When you make a home renovation, you never want to compromise on either style or functionality - the same is true for patio door security. According to British homeowners, patio door security is a crucial priority - ranking 9/10 on average (Origin, 2024).
Robust security is essential, but getting your dream patio door is always preferable. Can you have a stunning, seamless glass door that also stands up to rigorous security standards? At Origin, we test all our doors against common intrusion techniques to ensure you stay safe in your home.
Sliding doors are an excellent choice for opening up your space to the outdoors. They usually have wide apertures and minimal sightlines which drenches your interior space in mood-boosting natural light. However, these doors have a negative reputation for being less secure than other types of patio doors. This is because typical options can pose a security risk.
Sliding doors can also appear less secure because they typically have slimmer sightlines or frames than other door styles. Although, owing to this, they help create the most seamless view of your garden. Here, we explore the security information associated with Origin’s Slimline Sliding Door - OS-20.
In this guide:
French doors were perceived as the most secure. Can you predict which was the least?
Understand how our slimline sliding doors don’t compromise on security
Learn how large pages of glass affect the perceived security of patio doors
Use more sliding door panels to feel safer at home
Glass-to-frame ratio, locking, glazing and more - features to look for in your patio door
Which type of patio door is the most secure?
The most popular styles of patio door include French Doors, Sliding Doors and Bifold Doors. French doors have two doors with handles and a locking mechanism in the centre. Sliding doors have multiple panels which slide along a track. Bifold doors are made up of separate door leaves and have several sets of hinges, located between each pane, which allow it to concertina open.
We asked Brits which doors looked the most secure and 50% chose French doors, 36.5% chose bifold doors and only 13% selected sliding doors as the most secure (Origin, 2024). Preconceptions about the security of sliding doors could have contributed to these results. However, they typically also have slimmer frames compared to other door options which could make them appear less secure, albeit, far more elegant.
Unlike traditional sliding doors, Origin’s slimline sliding door - the Artisan Sliding Door - OS-20 - uses anti-lift blocks, a multi-point locking system and has no handle on the outside, which means it can’t be picked by an intruder. Moreover, the OS-20 comes as a bonded system with the glass and frame connected as one. These door sets can be specified with laminated, toughened or solar-reflective glass for a higher level of security and better energy efficiency. While they offer the most uninterrupted view, our slimline doors also deliver robust security for your home.
Are doors with slim sightlines less secure?
On a similar note, slimmer frames could appear less robust than thicker aluminium frames. You agreed. We showed three doors with different sightline widths and you perceived the widest frame as the most secure. The slimmest frames were viewed as the least secure (Origin, 2024).
Although a thicker frame width creates the illusion of extra security, our slimline aluminium doors are just as robust as our earlier designs. We use the highest quality aluminium, which is extremely durable and engineered for optimal strength and security, while featuring better thermal efficiency when compared to wood or uPVC.
Slimmer sightlines are stunning because they’re minimally obtrusive and let more light flood into your home, so you can choose it for your home with confidence.
Wide or narrow - Which sliding doors are more secure?
More often than not, your home’s layout dictates the aperture of your patio door. Larger homes may be able to achieve a large wider patio door to flood the whole room with light. Meanwhile, smaller rooms may not be able to accommodate a wide opening. Regardless, the survey respondents felt that bigger sliding door sets were a greater security risk (Origin, 2024).
Large windows can make you feel more exposed. However, the OS-20 has safety features such as a multipoint lock and can be specified with different types of glass such as solar-reflective, toughened or laminated triple glazing to further enhance its security. Your chosen installation partner will be responsible for sourcing the glazing, so please speak to them for more details.
Have peace of mind that your wide-aperture glass patio doors offer robust security. For even more reassurance, at Origin, you’ll benefit from a guarantee of up to 20-years.
Is it better to have more sliding door panels?
Narrower glass panels were believed to be more secure than wider panes (Origin, 2024). Similar to why smaller door sets feel safer, the more panels you use (e.g., three narrow panes as opposed to two wide panes), the higher your frame-to-glass ratio.
At Origin, you can configure your door panels exactly to your liking - use fewer wide panels or numerous narrow panels. Additionally, you can fix in place as many or as few of your sliding door panels as you want. This gives you a flexible sliding door system where you can make the opening wherever is convenient for you.
Origin Doors are bespoke to you. Select your desired size, configuration, colour (over 150 RAL colours and different finishes available) style and hardware options. What’s more, our latest collection of Sliding Doors are designed to far exceed the current and future UK U-Value requirements. This helps keep your heating bills down while maximising natural light flow.
Explore our Slimline OS-20 Collection or find your local installer
Other safety considerations for your patio door
We’ve covered the key features of a secure sliding patio door: multi-point locking systems, toughened, laminated or solar-reflective glass options, anti-lift blocks and internal-only locking mechanisms that reduce the risk of tampering.
Origin Doors are specifically designed to create a nearly uninterrupted view of the outdoors without compromising on security. Security and functionality are Origin’s top priorities. We’d never create a product that compromised on quality or jeopardised your safety. Our doors are more thermally efficient, secure and stylish than ever before.
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