Glass Door Safety and Security

November 28, 2010

Glass doors can be an excellent way to brighten up your home, allowing natural light to enter and flow through your home's interior, and increasing the sense of space. If you are planning to install glass doors in your home, make sure you consider the safety aspects as well as the aesthetics.

Glass doors are much more easily breakable than other materials, so you have to consider:

Safety. Think about who might injure themselves by walking into or breaking the glass.

Security. How easy is it for someone to break into your home?

Glass Doors and the Law

By law, interior glass doors must meet certain safety standards, which vary according to the size of the pane of glass and its location. The Consumer Product Safety Commission regulates residential glass safety standards. Before you buy any glass doors or panes of glass to install in your home, check with the manufacturer to make sure they meet the safety standards relevant to the purpose for which you intend to use the glass panes or doors.

Glass Doors and Home Security

Any exterior glass doors or panels should be made from toughened or laminated glass. Sliding glass doors are often a vulnerable point in terms of your home's security--not because of the glass but because they can easily be forced open or simply lifted off their rails. Improve the security of a sliding glass door by fitting a blocking device, or simply placing a stick into the track to prevent it being forced open. Anti-lift devices are also available to prevent sliding doors being lifted off their rails.

Once you've taken care of the safety and security elements of your glass doors, you can enjoy their beauty.