Where protecting your home is concerned, a patio door on the ground floor of your home can be a point of vulnerability. While a burglar intent on gaining access to your home may be unable to kick down your front or back door, the process of getting through a patio door is typically much easier. You can protect yourself by having a home security system and keeping it armed, but there are other things that you can do to impede a criminal's ability to get through your patio door and into your home. Here are some suggestions.

Use A Security Bar

An aluminum or wooden security bar is a must-have device for protecting your patio door. Some criminals won't want to shatter the glass on the door to gain entry, as doing so is noisy and may attract the attention of neighbors. In such a situation, a thief may attempt to force open the patio door's lock. While doing so may be possible, the thief will remain unable to slide open the door if you have a security bar in place. These devices are inexpensive but highly valuable, and if your home security company does more than alarm, an installer may be able to install this device for you.

Apply A Glass Break Sensor

If you live in a remote area in which there are no neighbors who might be able to hear your patio door being smashed, a burglar may use a rock to break the glass and get inside your home. One way to address this risk is to have your home security company apply one or more glass break sensors onto the glass part of the door. As soon as the glass breaks, the sensors will trip. Depending on how you have your home security system set up, this means that your security company could be notified, you could get a smartphone notification, or a loud alarm could sound.

Use Exterior Motion Sensors

A simple way to keep criminals away from the patio door entirely, especially at night, is to have a motion sensor connected to a flood light and security camera installed around the door. If someone sees your patio door and attempts to approach it, the movement will trip the sensor and the area will immediately be flooded with light — and the security camera will capture everything. This should be enough to send the would-be burglar fleeing.