French doors are undoubtedly the best addition one can possibly do to their dream home and the security of those doors is of paramount importance.
The French doors add a lot of value to your home. You want your dream home to be perfect and French doors are an essential part of it. First and foremost they pass on the light that is a big factor for a lot of people.
Secondly their luxurious look, elegant build, and modern aesthetic just sway you away. They also complement a wide range of apertures.
Security in any home is the most important aspect of a happy life. Doors play an important role in home security. French doors can be a great security option.
French doors mostly have a lockable lever and a deadbolt. As both doors have hinges even grade one deadbolt cannot hold onto anything solid. This makes them extremely vulnerable to break-ins.
Here are some factors you surely have to consider for the security of your French doors.
Table of Contents
Installation
In order to enjoy life to its fullest security is the biggest challenge. Your doors need to be locked and keyed properly to ensure that no unwanted or unrelated people can enter your home without permission. Stealers and burglars have to stay away from your home and French doors need to ensure that.
Poorly installed French doors have shown apparent security concerns. It is easier to break in if you have not installed the door properly. It’s like your first line of defense and if that is weak then what’s left behind.
Whether you have hired professionals to do the job or you are doing it yourself there are some basic criteria you need to check for your French door security. You should open and close the door a few times to ensure it is installed tightly and is stable to open and close plus there should be minimal space between the bottom of your door and the threshold.
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Glass Doors
The main attraction in French doors are the glass panels obviously but they are also the biggest risk issue as well. A very common issue with glass doors is the risk of breakage. If the glass is punched hard it’s easy to break it and open the locks.
Good French doors though have a double glazed glass that is less likely to break easily. You have to put in a lot of force to the fist that’s going to create jagged shards which is the cause of injury firstly and secondly it is going to leave forensic evidence that will help catch whoever did this prohibited act.
Lock And Key
Well, to begin with, lock and key is the most important and simplest way of securing. Having a good lock is a great way to prevent ourselves from being victims of these break-ins. The habit of locking your doors will save you a lot of mess and keeping your keys secure will ensure safety.
Your French doors should have more than one lock system to ensure complete security. Morticed deadlock is your best friend in this matter.
Armor concepts double door kit provide you all the reinforcement in one set for your French door. If your builder has installed flush bolts already then you have got yourself covered.
It also includes strike and lock reinforcements, hinges reinforcements, header reinforcements for the flush or surface bolt, and also a night lock.
We can install the reinforcement with the help of screws given in the kit. 2.5″ screws for lock and strike reinforcements and 3” for the hinges. All of this gives to you a piece of mind that your French door is completely secure and your house is sound heaven for your family.
Single-Sided Deadbolts also give you the option to secure your French door. As they are weak in the center if you can install a deadbolt that locks both doors in the center. It is only one-sided and has a thumb turn on the inside and nothing on the outside. So they can be only operated through a thumb turn.
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Night locks are a way to ensure security for your French doors. It comes in two parts. The base is attached to the floor and the plates are slides into the base. The plates are removable.
This can be used for front or back doors. If you are using it for the front door you have to wait for everyone to get home before putting them into the base. If there is an option to use the back door then you can secure your front door at any time. They can be used in a single door as well.
Flush bolts are the manual way to secure your doors. They are manual flips on the top and bottom side of the doors and need to be flipped manually to open and close. It is pierced inside the doors.
Cremone Bolt is an option if you don’t want your door to be drilled and notched. It is a surface applicable lock. Unlike all other locks, it doesn’t lock in the middle of the door. The top bolt goes into the header and the bottom hold goes into the floor.
The top and bottom bolts retract themselves when the handle is rotated. It is a very good locking system and a very elegant one like our French doors
Multiple locks systems can secure your French door. It works by getting installed inside the French door. The door has to get cut to install these locks. Some locks at 3 places while others at 5. It is a very good lock option to secure the French door.
The choice of lock totally depends on what level of security you think will be enough for your home. You can apply one or many lock system according to the surrounding location and overall observation or threats
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Glass covers
We like French doors because they bring in light but it’s also a big issue that people on the outside can easily see what is inside. If your home is full of expensive stuff and branded goods you should think of covering those glass so that no wrong eye catches the sight of your house. Blinds and curtains provide good coverage of the glass.
The curtains should be incorporated inside of the French glass doors and the door glass open glass outside. If reversed your curtains will be ruined by wind and dust.
Alarms
A good Alarm system can save you a lot of trouble from theft and break-ins. The alarm on the door should ring loud if an intruder wants to get unauthorized access. Any sensible burglar will turn the other way if they see the sign of automatic alarm on your French door.
Camera systems should be installed above doors and any peculiar places to ensure that no one can even think to disrupt our privacy as they will be caught on camera and put into prosecution.
It’s the era of electronic devices. Every device is interconnected. Your phone can automatically operate everything. Check on the door and open the locks with one click. Smart security cameras are the latest in this game. Magnetic sensors can notify the movement on the door pretty quickly and prevent fatal break-ins.
The authenticity of the alarm system should be checked properly. The sensor quality and alarm effectiveness are the keys to saving ourselves the trouble from intruders and ensure safety.
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Conclusion
Well, it is a known fact that we always want something that we find appealing and attractive. We love the aesthetics, looks, and charms of French doors.
We want them in our home so we decided to opt for them. The above-provided data should give you enough relief that French doors are as solid and trustworthy as the other wooden doors plus pleasing to the eye and go well with your home interior.
As every door needs security, above mentioned French door security options need to be taken seriously and that will save you lots of sleepless nights and give you a calm sense of security in your home.
As far as the cost of these security options is considered then you shouldn’t worry much. A lot of options are extremely cheap and very effective. Others cost a little but that cost is totally justified if we think of the comfort we are getting in return.
To conclude with we have to give you all the scary details as well as their remedies so that you can choose wisely the right option for your door and French doors are one of the best ones.
FAQ’s