Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Pro:
-Price!!!
-Comes with all the hardware required for a typical patio door
-Can't be "jimmied" open, small "peg" or "pin" that looks like a key holds it in place. There's a small chain that keeps the "peg/pin" near point of use so that you don't lose it.
-Same feature which makes it "jimmy-proof" also makes it impossible for our 18-month old son to pull it out and play with it, defeating the security (our son can pull out other "charlie" bars but not this one).
-Bar folds up of the way (like a drawbridge) without having to put it someplace out of the way like other bars
-Better than both the piece of oak and the removable charlie bars that we were using
-Comes with a little black rubber cap so that when you cut to size it does not have a raw/sharp/unfinished-looking end
-Looks similar to bars used on the TV show "It Takes a Thief"
Con:
-Aluminum bar is easy to scratch, be careful when cutting it to size
-The bar can be a little hard to pull out once in the up position, suggest mounting it about a 1/3 of the way from the floor. In this way, the tip/top/end of the bar is easy to pull down and resecure. An added bonus of this is that this also guarantees that there's enough clearance to fold it up in the first place.
-Wish it was painted or anodized in different colors. Aluminum is hard to paint and looks a little unfinished. The bar is silver in color.
-Cheap screws. One sheared in half during install (but there was an extra one in the bag and we also have a big tin of them).
Neutral:
-Tools I used: hacksaw, phillips screwdriver, slotted screwdriver, level, drill, drill bit, vice clamp, tape measure, sharpie marker (to mark screw location), and metal file.
-If you have certain kinds of self-closing patio doors, for a pool for example, you might have issues that you'll need to work around/consider (we did, but were able to successfully work around it) as you need to drill into both the door and frame.
-Not very beefy, but does not need to be
Bottom Line: Works well, recommended. What it lacks in beauty, it makes up in functionality and price. Will work best combined with other home security devices (home alarm, key cabinet, etc.).
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International Pro Source, Inc. Patio Door Security Bar
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