A door security bar is one good way to fortify your door when being forced up. It gives a good resistance, especially when there are burglars who try to break into your home. They can be used on many doors and are proven to be of good use to homeowners and ensures home security. However, do door security bars work on carpets?
This can be especially intriguing, as it may or may not work on carpets or certain flooring types. There are a lot of factors to consider when installing door security bars. In this article, I will discuss how door security bars work on carpets to give you a more definite and more understandable answer.
Do Door Security Bars Work on Carpets?
The way security bars work is through the principle of friction. The standard design for most security bars is an adjustable height, a hook or a lock to keep it in place or intact, and rubber pads at the bottom. However, do door security bars work on carpets? Let me give you a clearer understanding.
Primarily, the hook’s role is to be pushed up against the doorknob once pressure or force is applied outdoors. At the same time, the foot is also pushed, but into the floor. The purpose of rubber pads on the floor is to get a good grip. A well-gripped rubber pad won’t easily budge when you put pressure/force on it. Also, the rubber pad’s purpose is for the door not to slide around when force is exerted.
It works like a spacer wherein you have to adjust the security bar to fit it entirely and snugly. Security bars work on sliding door by preventing or blocking the slider to fully open the door when slid upon, which in turn make the lives of thieves and burglars a whole lot tougher. When you have a sliding door, this means that you don’t have to worry about whether or not you have to install the security bars through the carpet.
Why Should Door Security Bars Be Placed on a Surface with a Good Grip?
As I’ve said earlier, the rubber pads need a good grip to hold the entire bar in place. If it doesn’t have a good grip, the security bar would easily bulge, there are three factors to consider to have a good grip. There are three factors to consider, Friction, Rigidity, and surface area.
Friction
In science, friction is the force that repels motion. Friction is mostly dependent on material properties. This solely depends on what flooring you have, but most floorings are good at friction when compared to a carpet. It is a key component to have wherever your rubber pads are placed on.
Let us take an example when you compare a rubber on a carpet and rubber flooring, when you try to bulge the rubber on flooring, it takes a lot of force to move it, whereas the rubber on a carpet only needs ample amount of force to move it.
Rigidity
The term rigidity means that how a certain thing is stiff or how much they repel flexing. A good example of rigid material is steel, the opposite of steel, let’s say it is a feather. Just comparing the two, you’ll have a good grip on how these two things differ. Almost all carpets are made of soft fabrics that are layered with pliable materials and with foam.
This means that the materials used for carpets aren’t rigid enough for rubbers to get a good grip on, this means that the carpet will almost instantly flex once you apply pressure to it.
For example, when a door security bar is placed on a carpet, when pressure is placed on the bar, the carpet will flex, thus dislodging the bar entirely. Without rigidity, the value of putting your security bars to a carpet is truly unusable.
Surface Area
On a hard or rigid surface like tiles or wood, it is like driving on a newly paved road. Smooth and uniform, without any bunch of bumps or hiccups along the way. Plus, you get a large surface area of contact. Same as the case for security bars, when your rubber pads are seated on a smooth and dry surface, they are more likely to be entirely in contact with the surface.
That’s why many people, especially homeowners, are curious if door security bars work on carpet. Just think of this; when rubber pads are installed on a carpet, think of it as if you’re driving in sand. There will be contact, but it isn’t as uniform as driving on a freshly paved road.
More so, the uneven surface makes it hard for rubber pads to get a good grip on. Also, only parts of the rubber pads come into contact with the actual carpet when installed.
Verdict
Do door security bars work on carpets? Door security bars don’t work well with carpets. Security bars use rubber pads at the bottom to get a good grip and traction. Door security bars work well in a smooth, dry, and hard surface. Moreover, door security bars can still be used on carpets. However – they don’t entirely function as well as door security bars installed on hard and smooth surfaces.
Also, it may be inconvenient for users seeking to fortify their front door if they are only installing the bars on a carpet. It defeats the major purpose of using security bars for safety and protection. Carpets don’t provide the necessary resistance for door security bars to function well. Here’s how to learn more about Security Bars.
Conclusion
Door security bars are tools that can effectively fortify your home against burglars and thieves. However, do door security bars work on carpets? No. Door security bars won’t be able to fortify your own home when they are installed on carpets. They should be installed in a smooth and dry area.