt back in the house. Once you have drilled the hole, insert a large nail or bolt into the hole, making sure it goes through the inner door and into the outer door. The snugger the fit, the less play between doors.
OR
Place a piece of wood in the rail between the inner door and the outer edge. The problem with this system is it relies on the door latch working properly, a latch system that is amazingly easy to jimmy.

Answer 4

First --all the answers are good but you are not going to stop them if they want to get in . They break the glass and they are in and out in minutes .Also no one mentioned that on a lot of the sliding doors you can just actually lift the slider up about 3/4 to an inch and just push the door in.TRY IT

Answer 5

Get like a broom handle, saw it to the length of the door then stick it in the slidy thing... hard to explain, but so it blocks the door from anyone being able to slide it along the track. It isn't stuck permanently you just place it there, rotten stinking burglars make me sick, good luck! = )
Oh yeah and get a security light that'll shine onto the door from the outside.

Answer 6

specific studies have shown that only 3% of burglars will attempt to break into a house with a dog. so in answer to your question - get a dog, it dosn't matter how big because it's the noise they make and the teeth they all have that deters the burglars

Answer 7

A pair of muddy work boots (the largest size you can find at the thrift shop) sitting on a copy of Shotgun News. Then put a sign on the door that says "Don't let the dogs out!"

Answer 8

There is actually a metal rod that you can buy and attach to your sliding door. You can also get a (for example) a broom stick cut to length and place it in between the frame and the door that slides. Both things block the sliding door from being opened.

Answer 9

Place a piece of wood similar to a broom handle in the grooves where the door would slide back. I don't know if it is the best but my mother has used it for years.

Answer 10

Dead bolts (the kind you push in to lock and need a key to unlock) throught the edge of the door into the frame. One at the side and one at the top/bottom so it can't be lifted out of its frame. But be very careful installing them. My dad tried to but one in and when drilling the hole for it in the door drilled into the glass and shattered the whole thing!

Answer 11

Broom handles are useless. Older doors can be LIFTED off the track so a lock which prevents that should be fitted. All good Ironmongers should be able to help.