How To Replace Sliding Glass Door Locks

Replacing sliding glass door locks is a project that you can easily accomplish at home with a few simple instructions.  Most people who have homes built in the middle or late twentieth century have sliding glass doors that open up onto a patio.  (You may also have sliding glass doors on a shower but these usually do not lock.)  This is one of the most frequently trafficked areas in a home and over time the hardware wears out. 

Keep in mind that in most sliding glass doors the locks are built in to one mechanism with the handles.  When you are looking to replace these locks, it is easier to do so if you remove the handle and the lock and bring it with you to the store to find something similar.  You also need to make note of how thick the door itself is and how far apart the drilled holes are. 

The replacement hardware should be one of the quality products from a key supplier for best results.  After all, you do not want to have to make this repair over and over again.  If you have sliding glass doors made by a top window manufacturer such as Pella or Andersen, check with them to see if they recommend a particular lock. 

While you can improve security to a certain extent by replacing the locks on sliding glass doors, other steps are recommended for maximum protection.  Adding a bar to the door makes it much harder for someone to jimmy the lock.  In addition, security experts highly recommend anti-shatter film for sliding glass doors.  This prevents a trick called the smash and grab, which means breaking the glass door and taking whatever valuables are within reach. 

The rest of the repair process is easy once you have the correct hardware.  All you have to do is screw it in.  The lock and latch mechanisms on sliding glass doors may look complicated but they are actually quite easy compared to other sliding glass door problems such as a worn out track or broken glass.  If the whole door needs to be replaced for any reason, it’s generally recommended that you call in a professional.

However, anyone with the right kind of screw driver can successfully replace sliding glass door locks if they take care to pick the right replacement project.  If your measurements are correct it should be full speed ahead.


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