Keep your home and family safe and secure. There are an onslaught of problems or concerns associated with installing a sliding door backwards, some of which may be less obvious than others. Regardless of the reason for the odd installation, if the sliding door is set on the incorrect side of the track, or the entire unit -- frame and all -- faces the wrong way, you have some important function and security issues to think about. Track Nowadays, many sliding-door manufacturers design their units with a moving panel or slide that rolls open inside the home for at least one reason -- to reduce buildup in the track. With some older sliding doors or with a sliding panel installed where the fixed panel should be, dirt and debris can collect in the outward-facing groove. When mixed with rainwater and heated by the sun, a collection of grime can form a hardened or baked-on mess. The packed debris could then cause the door to roll rough, stick or possibly become derailed. But if the track is exposed to the elements because the door faces the wrong way, you have a bigger issue: Security.

Security If the door's inner side faces the outdoors, its latch or locking mechanism will also face the outdoors and obviously compromise security. With the track for the moving panel on the outside, a makeshift lock, such as a broomstick placed in the groove, won't be of any use. Keeping the bad guys out and your family secure is a big deal, of course, but with a door turned the wrong way, you also have to evaluate safe egress. Egress In an emergency, such as a home fire, ease of egress is vital. Case in point: If your sliding door happens to be locked from the outdoors -- denying occupants exit -- in the event of an emergency, the consequences could be devastating. If for no other reason, reverse or replace the door for safer egress; the job would be well worth the effort or expense, and you might sleep better knowing that your door is installed the way that it was meant to be -- with the lock on the inside. Considerations Whether the sliding panel is backwards or on the wrong track, a savvy burglar may be able to force the door upward and remove it, possibly making illegal entry quite uncomplicated.

Reversing the installed system, however, can be more work than you may think or may not be possible at all; prehung interior door installationcheck with the manufacturer. second hand aluminium sliding doors and windows for sale in johannesburgIf you can't reverse the door, ask about your security options, which could include adding a step pin or floor-style lock -- if the door doesn’t already have one -- disengaging an outward-facing latch, embedding a screw into the overhead track so that the door can still slide, but not be lifted and removed, or having the door replaced. antique door knobs chicago: /Getty Images Suggest a Correction1983 toyota corolla 4 door for sale

Patio door installation question Find an InterNACHI certified Idahogarage door opener belt loose Home Inspector (and anywhere else in North America)biometric door locks india Re: Patio door installation question Phoenix Home Inspections Phoenix Home InspectorArizona Property Inspections Home Inspections for Springfield, Dayton, and surrounding OH areas. Almost looks to me like the unit was installed backwards. The wheel assembly is adjustable in order to operate well and can be lowered on the interior side of the unit, and the fixed unit shoulld be on the outside, this protects the track system from the elements and debris that would cause a malfunction of the sliding panel. You should not be able to remove the sider from outside without removing the fixed unit first.

It does not look like it has a sloping sill, but that could be the picture affect. Cyr Home & Commercial Property Inspections As stated earlier, Pellas have the operating panel on the outside. As a Professional Home Inspector, I support the privacy of my clients. Services provided in East MN and West WI Must be why I like the Anderson Sliding unit, it is more loggical in it's installations. M Tyson construction LLC Certified General Contractor #1516843 Florida Licensed Home Inspector #1824 Member Florida Building Officials Association Thanks Peter, for a moment, I thought I was the only one that saw it that way. Originally Posted by prussell Re: Patio door installation questionHadi Wahba, owner of Unlockit Criminals don’t like obstacles. Most are looking for an easy target – they want to get in, take what they can, and get out quickly. Those who take action to secure their homes and businesses are significantly less likely to become victims.

Here are a few simple tips to help safeguard yourself and your property. Some you can do on your own and some will require the help of a professional. 2. If you have a alarm system installed, ask the company for a few things to make it as effective as possible: 3. Install motion sensor lights around the perimeter of your property. They will go on if someone is walking around your property at night and might be enough to scare them away, knowing that they can be seen. If you are home, you will also be alerted of movement outside. 4. If the shrubbery around your entryways is an obstacle to a burglar, it’s good to keep it untrimmed. But if it provides a good place for someone to hide, it’s best to trim it down. 5. Install a wide-angle door viewer (peephole) on your front door. Many times a burglar will knock on the door first to check if someone is home. If no one comes to the door, they assume that no one is home and that it’s safe to break in. If you answer the door, they will often misrepresent themselves as a salesperson, serviceman, or will simply ask for someone.

With a peephole, you can go to the door and see the person on the other side without having to open the door and put yourself at risk. 6. Install a heavy duty, double-cylinder deadbolt on doors that have glass in or around them. These deadbolts require a key to unlock them from both the inside and the outside, preventing people from being able to break the glass near the door and reaching through to easily unlock the locks. IMPORTANT SAFETY TIP: Always keep a key easily accessible to each double-cylinder deadbolt to ensure a quick exit in case of emergency. 7. Be aware that most break-ins occur through a locked door, by simply kicking it in. The most vulnerable area of your door is where your locks travel into the area of the frame called the strike plate. Most strike plates are two inches long and are made of soft brass. Additionally, they are installed using 3/4-inch long screws, which only penetrate into the soft wood frame. This makes the strike plate area the weakest area of the door.

It literally only takes one or two strong kicks to go through most doors. The immediate solution is to run 3-inch long screws through the strike plate into the studs behind the door frame. This alone makes it much more difficult to kick the door in. The better solution is to install a Door Frame Protector, which is a 59-inch solid steel strike plate that reinforces the softwood frame. This piece is installed with (12) 3-inch screws, making the frame unbreakable. 8. Windows must be secure as well. They provide an additional entry point through which burglars can enter your home. There are many solutions for securing your windows. One of the most common ways is with window pins. This prevents burglars from being able to simply pry open your window. The most common window locks are not sufficient enough. 9. Sliding glass doors are often easy to force open. Some sliding glass doors are installed backwards, meaning they can be lifted out of their track from outside the house. To resolve this problem, you must install a retaining plate along the track to secure the sliding door in its track.