A double door security bar works by tying both leaves together or bracing them against something solid, so the doors can’t be pushed apart at the centre where they meet. The right option depends on the doors: a cross bar or padbar for sheds and garages, strong top and bottom bolts plus a handle lock for French doors, and a track bar or anti-lift blocks for sliding patio doors. Floor-braced bars made for single doors aren’t the answer for a pair.
Here are six heavy-duty door security options for double doors, what each one is good for, and what to check before buying.
Why double doors are harder to secure
A pair of doors usually has one active leaf with the lock and one secondary leaf held by bolts at the top and bottom. The two meet in the middle with no fixed frame between them. That means:
- If the secondary leaf’s bolts are weak, both doors can be forced together.
- A bar or brace on just one leaf doesn’t hold the pair.
- On outward-opening doors, the hinges may be exposed.
So good double door security is about the centre join, the bolts and the hinges, not just the lock.
Options at a glance
| Option | Best for | Fixing |
|---|---|---|
| Cross bar with brackets | Sheds, garages, outbuildings, rarely used doors | Brackets screwed or bolted in place |
| Padlockable locking bar or padbar | Sheds, garages, workshops | Bolted to the doors, used with a padlock |
| Handle-locking device | French doors with lever handles | Varies by product |
| Secondary leaf bolts | French and double doors on the house | Built in or fitted by a locksmith |
| Sliding door bar or anti-lift blocks | Sliding patio doors | Sits in the track, or fitted blocks |
| Alarmed bar or door contact alarm | Extra warning on any door | Varies |
1. A cross bar with fixed brackets
This is the traditional heavy-duty approach. Strong brackets are fixed either side of the doors and a steel bar drops in across both leaves on the inside. With the bar in place, neither door can be pushed open at the centre.
Good for: shed, garage and outbuilding doors, or a pair of house doors you rarely use.
What to check:
- The brackets are only as strong as their fixings. They should go into solid timber, the structural frame or masonry, not thin cladding.
- The bar should be long enough to span both leaves and sit well inside each bracket.
- Think about access. A cross bar has to be fitted from inside, so it suits doors with another way in and out.
2. A padlockable locking bar or padbar
For sheds and garages that are locked from outside, a locking bar or padbar spans the join and is secured with a padlock. Specialist retailer Insight Security lists a heavy-duty hasp and locking bar rated Sold Secure Silver, and its shed security advice suggests bolstering shed security with a door security bar.
What to check:
- Look for an independent rating such as Sold Secure on the bar or hasp, and use a padlock of a similar grade. A strong bar with a weak padlock is only as good as the padlock.
- Make sure the fixings are covered when the bar is locked, so they can’t simply be unscrewed.
- Check the hinges too. Insight’s advice is to make sure all door hinges are robust.
3. A handle-locking device for French doors
On French doors with lever handles, some devices hold the handles in place so neither door can be opened. One example is the Patlock, which Neighbourhood Watch describes as an instant French door security lock that works by holding the door handles in place, so the mechanism can’t be operated even if the locks are snapped or removed.
What to check: that it suits your handle style and spacing, and that you know how to remove it quickly from inside.
4. Strong bolts on the secondary leaf
Often the best “bar” for house double doors is already there: the bolts on the secondary leaf. On uPVC and aluminium doors these are usually shoot bolts operated from the door edge. On timber French doors, West Yorkshire Police recommend mortice rack bolts at the top and bottom of each door leaf, plus hinge protectors or hinge bolts on each hinge.
What to check: that the bolts engage fully at the top and bottom, the keeps are firm, and you actually throw them every time. Pair this with a TS 007 3-star or Sold Secure SS312 Diamond cylinder on the active leaf. West Yorkshire Police describe a 3-star solution as the minimum to aim for when upgrading.
5. A sliding door bar or anti-lift blocks
Sliding patio doors are often grouped with double doors, but they need different protection. A bar laid in the bottom track stops the sliding panel moving. To stop the door being lifted out, West Yorkshire Police note that a timber batten fixed into the top track of the frame can help, and suggest asking for anti-lift blocks and the sliding section to be on the inside when buying. Avon and Somerset Police also recommend anti-lift tracks for aluminium sliding doors.
What to check: that any track bar fits snugly for your door’s track width, and that anti-lift blocks are fitted by someone who knows your door system.
6. An alarmed bar or door contact alarm
Some door bars include a built-in alarm, and simple battery door contact alarms can be added to almost any door. These add a warning rather than strength, which can be useful for a garage or outbuilding you can’t see from the house.
What to check: what actually triggers the alarm, how loud it is according to the product details, and how you’ll know when the battery is low. Treat an alarm as an extra, not a replacement for a physical barrier.
A note on fire safety
If a pair of doors is a way out of your home, don’t secure it in a way that would stop you getting out quickly in an emergency. Keep keys for bars and padlocks somewhere everyone in the house knows about, and make sure at least one escape route is always easy to open from inside.
What about single back doors?
Many homes have French or patio doors at the back and a single uPVC back door as well. For that single door, a floor-braced bar is a strong extra layer. Our guide on whether a door security bar can stop a kick-in explains how they work, and our article on weak points of uPVC doors covers what else to check.
The Door Jammer – HOLDOOR hooks under the inside handle of a uPVC door and braces it against the floor, so the door stays shut even if the lock is snapped, bumped or picked. It’s Sold Secure Bronze rated and Secured by Design accredited (Police Preferred Specification), adjusts from 70cm to 120cm, and fits most UK single-handle uPVC doors with the handle on the left or right. There’s no drilling and no tools; it fits in about a minute. It’s not for sliding, French, double or patio doors.
In a fire: find the key, lift the Door Jammer off (or unlock and remove the Door Handle Guard), unlock the door and leave the building.
FAQs
Can I use a normal door security bar on French doors?
Floor-braced bars made for single doors aren’t designed for French doors, because the two leaves meet in the middle and bracing one leaf doesn’t hold the pair. Use secondary leaf bolts and a handle-locking device instead.
What’s the most secure way to lock double shed doors?
A cross bar on the inside, or a padlockable locking bar on the outside, fixed into solid timber and used with a padlock of a similar grade. Look for independent ratings such as Sold Secure where available.
Do I need to drill to fit a double door security bar?
Usually, yes. Cross bars, locking bars and bolts all need fixings. If you’re renting, see our renter’s guide to securing a door without drilling and check with your landlord.
Are alarmed door bars worth it?
They can be a useful extra warning, especially for outbuildings. They’re not a substitute for strong bolts, a rated lock and a solid bar.
Next steps
- Identify your door type: shed or garage, French doors, or sliding patio doors.
- For house double doors, check the secondary leaf bolts and the cylinder rating first.
- For outbuildings, choose a properly fixed cross bar or rated locking bar with a matching padlock.
- For your single uPVC back door, add the Door Jammer – HOLDOOR. It’s made in Britain from British steel and costs £90 with free UK delivery, 30-day returns and a 2-year warranty.
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