Patio Door Locks For Glass Sliding Doors

Patio door locks

When it comes to burglaries and destructive entry into homes, patio doors and french doors are by far the most targeted areas.

This is why it is CRUCIAL to ensure your patio door locks are fully functional and to the required Police & Insurance standards.

The term “Patio doors” actually refers to sliding doors but over time the phrase “Patio doors” has morphed into the wording used to also cover all types of doors such as french doors and bifold doors.

Why are Patio doors targeted the Most?

Patio doors are usually double doors located at the rear of the property and have large amounts of glass installed making them an enticing prospect for a criminal.

Remember burglars are always thinking of the easiest access area and of how best not to be seen.

Therefore a great point of entry for the burglar is to the rear of a property out of view of potential witnesses whereby they can feel comfortable in gaining entry, often undisturbed.

Once entry is gained in to property, an easy escape and favourable route to the rear offers the burglar the best chance of evading capture.

The following example explains why:

A team of burglars gain destructive entry via the rear patio doors whilst the occupants are out.

Whilst in the address, the homeowners return home, firstly pulling up in the family vehicle on the driveway at the front of the address.

The majority of homeowners enter the home via the front or side doors first.

The burglars hear/ see this and immediately exit the address easily via the point of entry at the rear and adopt a starburst strategy in running away avoiding being clearly seen and importantly for them, avoiding capture.

*A starburst strategy is whereby groups of criminals disperse in multiple directions making it extremely difficult for all of them to be apprehended at once as they each go in opposite directions to each other*

The Importance of Patio door locks

With Patio doors being the most targeted area for the burglar(s) it is obviously crucial to ensure you have the maximum amount of security available in the locks you have installed.

The very first area to assess on your patio doors is the euro cylinder lock:

Patio door lock checks

Checking the area underneath where the key goes in, if your euro lock(s) does not have the required 3 star stamp mark along with a diamond symbol, these locks are not to the required Police and Insurance accredited standard and can be often bypassed in under 10 seconds.

One star euro locks ARE NOT sufficient to withstand locks snapping attacks as they have not passed the accredited anti snap testing.

Here at SheffLOCK we recommend the very best accredited anti-snap lock in the TS007 3 star diamond accredited ULTION euro cylinder lock.

Patlock patio door locks

The Patlock, patio door lock for handles, helps home owners secure their patio doors against burglars and the growing trend of lock snapping.

Most forced entry burglaries are committed through the weakest point at the rear of the property, usually the Patio or French Doors.

Entry to patio doors fitted with standard handles and locks can be forced in less than 30 seconds.

The Patlock provides an instant patio door security lock that can easily be fitted and released in seconds with no keys or code numbers. The Patlock adds visible security, peace of mind and is Secure by Design which means police approved.

This is a great piece of security equipment but it does require routine application every time you lock the doors. In the summer months, when patio doors are in use, this could become a weak point. We recommend fitting anti snap locks along with security handles on your patio doors.

Security bar patio door lock

A patio security bar is simple and effective. The bar can be jammed behind sliding patio door to prevent the door moving. Using the bar against the floor, the rubber foot prevents the door to be opened on inward opening doors.

The door jammer bar is a low cost and simple method but not as effective as the Patlock handle locks.

Insurance for houses with patio doors

When applying for a home insurance policy, insurers will ask what type of patio doors locks you have.

You can get a discount off the normal premium if your property has a higher degree of security.

There are three main options. If you don’t have any of these consider getting your patio door lock security upgraded.

Central rail key-operated lock

This is a multi-point locking system that's fitted to the central rail where the patio doors overlap. It offers greater security to basic key-operated locks.