How Can I Make Sure that My French Doors are Secure?

Although they are visually appealing and give a great view of your garden, one may ask themselves, “Are French Doors Secure?”. Even inexperienced thieves are aware that a residence with French doors will likely provide easy access to the property. Even though the majority of them are on the backside of a home, they are not out of sight. In fact, side and rear doors are the preferred entryways for most property crimes. Although French doors pose a potential security risk to your home, you can secure them with a few precautions and return to enjoying their many benefits.

In this article, we will be going over how you can enhance the security of your French Doors so you can have peace of mind knowing that you aren’t vulnerable to unwanted visitors.

Before You Get Started, Keep In Mind

Before enhancing your French doors' security, you will need to assess the current condition of your doors. What are the existing security measures in place? Is the lock on your double doors worn out or loose? Do they still close properly? These factors are critical because they decide whether or not your French doors can be an access point for intruders.

French doors on the exterior can be challenging to secure. Why? The most significant difficulty is that the two doors latch and connect to each other so that when they are locked, two mobile panels are attached instead of a fixed point. The seam between the two doors is the weakest point, where a strong enough kick or shove can dislodge them for home invaders to gain entry to your home. The glass, one of the doors' most remarkable features, poses a secondary threat. Homeowners install French doors to let in light and frame a view. However, this can allow potential intruders to observe the home's interior and any valuables on display. A large expanse of glass makes it easier for intruders to break it and gain access to your property.

How can I secure my French Doors from Burglars?

While there is no failsafe method of entirely securing French doors, there are a number of options available to enhance their security capabilities. Here, we have listed down the ones that will help cover a French doors weaknesses:

1.  Using Extra Locks and Latches

Many homeowners find that these standard locks are insufficient for complete security, so they install additional locks. These security locks will be either push-to-lock devices or locks that activate a bolt to secure the French doors to the door frame when engaged. Typically, two types of locks are installed on a standard pair of French doors. The most common mortise lock is a key-operated, top-and-bottom, five-lever lock, which functions similarly to the locks on your front door. These are rarely sufficient for the safety of most homeowners.However, intruders are more likely to attempt a break-in through the back of your home since it is less exposed than the front.

Your French door should be secured with mortise rack bolts or surface-mounted locking bolts. Always install them at a 90-degree angle to the wood's grain to reduce the likelihood of the wood splitting under pressure. As most French doors open outward, it is also recommended to install hinge bolts. If a standard mortise lock is insufficient to secure your French doors, you may replace it with a multi-point locking system. The second most frequent French door lock type. This operates similarly to a mortise lock but locks the door in multiple locations. All of which operate concurrently with the press of a single key.

2.  Apply Glass Security Film to your Doors

You can get hurricane-grade, impact-resistant, reinforced, or laminated glass for your new French doors. All of these labels should serve as a reminder that the door glass has been treated with a shatterproof coating. The glass will shatter on impact, but the coating will hold the shards together to form a thick, sharp sheet that any intruder will have an extremely hard time breaking through. It's also useful in the event that a heavy object, like a branch or a flying flamingo ornament, crashes into the door during a storm.

You can upgrade the safety of your current doors by purchasing a glass security film of various types and designs. The security film is a thin vinyl sheet that can be applied to both sides of the glass in French doors, much like the coating on a new impact-resistant door. The vinyl will form a strong bond with the glass, preventing the shards from flying apart upon impact and thereby providing a layer of security. Security film comes in large sheets, but it's simple to cut it down to size so you can use it on windows of any size.

Not only does security film not obstruct visibility, but it also comes in frosted and patterned varieties that prevent would-be thieves from peering in and seeing what valuables are on display. A curtain or blinds can be used to block the view from any unwanted guests if you decide to use transparent film to keep the view from the outside.

3. Utilising an Alarm System

Investing in an alarm system is the most obvious way to prevent burglary. Either for the rear of your home or a security system that covers your entire house. This can be expensive and inconvenient, but it all depends on your circumstances. If you think it’s necessary, then it probably is. Complete security systems are very costly, so we’ll provide a few less invasive options. A great option would be a vibration-sensitive alarm, stopping any potential forced entry before it even begins. 

These alarm sensors can be easily installed on the glass panes of your French doors and will alert you with a chime if anyone tries to force entry. There are also door wedge alarms to consider. These can be wedged under your French doors and set off if the doors move from the pressurised trigger. Think of it like the trap at the beginning of Raiders of the Lost Ark! Many modern security alarms can even be managed from your smartphone for extra convenience.

4. Adding a Security Bar

Your French doors can benefit significantly from installing security bars and other similar devices for added security. Sliding metal or wood bars with latches attached to the inside of the door prevent the door from being pushed or pulled open from the outside. To prevent the doors from being forced inward, install two door jammer bars, one under each handle, if they open inward. A third option is to install a handle lock, which fits over each door handle and keeps them all locked. They reinforce the door's core and stop the handles from turning.

A set of security double-screen doors is a viable option for homes with a private yard. The French doors have these decorative metal doors mounted on the outside, much like a storm door would be on a regular door. The sturdy security bars of security screen doors provide extra protection for French doors that are already equipped with screens. In cases where the French doors open inward, the security screen doors can be left closed to keep the cool air in or opened to the outside for a clear view. Intruders will have a more challenging time breaking through the more vulnerable inner French doors if the security screen doors are closed and locked the rest of the time.

Bottom Line

There is no need to sacrifice the elegance of your  French doors for the sake of home security. While French doors will never be as secure as a composite door with a deadbolt, you can add layers of protection through careful installation, improved hinges and locks, glass security film, or an alarm system that will allow you to enjoy both the view and the peace of mind that comes with knowing your home is safe.

If you are in need of some high-quality French Doors in St Albans, then Rock Solid Doors are the team you have been looking for! Our mission at Rock Solid Doors is to provide you with all the assistance and information you need to select the ideal French Door in a friendly and straightforward manner. For your peace of mind, we only supply and install premium branded doors, all of which are professionally installed by us and come with a 10-year warranty and building regulations compliance certificate.