3 Tips To Ensure Your French Doors Are Secure
French doors are a beautiful feature in any home. Having french doors allow more light to enter your home, create the illusion of more space due to the their largely glass composition, and add a bit of sophistication. However, french doors tend to be more vulnerable to attack by an intruder wanting to rob your house. If an intruder is dead-set on entering your home through your french doors and willing to work hard, he will probably have success. However, most intruders are looking for an easy and quick way to enter your home and will avoid homes that have extra security measures in place. There are a number of things that you can do to enhance the security of your french doors and make them unappealing to be used by an intruder for a break-in.
Ensure You Have an Alarm Censor Connected to Your French Doors
Intruders tend to shy away from any home that has a security system, as it is a surefire way to alert the whole neighborhood, and the police force, to their presence. If you have an alarm system already in place, ensure that you have censors connected to your french doors. If possible, ensure that some sort of indicator light is present so that the intruder can easily detect that the door is alarmed.
If you do not already possess a security system, there are a number of stand alone alarms that can be purchased and easily attached to your french doors. These alarms tend to be less loud, but loud enough to scare away any intruder.
Invest in Shutters
Shutters from places like Aero Shade Co. Inc. are an excellent way to increase the security of your french doors, without having to compromise style or sunlight. Shutters can be attached to the side of your french doors, and then closed and locked when you are locking up your home for the night.
Due to the wide range of colors and styles, you can find shutters that perfectly match the aesthetic of your home, so that instead of looking like an added security feature, the shutters look like a stylish accessory.
If you feel like normal shutters won't offer you enough protection, there are also rolling security shutters that can easily be installed over your french doors. These shutters roll up into the roof during the day, and then at night are electronically unrolled, where they securely attach to the base of the doors. These shutters are made of hard aluminum, and are incredibly hard to penetrate.
Strengthen Your Door's Frames
One of the easiest ways for an intruder to enter your home is by pure force. This method tends to not work on other outside entrances, such as your front door, due to the thickness of the door and the surrounding frames. However, it is well-known that french doors are usually hollow and connected to a flimsy frame, making this an attractive option for an entry by force.
Fortifying your frame is not something that will be immediately apparent to an intruder, but something that will frustrate them easily when they attempt to force their way in. There are reinforcement kits specifically designed for french doors that allow you to add strength to the frame without total replacement.
However, you can have your flimsy frame and doors removed and have much thicker, stronger and durable frames installed completely.
Many of these features are affordable and can be installed yourself in less than an afternoon. Utilizing one, or all, of these tips is a great way to frustrate intruders and allows you to enjoy your beautiful french doors without having to feel unsafe.