Locks, Keys and Security for People With Manual Dexterity Issues

Posted on: 5 October 2015

Screens doors can be relatively vulnerable compared to metal, wood or glass doors, but with the right approach, it is possible to make your screen door more secure. Unfortunately, there are a number of myths around screen door security, and buying into these myths may make you less safe.

Here is a look at some common myths about screen doors and the truth behind them:

1. Myth: Screen door locks don't offer extra safety.

Truth: Some people think that adding a lock to a screen door doesn't offer any extra protection, and from one angle, that logic makes sense. Even if the door is locked, a thief may cut through the screen and enter the home that way. However, most thieves aren't that ambitious. They often try doors, and if they are locked, the thieves move to the next house.

Don't be fooled into believing that screen door locks aren't important. Instead, contact locksmiths about strengthening the lock on your screen door.

2. Myth: Flimsy handle-locks are the only option for screen door locks.

Truth: In addition to the traditional handle locks used on sliding screen doors, you can add chain locks to them. You can also make your own locks in some cases.

3. Myth: Reinforcing the locks on screen doors costs money.

While you can spend lots of money installing new locks on your screen doors, you certainly don't have to. For example, a simple dowel placed in the track of a sliding screen door makes it virtually impossible to slide open.

If you cannot afford to have a locksmith look at your screen door, DIY solutions like dowels can help to boost your security for a while.

4. Myth: Locks and DIY solutions like dowels are the only way to make screen doors more secure.

Truth: You can actually boost the security of screen doors by replacing their screens. You can replace all of the screen in your existing sliding door with super strong security screen that resists forceful impact and cannot even be cut through with most knives or scissors.

Alternatively, you can add mesh guards to your sliding screen door. These guards feature strong screens and a metal frame that gets bolted over your existing door.

5. Myth: You cannot install a security alarm on your screen door.

Truth: You can install a security device on your screen door. You can have a locksmith or a security system professional install one side of a door detector to the frame of the door and another to the door itself. When the door is closed, these sensors have a magnetic connection, and when the door is opened, the magnets break apart which in turn triggers the alarm.