Tag Archives: Door

Patio door DIY improvements

DIY improvements for your patio door security

 Patio doors can add character to any home. Homes can be improved by installing patio doors. They let natural light in, provide ease of access to a back garden or patio area and certainly look a lot more attractive than a regular back wall. There are many different styles and options available and they offer the best way to bridge the gap between the inside and the outdoors.  Having said that, they also seem to catch the eyes of thieves.

 Criminals will always have a variety of ways to break in, but a full panel door will be inviting for them. Even huge, heavy panels of glass can easily be utilised to get in, even by relatively inexperienced burglars.

 On hand to help you, there are a range of security measures you can take to minimise this.  Making just a few changes you can change it from being really appealing to a burglar, into a nightmare.

 Most of the patio doors or orangeries on the market will come with latches as opposed to locks.  The downside of latches is that they can be overpowered with the right amount of force. One simple way you can secure your door, without any real expense, is to simply place a rod or block in the door track, wedged between the door and the wall.

 If a burglar has enough time and the rear of the garden is not in view, they can lift a patio door off it’s track. Shaking a door off it’s tracks only takes patience and some jiggling.  It is doable because there is no way to seal the doors down because they lay on rollers on the tracks.  To minimise the chances of this happening is simply down to keeping an eye on the rollers to make sure they stay in good condition, and if need be replacing them. It should fight tightly in to the frame and move smoothly along the rollers. If this is not the case then you should get it repaired immediately, this will make it a lot more difficult for thieves to pop it loose.

There are also locks you can buy that protect the rollers. These foot locks have steel rods which are protruding into the tracks of the rollers. This creates a deadbolt for the door, stopping it from being opened even when the latch has been lifted. It also connect the door directly to the track which prevents it from being lifted.

 Even though they are simple techniques, they are proven to reduce the chances of a successful break in.  Most opportunist burglars will be put off instantly by anything that makes them work harder.  In addition to this advice guide, you can invest in a heavy duty lock for your patio door to replace the latch.For double glazing prices, look to a company with a good reputation.
 

Chris is a blog writer who writes on a number of topics in his spare time

DIY Door Hangers

Do you like those really nice door hangerswith witty sayings, photos or names that serve as a nameplate? If you are just going to use it at home, you do not really have to go to the point of going to a door hanger printing house. You can actually make your custom door hangers that speak about your style or express your creativity.

This is actually a nice activity if you are a stay at home mom and you would like to have a nice crafts activity with your child. Her involvement will be dependent upon her age, but even a toddler can already help with applying paste or handing you the papers and the like. As they grow older, they may be able to cut the papers themselves. Below is a guide on how to make name door hangers for all the rooms of the entire family

What you need:

2mm Sintra Board
Stickers
Colored Paper
Letter Cutouts from magazines
A picture of each family member
Glue or paste
Ribbons and other embellishments
Scissors and cutting knife
Circle cutter

What to do:

1. Measure a 4.25″ x 11″ rectangle on the sintra board. Mark the corners and cut it out using a cutting knife. Make several of these, depending on how many door hangers you are going to create.

2. Wrap each rectangle with a piece of colored paper. You can have a different color for each door, depending on the favorite color of the person sleeping in it. Coat the entire surface of the sintra board with paste and stick the paper all around. Pat and press the paper so that it will be smooth. Let it dry. Repeat the process with the rest of the rectangles.

3.

If you have a circle cutter, draw a circle shape about 3″ in diameter in the topmost portion of the rectangle. Using a circle cutter, die cut the circle shape. The hollow part can be used to hang your work on the door knob.

3. Get a photo of the family member to whom the door hanger is intended. Paste it on the rectangle about an inch under the circle. Paste some ribbons or florets on the side to make a border for the photo. Below it, use the letter cutouts to form the person’s name. For example, your sister’s name is “Cindy.” Form her name using those cutouts. Choose different colors and font styles from a colored and glossy magazine so that the word formed becomes interesting.

4. Add stickers to your design to make them interesting. For example, you may have those flower stickers or star shapes. Place them all over the blank space in the rectangle to make it look interesting.

5. You can also make a big bow so that you can stick this at the bottom of the hanger.

On the back side, you may stick more letters that say, “Do Not Disturb” so that they can also turn it around and tell people that they are sleeping or busy.

Door hangers are nice and usable crafts projects that you can do with your child. But if you come to think of it, you can also endeavor to make custom door hangers and give them away to friends during special occasions. You may also go to a door hanger printing house to do the job but it is much more fun to do it yourself.

 

For more information, you can visit this page on door hangers