Secure Windows For Your Home

Secure Windows For Your Home

If you are like most Canadians, you are concerned about the safety of your home and your community. One particular type of crime that worries Canadians is breaking and entering or burglary. Recent statistics show that burglary accounts for 22 per cent of all property crime.

The How To Lock Out Crime series, jointly prepared by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), will make you more aware of burglary and its dynamics and show you how to minimize the likelihood that this crime will happen to you.

The How To Lock Out Crime series promotes a proactive approach to safety and security. By knowing the conditions favourable to burglars and taking steps to eliminate those conditions, you can greatly reduce the chances that your home will be burgled. Being proactive and implementing a well-thought-out plan can:

• significantly reduce the opportunity for a crime to be committed
• minimize the consequences—both personal and property damages—if a crime does occur.

Weak link
Windows are often the weak link in the home security chain. Intruders can break glass or pry windows open to get into your home. Some sliding windows can be lifted out of their tracks, even when locked. And it is not unheard of for burglars to gain entry by chipping away putty and removing an entire pane. This fact sheet conforms to the 2005 National Building Code, which is used as a model for most provincial and municipal building regulations.

Non-mandatory recommendations are in regular type. Most Canadian building codes (including the National Building Code) require that windows in new dwellings conform to the “Windows” standard of the Canadian Standards Association (CAN/CSA-A440-M)

This standard applies to all types of windows (wood, metal and plastic) and different window configurations (fixed, casement, hopper, vertical sliding and horizontal sliding). It categorizes levels of window air leakage (A1, A2, A3), water leakage (B1 to B7) and wind-force resistance (C1 to C5). Building regulations require that residential windows within 2 m (6 1/2 ft.) of ground level conform to the provisions in clause 10.13 of CAN/CSA-A440-M regarding resistance to forced entry. The conformance level F2 must be marked on the window.

What can homeowners do to protect themselves? Plenty. The method–or combination of methods–you choose will depend on the vulnerabilities of your windows and your security needs. Here are some points to consider when assessing your windows:

• In terms of security, how effective is the window’s design? What are its weak points?
• Is the window accessible from the ground, from a garage or porch roof, tree, TV antenna or trellis? If it is an apartment window, can it be reached from a fire escape, ledge or balcony?
• How shatter-resistant is the glazing?
• Are the sash and frame in good repair?
• How effective is the locking mechanism?
• Is the window visible from the street and neighbouring houses or hidden from view by shrubbery, a garage or an enclosed porch? Does it overlook a major thoroughfare or a rarely used alleyway?
• Is the area well lit at night?

You should also consider more general questions related to home security, including the crime rate in your area, the value of the contents you wish to protect and how much you can afford to spend. All windows within 2 m (6 1/2 ft) of ground level should be burglar resistant. Secure windows that are easily accessed by exterior structures or accessories, such as balconies or canopies.

Types of windows
Window glazing–the glass–is mounted in a sash (made of wood, steel, aluminum or vinyl), which in turn fits into a wood or metal window frame. The most common designs are:

• Vertical sliding (single or double-hung) windows are widely used. Their biggest drawback is the crescent lock with which most such windows are fitted. The lock can be opened from outside with a knife slipped between the inner and outer sash. Its fasteners, like those of most window locks, are apt to pull free of the wood when force is applied at the sash. Equipped with a better lock, this type of window provides good security.
• Casement windows are hinged on one side and open out like a door, using a crank or lever. Those in good repair and equipped with a key-operated lock provide good security. Keep in mind, some windows should be considered emergency exits and key-locked devices may not be ideal if the key is misplaced or the window needs to be used by people with an agility disability or limited hand function. Note: for persons with disabilities, casement windows are ideal.

Ensure there is only one lever lock on the lower part of the window for easy access or install hardware that is available to close the top and bottom levers from one location. Closing only the bottom lever on a window with a top and bottom lever can result in a drafty window or an insecure window that can  pried open.

• Awning windows are hinged at the top or bottom. They offer good security if equipped with a strong lock.
• Horizontal sliding windows slide inside a track, similar to patio doors. Security can be good to poor, depending on the design and manufacture. Many of the older, metal-sashed windows could be lifted out of their tracks from outside, but this problem has been overcome on more recent models.
• Fixed windows (picture windows, vision panels, skylights) do not open. They provide good security. Thieves may cut a hole large enough to gain entry or break the glass, but doing so creates a high risk of injury and detection. Most thieves will not break a large picture window unless they are assured of a substantial reward and quick escape.

Emergency escape considerations
It is extremely important to keep in mind that, in the event of a fire, windows would likely be used as an emergency escape route and an entry point for rescue workers. Security should not interfere with entry or exit purposes, particularly if the room is used for sleeping.

Bear in mind one important stipulation: The National Building Code requires that where bedrooms do not have an exterior door, “each bedroom shall have not less than one outside window openable from the inside without the use of special tools or knowledge.” Windows… shall provide unobstructed openings with areas not less than 0.35 m2 (3.7 ft2) and with no dimension less than 380 mm (15 in.).

If any of the following recommendations would compromise the fire and life safety use of the window in a room used for sleeping, then do not consider it. For example, a basement area renovated to make a bedroom unit must be up to code. Make sure that the occupants of any room intended for sleeping know how to open the window to get out in an emergency.

Low-cost, do-it-yourself security

• Replace worn-out window putty on wood windows. Add extra glazing points (the sharp metal pieces that hold the glazing in place) for greater strength. Reinforce wood moulding with extra-long finishing nails. Pin double-hung windows. With the window closed, drill small holes through the top corners of the lower sash part way into the outer sash on a slight downward slant. Be careful not to drill completely through the outer sash or to damage the thermal seal. Insert a nail or bolt in the holes to prevent the window from being raised. Additional holes can be drilled that will allow the window to be locked while slightly open for ventilation.
• Block horizontal sliding windows with a length of wood laid into the lower track or with pins at the top and bottom, in the same way that double-hung are pinned. A small wooden wedge inserted between the sash and channel of a vertically sliding window is also effective.
• To prevent a horizontal sliding window from being lifted out of its track, screw several large panhead screws into the upper track just far enough that the top of the sash grazes the screw heads without jamming. This eliminates the slack above the sash. To remove the window for cleaning, the screws can be taken out and put back in.
• On hinged windows, use strong hinges and good quality fasteners. Replace short fasteners with longer ones that reach well into the wood of the frame and sash. Ensure that exposed hinge pins and fasteners cannot be removed.
• Permanently seal any window that is not needed for ventilation, lighting or as an emergency exit. Nail the window shut or wall it up. Glass blocks can be used in place of brick if light is required.
• Replace deteriorated putty and apply extra glazing points. Do not use for vinyl (PVC) windows.
• Nails can be used to “pin” a double-hung wood window. Do not use on vinyl or metal windows.
• Block horizontal sliding windows with a piece of wood.
• Insert screws in upper channel so wood-frame windows cannot be lifted out of their tracks.
• Air conditioners mounted in a window frame should be bolted through the wall finish to studs to prevent their removal. Immobilize the upper window by blocking the channel with a piece of wood or pinning the sashes as described above. Fans or vents in the wall or roof that require an opening bigger than 650 cm2 (100 sq. in.) should be secured the same way.
• Don’t give burglars an advantage—close curtains after dark so burglars won’t know what to expect if they break in.
• Make garage windows opaque by painting them over or screenthem with curtains or blinds.
• Close and lock all possible entrypoint windows when you leave the house. Install skylights so that they cannot be opened or easily removed from the outside.

Contact your REALTOR at Coldwell Banker Vantage Realty for more tips and advice on your home safety.

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