DIY Home Security - Part I: Sliding Glass Doors & Window Protection

Just as there are creative ways to stretch a dollar, there are resourceful and affordable ways to protect your home and keep the bad guys out.

The following is the first of a two-part series of inexpensive, do-it-yourself home security measures that you can easily put in place to keep you, your valuables, and your family protected.

Two of the most vulnerable entry points of a home are the sliding glass door and windows. This is because the locking mechanism on these types of barriers is really nothing more than an aluminum latch that can be easily defeated. The glass panes can also be easily broken.

The following are some simple and low-cost ways to increase the security of these entry points and prevent a burglary or other home crime.

• DIY Track Blocker: Many sliding glass doors and windows that slide horizontally (sideways) can be easily pried open at the latch. So it's important to have a security mechanism in place that prevents them from being slid open when unlocked. This can be as easy as placing a solid wooden rod or dowel (such as a closet rod) or a piece of rebar cut to size in the tracks of your sliding glass doors and windows. Both materials are inexpensive and can be purchased from any home improvement store. Such stores will usually cut them to size at no additional cost.
• DIY Vertical Window Security Device: To prevent windows that slide vertically (up and down) from being opened, install a large screw a few inches above the top of the window on both sides of the frame. This will allow you to open the window a few inches and enjoy some fresh air, yet prevent it from being opened wide enough for someone to enter through it.
• DIY Anti-Jimmy Plate: Another way burglars gain entry through sliding glass doors is by lifting them right out of their tracks. This is where having an anti-Jimmy plate comes in handy. To make your own anti-Jimmy plate, screw a strip of metal or wood into the recess of the upper track of the door. The strip should be thick enough to fill the vertical space between the sliding door and its frame while still allowing the door to be easily slid open.
• DIY Glass Protection Film: The weakest security link of sliding glass doors and windows is the glass. Installing quality glass protection film to the interior side of vulnerable windowpanes is an effective way to increase the security and strength of glass windows and doors.

There are a number of DIY glass protection kits on the market that make this task simple and affordable. They are available in a number of sizes and include all of the tools and film you need to perform the installation yourself.

Jordan Frankel - The Security Sensei

"For all things security related and outsmarting the proverbial bad guys."

Global Security Experts, Inc. 

Website: www.globalsecurityexperts.com

Email: Jordan@globalsecurityexperts.com 

Phone: 888-380-9350

• DIY Glass Protection Kits for Sliding Glass Doors and Windows