French doors add beauty and light to your home, but they can be a threat to your home’s security if they aren’t secured properly. Here’s how to make them safer.
Before You Begin…
Why do French doors pose a potential security risk? When closed, French doors look roughly similar to sliding patio doors: two doorframes filled with either a single pane of glass each or a grid of smaller panes. The primary difference between sliders and French doors is the opening mechanism. While sliders move along a solid track and overlap each other, French doors are actually two separate hinged doors that meet in the middle and swing away from each other to create a single large opening. This feature is a large part of the charm of French doors—they offer a wide-open, unobstructed view to the outdoors. French doors can also be installed between rooms in the interior of a home to separate different living areas, and they are valued there for the same reasons.
Exterior French doors can be difficult to secure. Why? The biggest challenge is that the two doors latch and lock to each other, so when they’re locked, two mobile panels are secured to each other rather than to a fixed point. The seam in the middle of the two doors is the weakest spot, where a sharp kick or shove can dislodge them from each other and provide access to your home. A secondary danger stems from one of the doors’ greatest features: the glass. Homeowners install French doors to let in light and to frame a view, so a wide expanse of uninterrupted glass is a primary part of the structure. This can allow potential intruders to see the inside of the home and survey what valuables are on display. A large area of glass can also allow intruders to shatter it for easy access to those belongings.
Before you begin shoring up the safety of your French doors, you’ll need to assess your particular situation. What security measures are already in place? Is your double-door lock set old or loose? You’ll need a reliable measuring tape to make accurate measurements, and a trip to the home improvement store to get some supplies, but in general these upgrades are approachable projects for a handy homeowner.