To secure a sliding glass door, stop it from sliding and stop it from lifting. Something in the track, like a cut stick, an adjustable security bar or a steel stopper pin, keeps the door shut even when the latch is pried. A track block alone does not stop the panel from being lifted off its track, so add an anti-lift fix at the top as well.
How do burglars get through a sliding glass door?
They pry the latch, lift the panel off its track, break the glass, or walk through a door that was left unlocked. Those are the four tactics Vivint lists in its sliding door guide, and each one needs a different fix.
Something in the track answers the pry. If the door cannot slide, a beaten latch does not matter. Lifting needs its own fix, covered below. The glass is a separate subject.
Does a stick in a sliding glass door track work?
Yes. A stick cut to fit the empty part of the track, between the closed door and the frame, keeps the door from sliding open even if the latch gives way. On a home-defense forum, one homeowner called a 2x2 in the track the best security for a sliding door, for that reason.
People call it a lot of things: a dowel, a broomstick, a door stopper stick, a stick door lock. It all means a piece of wood or pipe lying in the bottom track. Cut it long enough to sit snug, so the door has no room to move.
The trouble with the stick is the look of it. It lies on the floor in front of the glass, in plain sight.
Sliding door security bar and brace: what is the difference?
Shops sell the same kind of product under both names: a metal bar that blocks the door from sliding. There are two common styles.
- Track bar. An adjustable metal bar that sits in the bottom track, or wedges between the door and the frame. Many extend to fit, so there is nothing to cut. Ideal Security sells one that adjusts from 25.75 to 47.5 inches and includes an anti-lift lock.
- Charlie bar. A bar mounted to one side of the frame. It swings across the door to block it and folds out of the way when you want the door open.
Lowe's puts the typical sliding patio door security bar at $34, with most between $21 and $65 (October 2026).
Either style does the stick's job. A track bar adjusts to the door and needs no drilling, which makes it a good choice for a renter. It is still a bar across the track, in plain view.
How does a sliding door stopper pin work?
A stopper pin is a short steel pin that drops into a small hole drilled through the track, right beside the closed door. With the pin in, the door has nowhere to slide. The Bolo Stick sliding door stopper is solid steel, made in the USA, fits standard sliding doors and costs $19.
To use the door, pull the pin straight out. To block it again, drop the pin back in its hole. The hole sets the position every time, so there is no stick to cut and nothing lying across the floor.
It fits the inside or the outside rail of most tracks. It only protects you on the inside rail. If your sliding panel runs on the outside of the track, a pin on that rail sits outside the house, where someone breaking in can pull it.
"I have a home with two sliding glass doors and there's nothing I hate more than having that big ugly stick blocking the door. The Bolo Stick Patio door safety pins took me literally 5 minutes to install. Clean look and solid steel."
Carl Fercana, homeowner
Stick vs. security bar vs. sliding door stopper
| Stick or dowel | Security bar | Bolo Stick stopper | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Scrap wood or a dowel | $21 to $65 at Lowe's, $34 typical | $19 |
| Drilling | None | None for a track bar; a Charlie bar mounts to the frame | One small hole in the track |
| What you see | A length of wood on the floor | A metal bar across the track or the door | A small pin at the floor |
| Stops the door sliding if the latch is pried | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Stops the panel being lifted off the track | No | Only models with an anti-lift lock | No |
| To open the door | Lift the stick out | Lift or fold the bar away | Pull the pin out, one step |
| Renters | Yes | Yes, track style | One small hole; ask your landlord |
Our view: if you can drill one small hole and you are tired of looking at a stick, get the stopper. If you can't drill, use a track bar. Either way, read the next section.
How do you stop a sliding door from being lifted off the track?
With an anti-lift fix at the top of the door. A stick, a plain track bar and the Bolo Stick stopper all sit in the bottom track and block sliding only. One homeowner online called lifting the main way through a sliding door: a pry bar lifts the panel over its rail, the same way it goes in at installation.
Vivint's guide recommends an anti-lift bolt at the top of the track. Another fix homeowners share is screws set into the top track, so the panel has no room to rise. Pair one of those with whatever you put in the bottom track.
How to install a sliding door stopper
It takes about 5 minutes and a drill with a 5/16 inch bit. The steps for the Bolo Stick stopper:
The most common mistake Bill Barna sees is not measuring the gap between the door and the frame correctly before drilling. Measure with the door fully closed, and measure twice.
Can you get out fast in a fire?
With the stopper, yes. It comes out in one step, and even a small child can pull it out easily. Whatever you use on a sliding door, make sure everyone in the house knows how to clear it in a hurry.
Because a small child can pull the pin, the stopper is not a childproof lock. And while the Bolo Stick stopper meets fire code in most jurisdictions, codes vary. Check with your local building and fire officials.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. A stick cut to fit the track between the closed door and the frame keeps the door from sliding open even if the latch is pried. It does not stop the panel from being lifted off the track.
They do, for the same reason a stick works: the door cannot slide past the bar. Some bars, like Ideal's track bar, also include an anti-lift lock. Lowe's lists most between $21 and $65.
If you can drill one small hole and want nothing lying across the floor, a steel pin in the track. If you rent and can't drill, an adjustable track bar. Whichever you choose, add an anti-lift fix at the top.
The Bolo Stick stopper needs one small hole drilled in the track. It is small, but it is a hole, so ask your landlord first. A track bar needs no drilling at all.
No. A stopper, a stick and a plain track bar all block sliding, not lifting. Use an anti-lift bolt or screws in the top track for that.
Not as a security fix. Anything on the outside rail sits outside the house, where a person breaking in can remove it. The Bolo Stick stopper fits the outside rail of most tracks, but it only protects you on the inside rail.
Solid steel, made in the USA, about 5 minutes to install. Bolo Stick was started by Bill Barna, a retired police officer with 33 years in law enforcement.
See the Sliding Door StopperSecuring the rest of the house too? See Bolo Stick for homes.