In today’s uncertain times, break-ins are more common than ever. If you plan on installing a folding door system on the exterior of your home (e.g., a patio or porch folding door) or as the main entrance, then it’s essential that you properly secure your doorway.

Despite their sleek, low-profile appearance, today’s modern folding door systems can be fully customized for maximum security. By customizing the glass, adding ultra-secure multi-point locks, and integrating a high-quality alarm system, you’ll be able to create an impenetrable fortress.

In today’s post, we’re going to be discussing folding door alarm systems. We’ll go over the different types of folding door alarms you’ll be able to install, offer our opinion on what’s the best type of alarm, and show you some additional security measures to look into.

If done correctly, your glass folding doors can be incredibly secure.

Types Of Folding Door Alarms

Modern doorway and alarm systems are fairly simple. They’re almost all designed to do the same thing- to detect unwanted door movement or the presence of an unwanted individual. Door security systems can be armed or disarmed at will, allowing you to shut the alarm off while you and your family are home and arm it while you’re sleeping or away from home.

When it comes to alarm systems, there are two main types:

• Analog or wired alarm systems.
• Wireless alarm systems.

Analog alarms are more complicated to install but are more reliable and longer-lasting. Wireless alarm systems typically utilize Bluetooth connectivity and your home’s Wi-Fi system. This makes them cheaper and easier to install but means they’re not quite as reliable (for example, if a Bluetooth sensor stops working or your Wi-Fi goes out).

With that in mind, let’s take a few minutes to look at the most common types of folding door alarm systems on the market today. We’ll cover digital and analog systems, so you’ll be able to see the best of both worlds.

1) Magnetic Alarms

Magnetic door alarms are the most popular and easy-to-install doorway alarms. They feature a two-part sensor system; one half is installed on a solid doorframe (or neighboring door panel), and the other half is installed on the swinging door panel.

Both halves of the alarm are connected by a small electromagnet. If the door is opened while the system is armed, the alarm detects the magnetic bond being broken and triggers the alarm. When the system isn’t armed for security, the magnetic alarm system can also be used to provide a notification sound every time somebody opens the door.

These magnetic door alarms are almost always wireless and are connected to your main security system by Bluetooth. This means that you’ll have to replace the battery periodically.

2) Mechanical Door Sensors

Mechanical door sensors are similar to magnetic door sensors except they typically utilize a wired connection instead of a wireless Bluetooth connection. The sensors are typically installed inside of the doorframe and are spring operated. Whenever the door is opened, the spring is released, triggering the alarm or an open-door notification.

3) Laser Glass Alarm

The one downfall of both mechanical and wireless magnetic door alarms is that they won’t be triggered if somebody cuts or breaks your folding door’s glass. This is where a laser alarm comes in handy!

Laser alarms can be installed across a single door panel or your entire folding door system (full coverage is best). When armed, the laser system will detect any movement that breaks the laser’s path. This could be the glass window pane shattering or a person trying to pass through the laser. The lasers are invisible to the human eye, which means that would-be burglars will never see them or attempt to deactivate them.

4) Motion Sensor/Infrared Alarms

So far, we’ve just gone over folding door alarms alone. These are installed on the door system itself. However, there are a couple of other alarm systems that you can use in congruence with a door alarm for enhanced security.

One of the most common types of alarm is a motion sensor alarm. Once armed, these motion sensors will pick up infrared activity and trigger an alarm. You can position your motion sensor directly in front of your doorway so that the alarm will be triggered as soon as it senses a person looking into your doorway or trying to break in.

The only disadvantage of motion sensor alarms is that animals can trigger them, leading to false alarms waking you up in the middle of the night.

5) Smart Security Cameras

Last but not least, smart security cameras are a great option for folding door security systems. These security cameras can be armed to notify you whenever they sense a person in front of the door. They’re connected to your phone or computer, allowing you to see the notification and then see a live feed of the camera.

This will allow you to tell whether or not the alarm is valid or not before you trigger the alarm. For example, this will allow you to tell whether it’s just the delivery guy or if somebody is actually trying to break into your home before you call law enforcement to your home.

What Type Of Folding Door Alarm Is Best?

While all of these folding door alarms perform well and are a reliable choice, we specifically recommend using three folding door alarms in congruence with each other:

• The magnetic door alarm.
• The laser glass alarm.
• The smart camera.

The magnetic alarm is great for notifying you whenever somebody walks in our out of your home and can be armed to trigger a full-scale alarm if somebody enters your home when they’re not supposed to.

The laser alarm will protect you from any glass-breaking or forced entry attempts.

Lastly, the smart camera will allow you to tell exactly what’s causing the alarm to be triggered, so you can take the appropriate action.

Additional Security For Folding Doors

A folding door alarm system is a great way to feel more secure about your glass folding doors. However, there are a couple of other addiction security measures that you can take to ensure that your doorway is 100% secure.

Multi-Point Locking System

Customizing your folding doors with a multi-point locking system is one of the best things you can do for overall security. When activated, these locks engage several different locking points in the swinging door panel, making it very hard for anybody to force the door open. They’re also low-profile (for a better appearance) and increase the door’s energy efficiency (reducing your power bill).

Shatter-Proof Glass

Having a laser glass alarm is great and all, but it’s in your best interest to prevent the glass from being shattered in the first place. Any glass can be equipped with a shatterproof film that will prevent the glass window pane from being fully broken and shattered.
With enough impact, the glass can be cracked, but it will be difficult to penetrate unless the burglar has some serious hardware.

Final Thoughts

Your glass doors shouldn’t be a security liability. By installing a high-quality alarm system, a reliable locking mechanism, and a shatter-proof glass film, you’ll be able to create an incredibly secure folding door system. Thanks to modern advancements in alarm and security technology, today’s alarm systems are cheaper and more efficient than ever, often offering smart connectivity directly to your smartphone!