Three Ways To Make A Sliding Glass Door Safer For Your Child

Sliding glass doors certainly look lovely in your home. They offer a crystal clear view of the outdoors, and their simple style is easy to coordinate with your room's decor. However, if you have children, sliding glass doors also present several hazards. Children may fall through the glass, or they may throw objects and shatter the glass. You also have to worry that they may slide the door open and wander outdoors without your knowledge. Then, of course, there is the fear that dangerous strangers may look through the glass with malicious intent. Thankfully, there are ways to eliminate all three of these hazards, and keep your child safe without giving up your glass door.

Apply shatterproof film to your door.

Shatterproof security film is a sturdy plastic material that sticks to the surface of your glass door. It's easy to find at home and garden stores, and you can install it yourself by following the instructions of the package. The film generally comes in tinted and non-tinted varieties. If an object hits your window, or if your child bangs into the window and causes the glass to shatter, the pieces stay stuck to the window film so they cannot become scattered around the room and cause injuries. Place the film on the inside of the glass door, so that if your child slams into the door while playing inside, he or she won't come into contact with the sharp glass edges.

Hang long drapes inside the door.

Glass doors don't just let you look out into the world -- they let people on the outside look in, too. To prevent potential predators and burglars from seeing in through your glass door, hang floor-length drapes from a company like http://www.sylvansdrapesandblinds.com on the inside of it. You can always tie the drapes open to let some light in when you're home and in the room. Closing them when you leave prevents people from looking into your home and breaking in to steal your possessions. Remember, burglars are not just a threat to you possessions. They may harm you and your kids if you happen to come home while they're still there. Burglars are less likely to break in if they can't look in your window and see that you have a large television and other valuable possessions.

Install child-proof sliding glass door locks.

Sliding glass doors are much easier for children to open than traditional doors with doorknobs. Even if you have the actual lock on the door in the "locked" position, your child can easily manipulate and open the lock and then sneak out through the door. You can prevent this situation with a sliding glass door lock, purchased from your local children's store or home goods store.

Although they come in several varieties, a simple sliding door lock choice is the plain plastic variety that mounts on the panel of the bottom door. This plastic device can be flipped up so that it prevents the top door from sliding over it. It can then be flipped down when you want to open the door. Just make sure you mount the lock high on the door where your child cannot reach it, and if you have an older or inquisitive child, don't let him or her see you operating the lock. You want to prevent cunning children from pulling up a chair, standing on it, and opening the lock to sneak out.

You can enjoy the beauty of a glass door without putting your child at risk. Take these steps today, and you won't have to be as concerned about sharp glass, dangerous burglars, or escaping children.