Backwards sliding door lock

[Steve]

My sister has she would like to lock partially open - a typical glass sliding patio door - except it appears to have been installed backwards! The sliding porting of the door is on the inside of the house. The fixed portion is outside. She would like to be able to 'lock' it open a couple of inches for air flow. If the sliding portion was outside, a simple locking bar against it and the fixed portion would work, but as it is reversed, the bar would be on the outside. I thought about putting a locking pin in the top or bottom, but there is not enough clearance to drill the frame with out hitting the glass. I suggested a door lock chain, but she doesn't like that idea.

If I was her big brother, I'm sure I could figure it out, but alas, I'm her younger brother...

[Pat and Chris]

I don't think it was installed backwards. The simple solution is to cut a broomstick or large dowel so it's a few inches shorter than the width of the fixed door. Then just lay the dowel in the track while the door is closed. It will prevent the sliding portion from moving more than a few inches, and it can't be reached or moved from the outside.

BTDT, Pat McC.

[Chris Lewis]

According to Pat and Chris :

There are devices on the market that do a better/more secure job of this. A broomstick, dowel, or the traditional (Canadian ;-) solution of using a hockey stick handle is probably best left to those situations where you don't want the door open at all, and it's just backing up the door lock.

[Abe]

Yeah, the door is installed correctly. Are you sure about not being able to drill it? I've never seen a patio door where there wasn't at least an inch of space that could be drilled. A picture would help.

If it really can't be drilled, then either a dowel or charley bar are your only choices.

[Steve]

Thanks for the replies.. but I meant, the problem is that the sliding part is on the OUTSIDE. The broomsticks, dowels, locking bars won't work.

Steve wrote:

[Chris Lewis]

According to Steve :

You'll want to see if you can get the door fixed then.

[Abe]

Well, geez. Thanks for wasting our time.

Get the door fixed first.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Some brands have the sliding portion the outside. Pella for one. They also have a locking mechanism that allows the door to be partially opened, about

6" or so.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

It is not broken though.

[workinstiff]

[CanopyCo]

How about putting a standard chain latch on it. The kind that lets you open a door to see who is outside without letting them get in to easily. Some of the ones that are a single solid loop of steal that hooks over a hook on the door is pretty strong. If it was installed right at the top of the door an intruder may not even find it and waste all his time trying to find what is holding the door.

[Steve]

[Steve]

[David Martel]

Steve,

Without a diagram I'm not sure of your problem. Why don't you remove all the hardware, flip the doors over, install the hardware, and put in the sliding door on the inside track?

Dave M.

[George E. Cawthon]

My sister also has one of those, but I don't remember how it looks. Looking at my door as if it were put in backwards, you could drill through the top part of the frame and into the door. On my door you would drill through a 1-1/2" thick piece before getting to the door. The glass in a door doesn't usually extend more than 1/2" above the bottom of the top part of the frame. Your door could be different but I would have another look at drilling a hole(s)to slip a nail into. Good Luck.

[Steve]

It is a 33 year old house. A pretty big job to flip the doors/frame.

of the patio opening - not on a track. Next to it on the outside, there is a track which holds the sliding door. With the track on the outside a track stop won't work. She's nixed security chains.. and I don't think there is enough clearance for foot bolts into the bottom of the sliding door (glass too low). Peachtree and Pella have patio doors that are set up this way. I've asked both for ideas / parts to lock door partially open and they don't have a way. Just hoping someone else has solved this problem.. thanks to all for feedback / suggestions

Steve.

David Martel wrote:

[Stormin Mormon]

The door and your post are both backwards. There's a certain sense of synchronicity in the air.

[Stormin Mormon]

This is Bob Barker, reminding you to help keep the house population under control. Get your sliding glass window fixed.

More seriously, call a glass company out, please.

[lwasserm]

Are you certain that both sides of the door don't slide?

[CanopyCo]

Maybe she would like this one. If you reversed the short bar to act like a hook there is no way it could come loose short of ripping it out of the wall. Busting the glass would be easier and quieter.