Written By: Brad Campbell | October 12, 2020
Back doors are one of the most common entry points burglars use to break into properties. If you have a full glass back door or just a glass window, it’s even more vulnerable. An intruder can easily smash the glass to unlock and open the door from the inside.
When you’re looking for ways to burglar-proof your business and make it less of a target for criminals, it’s crucial not to overlook your back door security. Keep reading to learn about some of the best ways to improve your business, commercial building door security.
How to Secure a Door to Prevent Forced Entry
One of the main issues with many back doors is that their factory locks just aren’t strong enough to keep out determined intruders. Any experienced burglar knows how to bypass many common back door locks to gain entry to a property quickly.
You can solve this problem by adding secondary locks that are not as vulnerable. These can be either deadbolts or security pins, for example.
Window film is one of the simplest and most cost-effective solutions out of all your glass door security options for your back door.
This type of film gets applied right on top of the inside surfaces of your existing glass. It can hold glass together after repeated impacts made by common burglary tools like hammers, crowbars, and even bricks.
Though it’s not entirely shatterproof, security window film can delay forced entry attempts long enough to deter would-be intruders or give the authorities time to arrive.
Window film is also available in tinted, reflective, and blacked-out options that you can use to conceal what’s on the other side of a glass door.
These films improve your glass door security by keeping valuables out of sight and making criminals think twice about breaking in—because they can’t be sure what’s on the other side.
Privacy film is a much more aesthetic and convenient way to conceal what’s inside your property, as opposed to more traditional curtains and blinds.
If you choose tinted or mirrored film, you can still see out during the daytime while prying eyes won’t be able to see in.
Keep in mind that the effect will be reversed at night if the lights are on inside your business.
Another option you have when considering how to secure a door is to retrofit the glass with laminated security glass.
These reinforced glass panels consist of an extremely robust thermoplastic interlayer sandwiched between two sheets of glass and are highly resistant to shattering.
Depending on the glass’s thickness and the determination of the would-be intruder, laminated security glass can significantly delay forced entry or even completely deny a violent attempt to gain entry to your property.
A high-quality alarm system is an essential part of a strong business security system. Ultimately, no entry point is 100% impenetrable, so a monitored alarm system will alert you and the authorities if your business ever does get breached.
You can also advertise the alarm system to would-be burglars by putting up decals on your back doors to make them pause and reconsider their planned attack.
Installing security screens is another option to consider for securing your back door. Like gates, this is another way to add a physical barrier to forced entry and burglary.
These types of screens are similar in appearance to standard mesh window and door screens, but the mesh is made out of durable stainless steel. These stainless steel screens are resistant to knife attacks and impact and are more attractive than full metal security gates.
Security gates are metal gates installed over top of a glass door to add another barrier to forced entry. They’re not pretty, but they can be effective at protecting a back door against break and enters.
One reason that criminals prefer to use back entrances is that they’re usually out of sight and not well lit. You can help deter potential intruders by illuminating your rear doors brightly and thoroughly to make it harder for someone to hide their criminal activity.
When we mention how to secure a sliding glass door, you probably think of putting a stick or bar in the bottom track to prevent the door from sliding open if someone unlocks it. This old school method of securing sliding glass doors still works great when used along with other ways, such as reinforcing the glass.
There are also other types of blocking bars you may not have seen before that can be used to secure different kinds of non-sliding back doors.
For example, there are telescopic metal poles that you can wedge between a doorknob and the floor or across a door frame to prevent the door from opening inwards during a break-in attempt.
Adding a security camera in a vulnerable spot like a back door is a great way to deter burglars as well as monitor the outside of your business right from your mobile device or a computer.
Training an obvious surveillance camera on your back door and the surrounding area will discourage people from tampering with the door. Criminals will never know who’s watching and they won’t want to have their actions recorded or get caught.
When it comes to protecting your business or commercial facility from forced entry, it’s important to consider all your options. The more security measures you put in place, the less of a target your property will be and the harder it will be for foolhardy criminals to gain access without getting busted.
Contact us today to learn how we can help you improve your glass door security.
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