Reddit reviews Patio Guardian PDG01-W Patio Door Guardian Lock - White

Perimeter hardening is often the most effective use of funds when starting out with home defense. By making it harder to get in, you will deter some criminals and give yourself additional warning time for those who continue their attempt to enter.

The most common point of forced entry is through an exterior door. Residential doors are often only held in by a dead bolt and strike plate that has 1/2 inch screws that only sinks into the soft wood of the door's trim. It's trivial for most people to kick in this door and fracture the wood trim and allow the door to swing open. To combat this, get a Door Jamb Reinforcement kit (other kits available at hardware stores, more expensive kits available that provide more protection). This kit consists of a metal plate and 3 inch screws that will distribute the force and sink into the strong wooden studs beyond your door frame, making it much stronger. Get some 3 inch screws to replace your hinge screws, which typically have the same 1/2 inch screws holding it to your door frame.

Other devices are available to help prevent forced entry while you are home. These should be used in addition to a deadbolt and door jamb reinforcement hardware:

• Adjustable security bar
  
• Reinforcement lock
  
• Sliding Door Lock
  
• Wooden dowel placed in the floor track of a sliding door or in a window to prevent it from opening
  
• Hinge Security Pins
  
  If you are concerned about lock attacks (bumping, picking), consider a high end deadbolt from a manufacturer like Abloy or Medeco from Security Snobs. These locks do not have the same vulnerabilities as typical pin and tumbler keyways found in most residential deadbolts. In addition, the key blanks are restricted, which means that they can't easily duplicate your key at a shop or create one from a blank.
  
  The second most common point of entry is through a first story window. Window security film can be installed by a professional or by the homeowner to increase the amount of time it takes to break through a window.
  
  If you have a side or back yard gate, remember to lock it.
  
  Trim down any large bushes or shrubs that conceal windows or entries. Burglars could use these areas to hide while they break in or wait for you to leave. These should be no higher than knee or waist level. If you want to have large bushes, consider one with thorns that would make it difficult to hide near.
  
  If you have the budget, get a monitored alarm. Either professionally installed (ADT, etc.) or self installed (SimpliSafe, Scout, Abode, etc.)
  
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BM is going to get mad that the iPad was broken. She is also going to get mad that a 5 year old boy was unsupervised on a second floor balcony. I would. Boys being boys and five year olds being five, I wouldn't be surprised if he decided to climb around on it.

Replace the iPad and put a better lock on the patio door. Something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Patio-Guardian-PDG01-W-Door-Lock/dp/B005TT34L4/ref=sr_1_4?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1479997849&sr=1-4&keywords=sliding+door+lock


>We didn't ask for him to bring it.

You didn't take it away from him either. You were willing to enjoy the benefits of the iPad. (Leave me alone while I cook the turkey.) Those benefits come with the responsibility to supervise expensive electronics and small children. I don't see any way that you are not responsible to replace it.

That being said, it would be a very very long time before SS had the privilege of using any tablet in my house again.

Edit: I checked your post history and saw that your SS lives a long distance away. Is this the same iPod that SS uses to skype and face time with his DH every day? If so and you don't replace it in the way that she prefers, I pretty much guarantee that DH won't be getting any more skype or face time with his son. Even if the Order says so and you file a motion for contempt. "Your Honor, they allowed my 5 year old son to throw his iPod off a second floor balcony and I can't afford to replace it." You will lose that motion. Also, isn't it likely that BM sent the iPod so that she could skype and face time with SS?

What we have is through ADT right now so it's a monitored alarm system. It has all the sensors but the actual system is what is alerting me by name which door or which window. You could absolutely look into that but I'll be honest.. It's in because she got it before we moved in. Had she not done it I would probably go the diy route.

There are systems such as this one

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LBGM9QY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_cyRZzbPHXPPAT

Or just the individual chime alarms like this:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0026SZHLG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_DzRZzbMPWK2M9

You can also get locks like this one if you have a sliding door that you want to secure. This became a big deal for us because the backyard had a pool. Plus a prior rental agreed to allow us to put one in because the back yard was not fenced.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005TT34L4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_mBRZzbS5GD7CV


I know you said PM.. but I also know we aren't the only ones navigating special needs. Some maybe newer to it and wondering about the same stuff. So hopefully by leaving it up here someone else sees it that may need it.

And obviously it doesn't stop her from heading out the door it just means you will hear it and it doesn't leave it to chance that you may not. That was my big panic that my son could get out and if I didn't hear him hed just be down the road and just.. holy shit! Right? It created a pattern of hyper vigilance that took a huge toll.

You could get something like this

Patio Guardian PDG01-W Patio Door Guardian Lock - White https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005TT34L4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_eT6WBbNZFQ9WE

The closest thing to a deadbolt for a slider is a bolt on the top/bottom inside edge of the sliding door.

Like this

I've never seen a smart version of this though... You may be stuck with alarming it.