How to keep French Doors and French Windows Secure
As a very attractive and classic style that adds loads of personality to any house, French Doors and French Windows have become very popular over the years.
However, there are a few things that it might be prudent to keep in mind about security if you have, or are planning to have, French Doors & Windows (- see this URL ).
Secure French Doors
As you probably already know, this design is basically the same for both window & door versions. A pair of identical frames that swing open out (or in) on hinges mounted into the outer frames.
This double opener gives a lot of clear space to move in & out f the property, but also brings a security issue that you may not have thought about.
Single windows & doors have locks that embed into a solid non-moving outer frame – this outer frame is securely screwed into the bricks surrounding it. With a double set of moving panels. the locks only embed into the doors, not the frames.
As you can see from the picture, both the handles are in the centre and so the locks only engage where the doors meet. This is inherently less secure than locks that engage into a solid non -moving outer frame..
Potential solutions:
There are some easy fixes for this problem.
- make sure your new doors have multi-point locks – these engage all around the frame and are very secure.
- fit shoot bolts to the top and bottom of the doors in the centre
- buy an aftermarket device such as the Patlcock to secure the handles from the inside.
Good luck.
– see this URL.