Are Aluminium Sliding Doors Secure?
Aluminium sliding doors are sturdy and durable. But are they secure?
Aluminium sliding doors are incredibly durable and sturdy and can’t be bent or broken like timber or PVC-U, no matter how hard anyone tries to force the frames. The doors are also internally glazed which means it’s impossible to remove the glass from the outside, and you can choose toughened or laminated glass which won’t break.
Aluminium sliding doors have come a very long way since the 1970s when they could sometimes be lifted off their tracks by a burglar who was really determined to gain access to your home. Now, they’re one of the most secure doors you can choose – thanks to the strength of the material itself and the latest generation of multi-point locking systems.
When it comes to the locks themselves, the vast majority of aluminium sliding doors now come with five or six-point high security multipoint locking, which makes it impossible to force the door open and along the track. The action of locking the door with the handle will automatically engage a series of mushroom bolts and a hook lock at various points from the top to the bottom of the door and these secure it to the frame.
As a buyer, the standard you need to look out for is PAS24 (either 2012 or 2016) which means the specific door you are buying has been tested and approved to the very latest security standard.
The PAS24 test, which applies to virtually all doorsets sold in the UK, simulates an attack on the handle and locking system with pliers and wrenches. It also involves a 30kg sandbag being swung at the door to check the impact resistance and even a 50kg steel ram being forced against the hinge, locks and corners to make sure they can’t be forced open. So, when you see that PAS24 certification, you can relax knowing the door is safe and secure.
If you want extra reassurance, you can always look for the independent police Secured By Design accreditation on the door and the locking system as well, although, to achieve that, a manufacturer has to prove that the door has already passed PAS24.
Choosing Lift & Slide or Inline Door
When it comes to choosing the right aluminium sliding patios for your home or project, the options are either inline or lift and slide patio doors. They both look the same when closed, but the key differences are in the sliding and opening mechanism.