Sliding doors for Beautiful secure homes
Balancing aesthetics and home security is a key issue for our clients, and how to ensure a secure home without compromising the appearance of our floor to ceiling sliding or bifold doors is always a first consideration for our design team. We aim to offer aesthetically pleasing and extremely secure doors and windows that’ll transform your home and give you complete peace of mind.
Security Features to consider when buying sliding doors
Our slimline systems incorporate unobtrusive, stylish security features. Some are standard specification, and some are optional depending on the system you choose.
standard home security features for odc sliding doors and bifolding systems
Aluminium frames: Premium-grade aluminium has an inherent strength which makes it the ideal material for door and window frames. Importantly for homeowners in search of slim sightlines, aluminium has a high strength to weight ratio, so security is not compromised by reducing the thickness of frames. Our ODC glass doors feature a structurally bonded system made from premium grade aluminium. These extremely robust frames hold large expanses of glass very securely.
Double glazing: ODC Sliding Doors are specified with either double or triple glazing which makes the systems very thermally efficient as well as extremely difficult to break into. The second layer of glass creates a protective, shock-absorbing layer that will limit impact damage.
Multi-point locks: Every ODC sliding door and bifolding door system has multi-point locks. Multipoint locking systems extend the full height of the door and have integrated multiple locking points along its edge. Multiple locking points create a tight seal top to bottom and are much less vulnerable to break-in. This kind of lock also compresses the seal between door and frame, making it more weathertight than a standard door and therefore more thermally efficient.
Hinges and Security Hinge Pins: Doors and windows with high quality heavy duty zinc hinges are secured with hinge pins to prevent them being lifted from the outside.
Handles: Well-designed handles are strong, with guards and shields against drilling and snapping. Tested to withstand brute force they add to your home security. Some ODC systems have internal handles only so that an intruder cannot gain access to the lock from the outside.
optional security features for sliding doors and bifolds
Laminated security glass: All our doors and windows are glazed with toughened glass, but you can have an option to have laminated security glass specified. Laminated glass has a polyvinyl butyral (PVB) layer of thin plastic fusing two panes of annealed glass. This interlayer means the glass panes can take extremely heavy structural loads and resist extreme weather conditions, explosives and even bullets. The PVB thin layer is a minimum of 0.38 mm thick and can be specified with even thicker layers for more resistance. 0.76mm is usually the maximum thickness for domestic glass. Laminated glass also stays put when cracked – that makes it the ideal glazing for rooflights or glass ceilings and if it’s broken, it’s still almost impossible to gain entry because the PVB layer hols the pane together. Its resistance to brick and hammer blows helps to prevent any attempt at entry via a glazed area. If you live in an area with high burglary rates, this might be an option for your installation.
Lock monitoring and bolt sensors: Lock monitoring tells you whether all your windows and doors are unlocked or locked before you leave home. It’s a great timesaving optional security feature – opportunistic burglary through an unintentionally left open window or unlocked door is common. Bolt sensors will also tell you whether doors have been properly closed.
Alarmed glass: Security sensors or glass breakage detectors will send a signal to an alarm panel when the glass opens or is cracked under impact. An alarm is triggered automatically, or an alarm company called. When the alarm is turned off, the sliding door can be opened and closed without activation.
Access control systems: Glass door lock systems bring stylish access control to homes with large expanses of sliding glass or multi-panel bifold systems. With smart technology, a code-based access system can preserve an open, transparent feel and still offer the homeowner control over who enters their home.
Blinds: If you are concerned about the visibility of your interior space when away from the home or at night, it’s a good idea to consider privacy blinds when specifying your doors and windows. Specialist blinds that operate discreetly with sliding and bifold systems are available, but more difficult and expensive to install at a later date.
The ODC300+ Patio: a sliding system offering the highest levels of security
ODC300+ floor-to-ceiling patio doors are exceptional in their security specification values. With a PAS 24 security rating, they offer the opportunity for sliding glass walls of even greater dimensions – you’ll create a space with real architectural impact and have complete peace of mind.
security features of our popular sliding doors compared
Obviously there’s a lot to consider when choosing the best sliding doors for your project, so here’s a quick reference sheet for you to download: ODC Sliding Doors Comparison Datasheet
sliding doors and secure HOMEs: FAQs
What are the UK Building Regulations for home security?
In England and Wales, the regulation is called Approved Document Q: Security – Dwellings (often referred to as Part Q), and in Scotland it is identified as Building Standard 4.13.
Building regulations Part Q dictate the minimum standards for design, construction and alterations to buildings. They are developed by governments and approved by Parliaments. England, Scotland and Wales all have a regulation detailing the need for security in new homes. All ODC Glass doors and window systems have been tested against standards set by Part Q for home security.
Will installing sliding doors affect my home insurance premiums?
Insurance policy providers will ask whether your doors and windows have high quality locks and if you have a home security system or burglar alarms. Lower premiums are offered to homes with approved locks. It’s all part of a whole range of actions you can take to enhance the security of your property.
What are the highest security standards for doors and windows?
High quality systems have PAS24 (2016 or 2022) to verify they been tested and approved to the very latest security standards. Doors that have passed the test have withstood attacks with pliers, sandbags and 50kg steel rams! There is independent police ‘Secured By Design’ accreditation available on doors and locking systems available for additional peace of mind.
ODC expertise for peace of mind
Once you’ve decided the look and overall design of your architectural glazing, it’s important to have a discussion with our experienced technical team to ensure you have the security specifications to suit your home and lifestyle.
To find out more about security features for sliding doors, bifold doors and windows, please get in touch – our team will be really happy to have an informal chat about products to suit your your project. Better still, drop into one of our showrooms in Poole or London to explore your options for the best architectural glazing.
