What is the Most Secure Type of Patio Door?

Patio doors make for a beautiful addition to virtually any home. They serve as extraordinary conversation pieces while entertaining guests on the patio and can provide a seamless transition between indoor and outdoor living areas. However, over time, patio doors have developed a reputation for offering poor security. And while this notion rings true for many patio doors you come across on today’s market, that certainly isn’t the case for others.

Sliding French, Hinged, or Sliding Modern—Which Configuration is Most Secure?

During your search for patio doors, you are most likely to find the sliding French, hinged, and sliding modern configurations to be most popular. Although sliding French and sliding modern patio doors are secure in their own rights, hinged patio doors take defense to another level. This is because hinged patio doors are set within their frame, feature a central locking point, and as their name suggests, are installed with hinges. These features bolster the rigidity of hinged patio doors, allowing them to stand up to outside forces without caving in.

Other factors that can influence how secure patio doors are include:

Door Frame Material

The most common materials you’ll find are used for patio door frames include:

Vinyl

While vinyl is the most cost-effective of patio door frame materials, it is relatively cheap and can lose its structural integrity over time. This can lead to compromises in security for homes with vinyl frame patio doors.

Aluminum

Patio doors with aluminum frames do tend to offer greater security than their vinyl counterparts, however, aluminum can corrode which can also diminish security capabilities.

Wood

Due to the durable nature of timber, patio doors with wood frames are more secure than those with vinyl and aluminum frames. One major downside to wood frames, however, is the constant upkeep they require to remain secure. That’s because wood is a porous material that is highly susceptible to warping and cracking when not stained or sealed.

Composite

Patio door frames made from composite materials generally provide the greatest security. For example, Fibrex^® is a propriety composite material comprised of 40 percent wood fiber by weight and 60 percent thermoplastic polymer that is used in the manufacturing of Renewal by Andersen^® patio doors. This composite material is twice as strong as vinyl, doesn’t rot like wood or corrode like aluminum, and maintains its stability for long-lasting performance.

Locking Mechanisms

The locking mechanism on a patio door will have a direct impact on its security. The five-point locking system found on Renewal by Andersen’s hinged patio doors is among the most effective locking mechanisms you’ll find. A simple turn of the handle and lift of the lock delivers immediate peace of mind.

Where Can You Find the Most Secure Patio Doors for Your Home?

Homeowners living in Green Bay and the surrounding areas area can turn to RBA of Greater Wisconsin for the most secure patio doors—crafted using Andersen’s proprietary Fibrex^® material. Depending on your aesthetic preferences and spatial needs, our Certified Master Craftsmen can flawlessly install our sliding French doors, sliding modern doors, or hinged patio doors and provide you with a transferable limited lifetime warranty for even greater security. Contact us today to get started.