Wooden French door security

[strongblackcoffee]

We are soon to decide which patio doors to use for our new kitchen/diner. DH has just announced that obviously we'll get upvc doors as the security is the most important thing to consider. I really hate the idea of upvc - I was thinking we'd have some nice wooden doors... are they really that much harder to make secure than upvc? If anyone knows anything about this I'd be very grateful to hear it - need some info to back up my argument!

I've got wooden doors but they have a metal panel in them - not sure if you can get the same for French doors though.

Where is the metal panel? How does it make them more secure? Sorry - maybe dim questions but I'm a bit clueless at the moment :D

We have wooden french doors and the have four locks, top and bottom of each door that put bolts into the frame, and a normal style lock that joins the two doors together. They seem to be secure, and house insurers have never said there's a problem. HTH

Your DH may have been misled by the adverts for plastic doors and windows.

UPVC is fundamentally a weak and flexible material, which is why they are festooned with complex locking and bolting mechanisms (which of course go wrong).

A sturdy wooden door and frame, with mortice rackbolts top and bottom and a mortice deadlock, will be stronger. It will also look better and have 100 years extra lifespan.

Not much goes wrong with the hinges, locks and bolts on a wooden door, but you can pick up replacements in any high street or DIY shed and any handyman or carpenter can fit them.

Thank you PigletJohn and thank you Skiving too . That is exactly what I needed to hear and great to have it from someone who knows about it. I can't tell you how happy I am about that

Hmmm, now I wish I'd phrased my opening post slightly differently so that I could just show DH the thread…

Print it and cut off the top inch.

...and the bottom

Double glazed traditional French windows into garden.
We also have lock plus four bolts - one top and bottom of reach door - key operated.
But also have hinge bolts built into side of doors and frame. Banham. Insurance company happy!

yes, the hinge bolts are required for hinged doors opening outwards. You could also get special hinges with their own bolting arrangement, but they are unusual, large and expensive.

doors opening inwards do not need them, because the hinge is not accessible for attack.

If you are concerned about security i think the strength of the glass is more important than the frame. My parents were burgled recently, they had a huge pot thrown through the window followed up by a man with a pick axe - they have very expensive wooden french doors with various locks.

yes, for that you would need laminated glass (toughened glass is quite resistant to children running into it, but can be easily and fairly quietly shattered with a simple technique.

It is possible to have double glazing units made with one or both panes laminated. I don't know the cost implications.

If your home is out of sight and out of hearing, and has no monitored alarm, a man with a pickaxe can get through any door, or demolish the entire house and load it into a skip, if he has time and inclination.