Securing a glass entry door primarily involves strengthening the glass itself and upgrading the locking mechanism to prevent access even if the glass is compromised.
Key methods include reinforcing the glass and utilizing specific types of deadbolts designed for doors with glass.
Essential Security Measures
Improving the security of a glass entry door focuses on two main areas: making the glass harder to penetrate and making the lock inaccessible from the outside if the glass is broken.
1. Reinforcing the Glass
To make the glass panel itself more resistant to impact and breakage, consider reinforcement options.
- Security Film: Applying a strong, transparent security film to the glass surface helps hold the glass together even if it shatters, making it much harder for an intruder to create a hole large enough to reach through or enter.
- Reinforced Security Glass: Replacing standard glass with reinforced security glass, such as tempered or laminated glass, offers significantly higher resistance to breaking than regular pane glass.
As noted in security considerations, "Security film and/or reinforced security glass can help with that..." providing a physical barrier against forced entry attempts targeting the glass panel.
2. Upgrading the Locking Mechanism
The type of lock on a glass door is critical because breaking the glass can grant easy access to the interior side of a standard lock.
- Consider a Double Cylinder Deadbolt: A traditional deadbolt typically requires a key from the outside but has a simple knob or turn piece on the inside. This is a significant vulnerability if the door has glass, as a hand reaching through broken glass can easily turn the inside knob and unlock the door.
- "...you might also want to consider a double cylinder deadbolt." This type of lock requires a key for operation from both the outside and the inside.
- "...A traditional deadbolt requires a key on the outside, but only to turn a knob or dial on the inside. A hand reaching through broken glass can easily do that."
- By requiring a key on the inside, a double cylinder deadbolt prevents an intruder who has broken the glass from simply reaching in and unlocking the door without a key.
Using a double cylinder deadbolt is a crucial step for glass entry doors to counteract the vulnerability presented by the glass panel.
Summary of Security Strategies
| Security Component | Method | Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Glass | Security Film | Holds shattered glass together, slows entry. |
| Reinforced Glass | Much harder to break initially. | |
| Lock | Double Cylinder | Prevents unlocking from inside without a key (essential with glass). |
| (Avoid) Traditional | Vulnerable to reaching hand through broken glass. |
Implementing these measures significantly enhances the security of a glass entry door, addressing both the integrity of the glass and the accessibility of the lock.
