Sliding Glass Door Locks Brisbane - How to Tell if Your Locks Are Secure

Sliding Glass Door Locks Brisbane – Choosing the Right Hardware

Unfortunately, the quality of many modern sliding glass door locks fitted to residential sliding glass doors has declined dramatically over the years. There are always exceptions of course, but by and large the security and durability of many sliding door lock systems is poor.

It’s a story everyone has seen before. Manufacturers decide to keep hardware “in house” rather than sourcing products from established lock companies that specialise in security hardware. In reality, “in house” often means importing low cost hardware from overseas factories and branding it as their own product.

The result is sliding glass door locks that may look acceptable at first glance, but often provide poor security, poor durability, or both.

At SK Locksmiths & Security, we inspect sliding door hardware every day across Brisbane homes. To keep things simple, here are a few quick ways to identify whether your sliding glass door locks may need upgrading.

Signs Your Sliding Glass Door Locks May Be Insecure

Can the hook be pushed open?

With the door open, throw the locking bolt so the hook is visible. If you can simply push the hook back into the unlocked position using your finger, the lock is insecure.

A quality sliding door lock should resist manipulation and remain securely locked.

Plastic handles and weak construction

If the handle is made primarily from plastic or polymer materials, it is generally a sign of low quality hardware.

It sounds obvious, but quality locks should be built from solid metal components designed to handle years of use and attempted forced entry.

Small or light duty keys

If the keys resemble letterbox keys or small window lock keys, that is usually not a good sign.

Many low quality sliding door locks use very basic key systems with minimal security.

Single hook locks

A single hook, sometimes called a “parrot beak” style bolt, is common on cheaper sliding door locks.

Higher quality sliding glass door locks often use dual opposing hooks which help resist lifting and prying attacks.

No internal key locking function

Many quality sliding door locks include both:

a day latch or snib function
and a proper deadlocking function

If the lock only has a simple internal snib and no proper deadlocking capability, security may be limited.

Patio Bolts and Additional Sliding Door Security

Patio bolts and lockable bolts can be excellent additions to a sliding glass door setup when installed correctly.

However, problems occur when strong patio bolts are combined with poor quality handle hardware.

Because patio bolts are usually fitted near the top or bottom of the door, they can create leverage and flex during a prying attack. If the central handle lock is weak, the flex in the door can sometimes allow the handle lock to pop open.

In this situation, the only real strength is concentrated at one corner of the door rather than across the entire locking system.

A quality handle set combined with properly installed patio bolts is a much better solution. Multiple strong locking points help keep the door rigid and significantly improve security.

Security Film for Sliding Glass Doors

Another worthwhile upgrade for residential sliding glass doors is quality security window film.

While security film does not make glass unbreakable, a properly installed film can dramatically increase the amount of effort and time required to gain entry through the glass itself. Instead of the glass immediately collapsing after impact, the film helps hold broken glass together, making forced entry significantly more difficult and far more noticeable.

Security film can also help reduce the risk of accidental injury from shattered glass and may provide additional benefits such as UV and heat reduction depending on the product selected.

At SK Locksmiths & Security we do not install security film ourselves, however we regularly recommend Solar Master Window Film for customers looking to improve sliding door security and glass protection.

Quality hardware paired with professionally installed security film can make an excellent security upgrade for residential sliding glass doors.

Sliding Door Lock Upgrades in Brisbane

Some poor quality sliding door locks can be deceptive. They may avoid a few of the obvious warning signs while still offering poor security and durability.

If you are unsure whether your sliding glass door locks are secure, we are happy to help.

SK Locksmiths & Security

At SK Locksmiths & Security we specialise in high quality residential and commercial security solutions across Brisbane.

In addition to sliding glass door lock upgrades, we also offer: