Childproofing Patio Door for added Security
“Where is Jaclyn (just insert any 2-3 year old’s name)?” Parents repeat this statement all the time when their little kids just disappear, probably just into another room. However many times if there is a patio sliding glass door available, this is the age where they learn how to unlock and open the door themselves. Just the other day I found my granddaughter in the back yard. She was only out of our site for a couple minutes. Not good!
Install Childproof Pin
So I decided it was time to stop this behavior quickly by installing a separate childproof lock on the patio door. There are many products out there to choose from, and with all the same idea, to prohibit the door from sliding open even when the main locking mechanism that came with the door is being used. There are some products that clamp on the inside of the bottom rail, others that attach to the top of the door where a dead bolt can protrude into the upper door casing.
Then there is also the bar type that braces the closed door against the door frame to prohibit it from opening. Some have key locks but most just us some simple lever to engage the lock.
Now kids are not dumb, and if you put something within reach, like on the bottom rail, they can probably figure it out. If you put the dead bolt on the top of the door, then some older kids and some adults will not be able to reach to unlock. So what’s the answer?
I found a unique product, very simple and very inexpensive, under $3.00 at most hardware stores. It is called the Sliding Door Pin from Security. The basic idea is with the door closed, there is a small pin that goes through the center section of the sliding door into the center of the fixed frame part of the door. The device can be mounted at any height, just out of reach of the 3 year old but low enough for the 8 year old.
You need a drill, two different size bits and a screwdriver. There is one major risk in that if the hole is drilled in the door frame too close to the glass, the glass could be broken. The door frame on both the fixed and sliding center sections will be at least 2 inches wide. You will need to make some very good measurements here. Stay away from any edge by at least 1 inch. This is not hard to do but you must be careful.
After you have placed a mark where the hole is to be drilled, I used a 3/16” drill bit, double and triple check the location; height (I used 5’ above the floor) and adequate distance from the glass on both the slicing and fixed door sections. The hole is drilled through the sliding center post and into the fixed center post about ½”. Be careful not to drill more than the ½” into the outside fixed post. Now just mount the remaining hardware onto the sliding center post as shown on the instructions. You’re done.
Two things you may need to do in addition is the metal knob on the pin was loose when it was purchased. So instead of returning the product, I just used some epoxy to re-attach and let set overnight. I also drilled the pin hole 1/64” larger so the pin could be more easily placed and removed.
This not only keeps Jaclyn from opening the door but also provides additional security for keeping others out. The pin will stop a thief from lifting the sliding door off the track to gain entry.
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