How to Secure a Sliding Door

Short answer: fit a proper keyed sliding door lock, stop the door being lifted off its track with anti-lift blocks or screws, add a secondary lock or a bar in the track, and consider a security screen door. Together these deal with the two ways sliding doors are usually beaten: levering the latch and lifting the door out.

Why sliding doors are a weak point

Most sliding doors come with a simple hook latch. It keeps the door shut, but it isn't much of a lock. Sliding doors are usually at the back of the house, out of sight of the street, and older doors can often be:

• Levered at the latch side until the hook lets go
• Lifted up and out of the bottom track, because there's a gap above the door

7 ways to secure a sliding door

1. Fit a keyed sliding door lock

Replace or supplement the basic hook latch with a keyed sliding door lock. A locksmith can fit one that suits your frame (aluminium or timber) and key it to your other external doors.

2. Stop the door being lifted out

Fit anti-lift blocks or screws in the top track so the door can't be raised high enough to clear the bottom track. It's a cheap job and one of the most effective.

3. Add a secondary lock

A patio bolt or auxiliary lock at the bottom or top of the door, locking the sliding panel to the fixed panel or frame, adds a second point that has to be beaten.

4. Put a bar in the track

A cut-to-size length of timber or a purpose-made security bar in the bottom track stops the door sliding even if the lock is beaten. It's a simple backup, best used at night or when you're away.

5. Fit a security screen door

A sliding security screen door with its own keyed lock adds a second, tougher barrier and lets you leave the glass door open for air.

6. Check the rollers and frame

Worn rollers and a loose frame make a door easier to lift and lever. A door that slides smoothly and sits snugly in its track is harder to attack.

7. Reduce what can be seen

Sheer curtains or film stop people seeing what's inside, and a sensor light on the back of the house makes the door a less inviting target.

Rentals

If you rent, ask your rental provider before making changes to doors and locks. In Victoria, rental minimum standards require every external door to have a working deadlatch with at least one cylinder, or another locking device if a deadlatch can't be fitted (Consumer Affairs Victoria).

Holiday homes

Sliding doors at the back of holiday homes that sit empty for weeks are exactly where to start. Keyed locks, anti-lift blocks and a bar in the track are worth doing before the house is left over winter.

On the Mornington Peninsula or in Frankston? See security upgrades.