According to ADT, intruders enter through the first-floor windows in 23% of residential break-ins.
It is, then, a good idea to secure your windows to reduce the likelihood of these break-ins happening in your home.
Below are some safety measures that you can follow to protect your windows from burglars.
1. Installing Window Alarm Sensors
Setting up window alarm sensors is the simplest way to burglar-proof your windows.
They can be ordered online or purchased from a hardware store and are budget-friendly. They are also very easy to set up with most sensors only requiring the use of adhesive tapes to mount on your windows.
One factor to consider when mounting window alarm sensors is the material of your window frame.
Metallic window frames work well with sensors with adhesive tapes, but this is not the case for wooden frames. You are better off with screw-mounted sensors if your window frame is made of wood. If you are uncomfortable with doing this, it might be worth enlisting the help of a general contractor.
2. Installing Motion Sensor Lights
Installing motion sensor lights is another easy step to protect your windows from intruders. A light suddenly switching on can already deter burglars.
You can also use motion sensor lights together with window alarm sensors — a combination that is especially useful at night.
Window alarms cannot tell you the exact location of the opened window in an instant, however, the light from the motion sensor light can.
3. Installing Glass Break Alarms
While window alarm sensors work when your window is pried open, glass break alarms activate when they sense that your window panes are shattered.
There are two types of glass break alarms:
1. Shock sensors – shock sensors check for the vibration of a glass breaking. They are installed directly on the window pane as they need to feel its vibration and are usually battery-operated.
The downside of shock sensing alarms is they can set off a false alarm more often than acoustic sensors as even a window slamming shut can mimic the vibration of a glass breaking.
2. Acoustic sensors – acoustic sensors monitor the sound of a glass breaking. Unlike shock sensors, one acoustic sensor can monitor multiple windows in a room as long as they are within its range.
Yous should adjust its sensitivity since the sound of a plate breaking or a shattering sound effect from a movie can set it off.
4. Adding a Secondary Lock
When adding a secondary lock, remember to install a different type from the main one so it’ll be harder for burglars to pry your windows open.
There are several types of locks that you can set up as a secondary lock on your windows:
- Latch Lock
- Pin Lock
- Keyed Lock
- Smart Lock
5. Installing Security Bars
Installing security bars to your windows is a complex process and requires a professional’s help. The trouble is all worth it though as they offer the most secure way to burglar-proof your windows.
Common materials for security bars are all strong enough to give intruders a difficult time entering your home through the window. Their only difference is the level of durability and their aesthetic flexibility.
Mild steel is the most durable but it lags behind cast iron when it comes to shaping it into different forms. It only comes with basic window grill designs.
Cast iron, on the other hand, gives you more options in forming it into shapes that look well with your home’s exterior. It is less durable than mild steel though.
Polycarbonate is less noticeable than mild steel and cast iron because of its transparent material. It can also be armed with a burglar alarm that activates when a special wire inside the polycarbonate is broken.
There are also three types of security bars that you need to take into consideration:
- Permanent Security Bars
- Swing-Away Bars
- Removable Bars
An alternative to bars is to install security shutters. Some folks feel these are more attractive and easier to use than bars.
6. Using Polycarbonate Panes Instead of Glass Panes
Polycarbonate is a better material than glass as window panes because it is 200 times more impact-resistant, making it harder for intruders to break.
However, the security that it offers comes with a price as it costs much more than a glass pane and is not scratch-resistant. This means that you may need to replace them every once in a while.
You can make polycarbonate panes scratch-resistant by adding a special glazing onto them, but that would make them even more expensive.
A cheaper alternative for the special coating is window security films. They will protect your polycarbonate panes from scratch and will make them even harder to break.
You can also install tinted window security films for additional privacy.
The Conclusion
Burglar-proofing your windows is just one of the ways that you can protect your home from intruders. It is still a better idea to protect the other areas of your home to make it more secure.
Although getting a full home security system is the best step to do this, there are still cheaper ways to secure your home.
For more help visit – https://fortresshome.com
