Need help securing sliding glass doors
 

A lot of people have them, esp. in sunnier climes and newer homes. The sliding glass doors on my house are my biggest security concern. Short of blocking them in, what's the best way to secure them for SHTF but still remain in code for today?

Googling doesn't seem to turn up anything designed to provided high-security for sliding glass doors. 99% of the suggestions involve slide bars and putting in screws to prevent the door from being lifted out of it's tracks.

My first step I think will be to apply that security/hurricane film to keep the glass from easily being bashed in. This will only deter unmotivated pests and briefly slow down anyone else so something better is needed.

Maybe those folding scissor grates that gets bolted to the wall would work but I have not been able to find anything.


What have other people done and/or suggest? (besides move)

Re: Need help securing sliding glass doors
 

What about those roll down security gates that you
see for store fronts. They are also code approved.

http://www.mr-locks.com/products/151...n_Gates_(RDG)/

Re: Need help securing sliding glass doors
 

I plan on just putting up my hurricane panels, leaving about 6 inches to be able to see out of..

Ideally a wall of sandbags would be the best.

Re: Need help securing sliding glass doors
 

Most hurricane panels are installed on the outside and hence can be removed from the outside.

I also wouldn't want to block my means of egress via the rear of the house like that. Something that can be locked/unlocked is needed.

Re: Need help securing sliding glass doors
 

look into some of the newer coatings/film. I had a friend who was working for a while applying film to federal building windows that supposedly will stop a .22. it wont stop the motivated, but it'll slow them down a bit.

Re: Need help securing sliding glass doors
 

If it isn't tempered glass you should apply a security laminate to make it impossible to break. Locking the frame is another thing. My grandparents always put a piece of 2x4 in the track at night. You also might want to consider a decortaive iron security door on the outside.

Re: Need help securing sliding glass doors
 

IF your going to go to that much trouble why not just replace it with a regular door or french doors? Anthing bolted to the inside will be ugly and cumbersome at best and anything outside is removable. Although if you dont want to replace it, the roll up doors are probably your best option. Something like they have at malls and schools.

http://www.americansecuritysolutions.com/rolling.html


Although thats probably just as expensive as replacing your door, but you still have a nice glass sliding door with security now.

This would work as well, but is Ugly IMO.

http://www.wholesalegate.com/doublegates.html

Re: Need help securing sliding glass doors
 

You don't get it. Not everyone is a idiot. I can install those panels where you can't remove the attachment bolts unless you have a impact wrench to remove them. I don't know of many zombies who come with generator, compressor, and impact wrench.

I would only want out fast in case of fire. I have other exits, and would not depend upon the sliders for a exit.

Re: Need help securing sliding glass doors
 

you can buy security doors that are placed very similar to how window security bars are placed, they are bolted in with large lag bolts to the studs and then the heads are cut off. You can't remove them except with a torch or a grinder and lots of time. We had some on our house when we bought it. They had a track on the top and a pretty convincing deadbolt. It was like living in a prison, so we removed them. I have often wished we hadn't. It was decorative wrought iron stuff. Won't stop a bullet but would stop zombies pretty good. We had other unprotected windows so it didn't seem like it would really matter. If they want in, they're going to get in, or burn you out.

Re: Need help securing sliding glass doors
 

.....i have seen burglerys where they used a battery powered sawzall and cut their own hole..

12ga or a Doberman ....makes for a pretty good deterent

Re: Need help securing sliding glass doors
 

If you have any regular glass windows in the house, I wouldn't be all that worried about the doors.

Re: Need help securing sliding glass doors
 

A Mossberg secures them pretty well.

Re: Need help securing sliding glass doors
 

Drill a hole through the frames and insert a steel pin, it immobilizes the doors