Homeowners should be aware of the fact that a sliding glass door can create a huge security liability without some precautions. Burglars may target homes with sliding glass doors because this type of door can often easily be kicked in or lifted up out of the way.

If you're looking for ways to make the sliding glass door on your home more secure, consider the following four security tips

Get a glassbreak sensor/detector

Sometimes, thieves will penetrate a home at a sliding glass door by breaking the window glass. Having safety glass may help make it more difficult for thieves to get through by smashing your window in. However, one of the best things you can do to prevent a break-in caused by broken sliding door glass is have glassbreak sensors installed. 

Glassbreak sensors typically work through acoustic sensors that detect the sound of breaking glass. Depending on how far you are from your sliding glass door at the time of the break-in, you may not hear the sound of the glass being broken. A glassbreak sensor will immediately notify you that a break-in is taking place at your sliding door. 

Set your home security system to sound an alarm if there is contact on your sliding door's surface

If you have a security alarm system on your home, you can set it to detect contact against your sliding door glass overnight. 

An alarm that sounds immediately when a sliding glass door is touched is likely to scare burglars away before any damage has even been done to your glass. 

Have a jimmy plate installed

Burglars often attempt to break in at a sliding glass door by lifting the door off its tracks so that they can penetrate your home as quietly as possible. Jimmy plates are ideal for preventing this type of break-in.

Jimmy plates can be installed over sliding glass doors to prevent them from being lifted off of their tracks. These devices are long, flat plates that fit over the entire door frame and keep the door in position so that it can't be improperly opened. 

Get a safety bar

One of the simplest ways to ensure that your sliding glass door stays closed is to get a safety bar. Safety bars are typically long wooden bars that run from one edge of the door frame to another and obstruct the door from being slid open. A safety bar must be completely removed from inside the house before a sliding glass door can be opened.