Vinyl sliding patio door..safe ?


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Old 10-06-13, 09:56 AM
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Vinyl sliding patio door..safe ?

We have a 70s vintage sliding patio door that is worn out & has got to be replaced. My wife & I are retired, so cost & security is a big concern. My wife says "a child could break into a plastic (vinyl) patio door" & that she would not feel safe. Is that a realistic concern with vinyl ? Can it be easily bent so that the door can be removed from the track ? Your comments or suggestions would be appreciated.
Roger
 
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Old 10-06-13, 10:11 AM
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Her concerns about vinyl are unfounded. How exactly does she think a "child" can break into a vinyl patio door?

Anyone with a hammer, brick or baseball bat can break into your home anytime they want by simply breaking the glass in any one of your windows or doors. It's the main reason why most security systems include "glass breaks" as part of the security system. Glass is the weak point as far as security is concerned... not the vinyl.
 
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Old 10-06-13, 01:59 PM
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Long, long ago I was dating a woman who lived in a condo complex. The unit next door to hers was vacant. One day she came home from work to find here home cleaned out and a large hole chain sawed in the wall. The thieves backed a moving van up to the empty unit next door. Broke in the front door and took a chain saw to the wall between the units.

Security is all shades of gray. Glass sliding doors & windows can be opened with any rock or brick. Most doors can be opened with a few good kicks or battering ram. Most walls are easily cut through and most bunkers can be defeated by the proper bomb so nothing in this world is guaranteed. Like XSleeper mentioned, the vinyl frame is the least of your worries and if security is a concern you should take a look at your entire home. Locking a window or sliding door is not much help if breaking the glass is a real concern. The real question is how much money & effort you want to spend fortifying your home versus enjoying life and paying your insurance premium.
 
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Old 10-07-13, 03:58 AM
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Sliding glass doors are probably the easiest doors to 'jimmy' open You might want to check and see how much it would cost to replace the unit with a set of patio doors. They would be more secure and I think maybe more energy efficient.
 
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Old 10-07-13, 05:21 AM
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A lot of sliding doors have a secondary security lock that makes them impossible to "jimmy" open. The handle lock prevents the door from being slid open at the lock, and the security lock is usually a bolt that slides up into the top or bottom of the jamb, which also prevents the door from sliding at all. I suppose you "could" say that a door without this secondary lock would be easier to jimmy with a prybar or similar... kind of like a hinged door with no deadbolt.
 
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Old 10-07-13, 09:58 AM
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Thanks for all your reply's. It appears that vinyl patio doors with proper locks, etc are as safe as your other doors & windows...all it takes is a pry bar, hammer & a little time to break in.
Roger
 
 

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