French doors are a beautiful addition to our homes, although these doors don’t offer the safest home security option. If not locked properly, burglars can easily smash through the glass, kick the doors open, and break-in. So how can you secure french doors? Check out these 5 simple tips.

1. Apply Glass Security Film On Glass Panes

French doors are made with lots of glass panes, which makes it easy for burglars to smash these if they want to get in your home. One way to secure these glass panels is to coat them with a security window film.

A glass security film is made of polyester materials that are attached together [1]. It works just like your car’s windshield glass - it holds glass altogether and keeps it from shattering all over upon impact. Not only will these films keep your place safe from bad people, they work fine for hurricanes, too.

You can generally find these window films in Home Depot stores or even order these online. There are lots of DIY tutorials online that teach you how to attach a window film to a glass pane. Although, most brands recommend hiring an authorized applicator so you can avoid mistakes.

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2.  Put Your Door Hinges Inside The House

french door locked

Typically, french doors come with external hinges, which poses a security risk if installed outside the home. If burglars survey these two doors and see exposed hinges, they can just tap the hinges’ pins out and remove the doors.

To secure your french doors, you can install these 3 hinges inside your home:

  1. Set screws door hinge
  2. Safety stud door hinge
  3. Crimped hinge

A set-screw door hinge is a small screw that you can grind down in the middle of your door hinge, that locks the hinge in place. If your french door is closed, then a burglar cannot access the set screw.

A safety stud is a small metal peg that works by backing up your hinge pins, so that if a burglar removes a pin, the safety stud still holds the door hinge altogether. Meanwhile, a crimped hinge forms a rivet at the top and bottom of a hinge, and prevents a hinge pin from being removed.

3. Install A Multiple Locking System On The Doors

 

To maximize your french door security, you can also put up multiple locks to safeguard different parts of your doors. It is smart to have 1 deadbolt or mortise lock under the door handle. And, in addition, you can also install backup barrel bolts and other locks.

When purchasing a whole french door kit, you can typically choose a design that has a cylinder deadbolt lock near the door handle. And for an extra layer of door security, you can also install mortise locks on your doors. Just make sure you know where you keep your keys, so you can quickly get out of the house during emergencies.

Another way to secure french doors is by keeping one out of two doors permanently locked, similar to patio doors. Secure the inactive french door with a deadbolt and slide bolts at the top and bottom of the door frame. Make sure to drill the frame and the floor, so the slide bolt can glide vertically.

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4. Use Security Bars

Aside from deadbolts and door locks, you can also install security bars for your french doors.  A security bar is usually made from steel and can go from 15 1/2 to 42 inches long. It is positioned either above or below the doors’ handles and rests between two brackets on both sides of the glass doors [2].

This is a simple yet great locking mechanism for door handles. If thieves were able tothe glass windows, they still can’t kick the doors open because security bars have to be opened from the inside. Because of its strength, these bars are also commonly used for beefing up the security system of double doors and sliding glass doors, too.

5. Add a CCTV Camera Near The Doors

Feeling a bit more extra? Adding CCTV cameras in the doorway is definitely a cherry on top. Position security cameras on a spot near the french doors, so you can see anyone outside.  You can put one for your main entry door,  your patio door, and even for the doors leading to the back yard.

CCTV cameras have night vision, so you can see anyone suspicious very clearly. Reolink and Lorex cameras are also great options for this specific feature.

And this year, we can already see security cameras that come with a motion-activated alarm system.  You can also link the CCTV cameras to your gadget, so you can view your space anytime, anywhere.

Conclusion

There are different ways on how to secure your french doors. For starters, do not rely only on one deadbolt lock. You can install backup locks, security window films, and barricade bars as well. Check your door hinges, see if they’re stable. Be security-conscious, so you and your family can always feel safe at home.

References:

  1. https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/SRWF-MSR_0115-508.pdfhttps://homeguides.sfgate.com/secure-french-door-burglary-45210.html
  2. https://homeguides.sfgate.com/secure-french-door-burglary-45210.html
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Violet Salzer

Violet is a research specialist with over 20 years of experience. She scrutinizes what is dubbed as the “best of the best.” Every product that passes through her hands is rigorously tested for quality and reliability.